For the second straight year, the Benilde-St. Margaret’s football team was defeated by the DeLaSalle Islanders in the section playoffs, ending their season one game away from state.

DeLaSalle created a turnover on the first play of the game and turned it into a touchdown, but the Red Knights tied the game with a one-yard touchdown run by Callaghan Commers.

The two teams exchanged touchdowns in the second quarter and went into halftime tied at 14. DeLaSalle’s Chris Williams gave the Islanders the 21-14 lead with a 45-yard touchdown run, but Keaton Studsrud countered with a 67-yard scramble for the touchdown. The extra point was missed however, and DeLaSalle retained a 21-20 lead.

Both teams exchanged possessions in the fourth quarter and kicker Matt Arnason gave the Red Knights the 23-21 lead on a 33-yard field goal. BSM’s defense forced an Islander punt and were in great position to close the game until Studsrud was stripped of the ball by a DeLaSalle defender.

The Islanders drove down the field into Red Knight and on fourth-and-seven, quarterback Billy Hart eluded a Red Knight pass-rush and found Williams who weaved his way through the Red Knights’ defense and into the endzone to give the Islanders the 27-23 lead.

Keaton Studsrud and the Red Knights would have one last drive, but incomplete passes to Nathan Hanks and Sam Lynch ended the comeback hopes and the Red Knights fell to their rival 27-23.

The Red Knights finished the season with a 7-3 record and the program’s first conference championship since 2004. They will graduate 22 seniors as the team moves into the Metro West conference for next season.