(KWMN)- Both Winona and Rushford-Peterson were tasked with upending the top seed in their respective sections, as self-inflicted wounds did Winona in, while it was too little too late for Rushford-Peterson, and both teams lose to close out the 2024 season.
Winona
Winona’s offensive struggles were apparent from the first possession. Opening the game with two straight 3-and-outs and turnover that set up a vibe of inability throughout the game, finishing the section 1AAAA semifinal with 0 points.
“Defensively we got some turnovers, we did some things well in some spots. We weren’t able to capitalize…Our offense is too good to not score points,” Head Coach John Cassellius said after the game.
Senior QB Deion Prolo did all he could to change the tides, mostly with his legs. He rushed for over 50 yards, and for the majority of the game, was the only thing working for the Winhawk offense. It wasn’t much a lack of success that ended the Winhawks season, however. It was more of the same that we saw from the entirety of the season–missed opportunities.
Twice with the game still an arms distance away, Winona drove the ball into the redzone, only to turn it over before crossing the plane of the goal line. That was the difference today, as it has been for most of the Winona losses this season.
“Thats what it comes down to,” Cassellius said, “You find some way to gain some momentum, then you just find another way to add some self-inflicted wounds and put the ball on the turf.”
Not to say they should have or were supposed to win the game. Byron is a great football team and are now one win away from their second straight state tournament. Yet, it feels like this team left a little bit to be desired. The talent they have on the roster induced some excitement into the season. The 42-28 win to open the year further added to the potential. They didn’t ‘Fall Short’, that carries far too negative of a connotation to use for this team, but with multiple Division-II bound players on the roster the expectation was there for a reason.
They had the talent, but they didn’t have the complete roster. Looking back on the season, it was more their own doing, than being out played.
“Too many self-inflicted wounds. A lot of heart. A lot of trust in each other,” Cassellius said, after taking a moment to think when asked how he would summarize the season.
Winona will lose Deion Prolo, Jaden Blanck, Patrick Curtin, Krayton Bergstrom and more from the senior class. Setting up for an offseason full of questions. Winona will be searching for a new Quarterback, maybe it’s Ashton Stafford, maybe it’s Kyle Keller. They’ll have to fill a role in the backfield, as well as multiple receivers. And not to mention last, but Bergstrom will be missed dearly in special teams.
That’s high school football, though, and the train keeps rolling.
Rushford-Peterson
Rushford-Peterson made it a close contest against the top team in section 1A, but fell to Goodhue, 32-14.
Rushford was able to cut it to a one score game late in the 4th quarter. Carson Johnson trotted into the endzone after a dish from Cayden Lea, giving some hope to a late game surge. Goodhue though, was able to respond, and made it a two-score game again, taking the wind out of the sails for Rushford, and going on to take the game.
“We battled all the way through. These boys played their hearts out. They left everything out on the field. Tough nose physical football game all around today…Goodhue has a great team, #1 team in the section and #4 in the state for a reason. Very proud of the way our boys fought until the very end,” Joel Hinke, head coach for the Trojans, said in a text after the game.
In a game that they lost and provides no moral victories for the players on the team. They did show the improvement they had on the season. They were routed earlier in the season by this team, this time around they put up a fight, and they had a chance to win late.
They lost their starting quarterback in Caden Johnson early in the year, they were forced to play a sophomore with zero starting experience in relief in Cayden Lea. Yet they didn’t waver.
“Gritty,” Hinke said, when asked about thinking on the season as a whole, “A lot of ups and downs, but our boys are fierce, determined to learn and grow. We learned a lot of what it means to be a Rushford Peterson football player, and [I’m] excited to see where that can take us in the future.”
The impending offseason provides a unique optimism in the game that is high school football. Yes, this team will lose Jonah Bunke, arguably their most important player. As well as Caden Johnson, Isaac Oian, Dominack Corcoran, and a few others. What they bring back though, is something to mark your calendars for.
Cayden Lea will have priceless experience to build off from this season, the offensive line that started in the section playoff game won’t lose a single member, and they’ll have Jaxson Meldahl returning to be one of their more exciting players, and–dare I say–take the same role that Jonah Bunke had.
It means nothing until you go out and prove it on the gridiron next fall, still, excitement is a whole lotta fun.
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