Four years ago, North St. Paul football coach Eric Longtin revamped his program’s on- and off-field expectations. The team lost nearly half its players, but Longtin insisted on keeping high expectations and believed that the kids who wanted to play will show their desire.
Senior linebacker Angelo Mancini IV is a member of a senior class who has helped the program change for the better. The Polars finished their regular season with a 6-2 record following a 21-16 comeback victory over the Wolfpack at Park of Cottage Grove High School on Friday night.
North’s last winning season came in 2007, Longtin’s first year as head coach.
“We’ve had the most competitive drive coming into this game,” Angelo said about North’s sixth straight win. “It wasn’t an easy matchup. We had to play our best.”
Longtin praises Mancini as one of the best middle linebackers that North has had in nearly a decade.
“He’s probably the best tackler we’ve had at North in nine years,” Longtin said.
Mancini proved his coach right on the Wolfpack’s final drive of the game. He blitzed up the middle, forcing Park quarterback Brendan Beaulieu out of the pocket. In hot pursuit, Mancini wrapped up the legs of Beaulieu, who couldn’t get rid of the ball before his knees hit the ground.
The sack forced Beaulieu off the field for the next play as Park faced a third-and-20. The Wolfpack didn't convert on the play and failed to pick up 20 yards on fourth down, turning the ball over and clinching the win for North.
“I felt relentless. It’s one of the best feelings of my life,” Mancini said.
Many players were worn from the 46-minute defensive battle. Mancini, still buzzing from forcing and recovering a fumble in the third quarter, said it’s the love of the game that keeps him going.
“I just wanna keep playing football and never stop," he said. "It’s my favorite thing to do."
“Every practice he’s just go, go, go,” Longtin said. “We have to tell him to tone it down every once in awhile.”
North and Park finished tied for third place in the East Metro Red subdistrict standing, and both hope to carry their recent successes into next week's section playoffs.
Park Cottage Grove senior Michael Griffin (8) fending off a North St Paul player. Griffin scored on Park's first drive, but was his only touchdown in a 21-16 loss to the Polars. Photo by Korey McDermott
First Report
North St. Paul took advantage of a turnover to score the game-deciding touchdown and then shut down a late charge to deny Park of Cottage Grove a share of the East Metro Red subdistrict title with a 21-16 win Friday night at Park High School.
In the third quarter, the Polars' power run offense chewed up the clock, and with less than two minutes remaining, North took a 14-10 lead on a 4-yard touchdown run from senior Bishop McDonald.
On the ensuing kickoff, Polars senior linebacker Angelo Mancini IV pried the ball from the hands of the Wolfpack's Marnez Trotter to give North the ball on Park's 24-yard line.
Polars leading rusher Isaiah Koran capitalized on the turnover with a 2-yard touchdown run at the start of the fourth quarter.
Park answered quickly as Tolu Ogunrinde caught a pitch from quarterback Brendan Beaulieu and broke through a mob of North defenders for a 37-yard touchdown with seven minutes remaining.
Ore Odujole recovered a fumble by Polars junior Fisayo Oduyemi in the game's final five minutes, buying the Wolfpack one last opportunity.
Park passed midfield, but Mancini sacked Beaulieu for a loss on first down. On the next play, Beaulieu was forced out of bounds to set up a third-and-20 with just over a minute remaining.
Wolfpack backup quarterback Grant Glazier missed connecting with a receiver on a deep pass. On fourth down, Beaulieu hit Ogunrinde on a screen pass for a 10-yard gain, but it wasn't enough as Park gave the ball back to North, which picked up its sixth win of the season.
Both teams scored on their opening drives of the game.
Wolfpack senior running back Michael Griffin scored from 6 yards out just 1 minute, 45 seconds into the first quarter.
Oduyemi then crashed through the Wolfpack’s defensive line, converting on fourth-and-1 to tie the game.
From there it was a defensive stalemate as neither team could gain any momentum on offense.
Odujole picked off North quarterback James Bothwell deep in Wolfpack territory, and a roughing the kicker call on the Polars gave Park a fresh set of downs. The Wolfpack then marched to North's 6-yard line but settled for a field goal, taking a 10-7 lead at the half and setting the stage for the dramatic climax in the second half.
