Winhawk Football Warms Up Ahead of Matchup With Mound Westonka
(KWMN)- The Winona Senior High School football team used another monster first half to win their second straight game and end the season on a high note with a 32-13 victory over Rochester Century.
With 32 points in the first half last night, the Winhawks brought their two-week, first half total to 75 points. It’s refreshing for a Winhawk offense that struggled early in games during their five-game losing streak. They’ve scored more points in the last two games than they did all of the five-game losing streak combined.
Notwithstanding the fact that their opponents over the last two games have a combined record of 0-16 on the season, it’s still important to find your best form ahead of the section tournament.
“When you look at it, it’s about us focusing on ourselves getting better. We’re playing better, and yeah, the teams we’re playing are struggling too, but we won ONE week one,” Head Coach John Cassellius said after the game. “[Still], I like the fact that we’re creating turnovers, and not turning the ball over. We’ve definitely reduced our penalties too.”
The offense has been firing on all cylinders. Senior QB Deion Prolo rushed for two touchdowns last night, while senior RB Jaden Blanck added a score of his own. The offense has only one turnover over the last two weeks on top of that. Defensively, for the first time this season, they’ve attacked the ball. They’ve managed more turnovers in the last two games than they had all season prior, scoring three touchdowns in the process.
Krayton Bergstrom, senior kicker–amongst other positions–got in on the scoring as well. Nailing a season-long 32-yarder in the process and missing another one from nearly 45 yards. But it was the trust that Cassellius had in him that stood out and could be important moving into playoffs.
“I think he’s got a strong leg. We got to take some chances on it,” Cassellius said, “For him, it’s the opportunity to practice, you know, if we’re going to need ya.”
Cassellius said that he’s not quite sure what Bergstrom’s long could be, and weather is a factor in that. Regardless, the coaching staff has confidence in Bergstrom if that moment ever comes where the team needs him late in the game.
Similar to last season, Winona has strung together multiple wins in the final weeks of the season. They’d like to do something similar again to last year’s section tournament, where they took Byron to the wire in the section semifinals.
Winona will face Austin in the opening round after earning the #4 seed in the section. That game kicks off Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. from Paul Gield Field. Winner will take on the top seeded Byron Bears in the section semis. In order for Winona to get a chance at another rematch with Byron, Cassellius says they’ll have to focus on themselves,
“I think our offensive line is starting to gel more, they’ve grown up a bit, and I think we’ve cleaned up our penalties quite a bit…I think our biggest thing is to focus on ourselves. Continue to play like we have the last two weeks.”
Other Area Scores and Section Matchups
Rushford-Peterson 12-14 Wabasha Kellogg
RP will find out their section fate later in the day today
Cotter 15-27 Lewiston-Altura
Cotter earned the #5 seed in the Section 1AA bracket to play #4 Dover-Eyota Tuesday night. Winner plays the #1 seed in Chatfield. LA got the #3 seed in the same bracket, where they’ll face #6 St. Charles and #2 Caledonia if they get a win
Caledonia 40-0 Pine Island
Houston 28-38 Kingsland
FOLLOW US FOR INSTANT UPDATES!
