The Red Knights defeated the Fridley Tigers 40-0 in a section 6AAAA playoff matchup with an explosive offense and strong defensive performance. Five different players scored for the Red Knights who are now on a three game winning streak.
“We knew what we had to do, and we came out and got it done,” senior safety Luke Musech said, who help shut down Fridley’s dynamic offense.
This win avenged a 51-21 loss earlier in the season to Fridley, a game many of the players consider their worst game of the year. “We were so mad after that game it’s nice to get that one back,” senior captain Mikey Koller said.
The first quarter saw little action, but the Red Knights were able to find the end zone three times during the second quarter. Two of the touchdowns were off passes from junior quarterback Keaton Studsrud, helping the Red Knights finish the half with a 20-0 lead.
The scoring continued in the second half when Studsrud, senior running back Garrett Haughey, and junior running back Peter Watkins all found the end zone, preserving the 40-0 shutout victory for the Red Knights.
The offense gained 575 total yards with 409 of those coming on the ground. Keaton Studsrud threw for two touchdowns and had two rushing as well. So far this season, Studsrud has over 1000 yards rushing and passing. “It feels good to distribute the ball more, and get the passing game down,” Studsrud said.
Despite a strong offensive performance, the defense was equally impressive holding Fridley to 203 total yards and recording their first shutout of the season. “We have a really strong defense, it’s nice to be rewarded with a shutout,” Koller said.
The Red Knights have gained plenty of momentum in the final stretches of the season and have improved to 5-4 after a 2-4 record earlier. BSM will travel to rival DeLaSalle on Saturday to face the number one team in Class 4A. “If we play like we did today, no one can beat us,” Musech said.
