St. Francis recovered a ball fumbled out of the hands of St. Michael-Albertville sophomore Mitchell Kartes, returning possession to a Fighting Saints team that had just turned the ball over on downs following an illegal procedure on a fake field goal.
St. Francis cashed in on the turnover, scoring a touchdown that started a run of 14 points in the final minute of the first quarter.
“I refocused after my first fumble,” Kartes said. “I stood off to the side and thought to myself that I need to lock it in, go out there and play your game.”
Kartes responded the following quarter, returning a punt for a touchdown, but the play was called back due to a holding call.
Fate struck him again, this time in the second half as he scooped a fumble on the Knights’ 2-yard line, maneuvered through a mob of players and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown that propelled St. Michael-Albertville to a 41-21 win over the Fighting Saints Friday night at St Francis High School.
“At first I scanned to see and all I saw all navy,” he said. “I thought, ‘Make a cut, make someone miss.’ I made one miss, got a bunch of blocks from my teammates and then I cut up and outran the rest of them.”
“We caught a couple breaks,” Knights coach Jared Essler said. “Twice in our territory they turned the ball over. Those are points on the board we were lucky enough to keep off and one we returned for a score.”
St. Michael-Albertville clinched a share of the North Central Blue subdistrict title following the win.
Kartes started his first varsity game as a freshman against the Fighting Saints last year. He played a pedestrian game, getting his feet wet at the high school level and hoping to not make any rookie mistakes at free safety.
A year stronger and wiser, he plays running back, free safety and returns punts for the Knights (5-1, 4-0), ranked No. 4 in the latest Class 5A poll provided by The Associated Press. Kartes made an impact on offense early on, scoring on St. Michael-Albertville’s opening drive where he carried the ball seven times. He finished the game with 13 carries for 61 yards.
After being hit on a reverse in the third quarter, Kartes got the opportunity to watch teammate Isaiah Weston make the highlight play of the game.
“I was watching it from the opposite side after a guy hit me,” Kartes said, “I saw him go in the air from the 4-yard line -- that’s why he uses that 40-inch vertical.”
Weston, a 6-foot-4 senior, did his best Superman impersonation, hopping two defenders into the end zone.
“When I landed, I got up, was looking for a ref and I see his hands raise up,” Weston said. “This touchdown honestly is the most memorable.”
Weston will play football for Northern Iowa next year, but the Knights appear to be in good hands as Kartes continues to carve a name for himself on the Knights' roster.
“He’s a difference maker for us and he showed it again tonight,” Essler said.
Fighting Saint Stephen Anderson fights his way out of the pack to score St. Francis' second touchdown of the night. Photo by Kelly McGinley.
First Report
Mitchell Kartes’ fumble return opened a 22-point second half for St. Michael-Albertville as the Knights coasted to a 41-21 victory over the Fighting Saints Friday night at St. Francis High School.
St. Michael-Albertville, ranked No. 4 in the latest Class 5A poll provided by The Associated Press, clinched a share of the North Central Blue subdistrict title following the win.
St. Francis (4-2) scored two touchdowns in the final minute of the first quarter, taking its only lead of the game.
Senior quarterback Hunter Trautman scored on a 1-yard dive with 56 seconds remaining on the clock. On the ensuing kickoff, the Fighting Saints recovered an onside kick and channelled the momentum on the following play as Trautman found Stephen Anderson over the middle for a 50-yard touchdown pass just 18 seconds later.
The Knights (5-1) rallied, scoring two touchdowns in the second quarter to take back the lead. St. Francis was rolling on the final drive but sputtered at the 8-yard line after Trautman was picked off by St. Michael-Albertville's Will Berning in the end zone.
The Fighting Saints put together a strong opening drive in the second half, converting on third down three times as they chewed up half of the third quarter. But Trautman fumbled on a quarterback keeper and the ball bounced to the 2-yard line, where Kartes picked it up and returned it 98 yards to the TD.
The Knights' following possession was highlighted by a reverse from Kartes to Northern Iowa commit Isaiah Weston, who took the ball down the sideline and hurdled two defenders into the end zone from 20 yards out.
St. Michael-Albertville faces Buffalo next week for an opportunity to seal the subdistrict title outright.
Senior captain Max Green defies St. Michael Albertville's defense. Photo by Kelly McGinley.
