Borrowing from Eden Prairie's playbook, SMB coach Collin Quinn called nothing but running plays on the first three Wolfpack possessions Friday in the Class 4A final against Willmar.
"We thought if we could get the power run game going we could shorten the game," Quinn said.
That meant a busier night for senior running back Siegel Howard. He finished with 33 carries for 104 yards and a touchdown. He more than doubled his average workload of 15 carries in his previous nine games.
Though frustrated by the grinding nature of the play calls, Howard kept pounding away.
"If there's one guy that you want to give ultimate credit to for this team, Siegel Howard is the heart and soul," Quinn said.
DAVID LA VAQUE
Shutout practice
The Class 2A championship game Friday marked the third time this season that Caledonia had taken a 7-0 lead into halftime. The Warriors led Chatfield and Dover-Eyota by identical halftime scores during the regular season. On all three occasions, Caledonia finished the game by shutting out its opponent.
Warriors coach Carl Fruechte said the previous games may have played a role in Friday's 21-0 victory but said his team's ability to hold an opponent in check was more due to preparation.