Perhaps it was the unusually early 5 p.m. game time and the drive across town, but No. 2, 4A South St. Paul took awhile to get started Friday, then roared to life with a 42-21 victory at Irondale.

The game was a matchup of two undefeated teams with similar stats but differing styles. In this one, South St. Paul’s methodical rushing attack against Irondale’s speed-oriented system.

For one quarter, Irondale had the advantage, taking a quick 14-0 lead.

But the South St. Paul defense stiffened and the offense began to churn out yards consistently. The Packers scored 35 consecutive points on two short runs by quarterback Bill Brandecker, another by running back Jaden Bjorklund, a fumble return and a punt return, putting the game out of reach.

Recap: It took South St. Paul a quarter to adjust, but when it did, the Packers looked every bit like the No. 2-ranked team in Class 4A. Quarterback Bill Brandecker scored three touchdowns as the Packers rallied with a dominant second half to remain undefeated (3-0). Irondale started fast, scoring twice in the first quarter for a 14-0 lead. But South St. Paul settled in and rallied with 35 straight points, putting the game out of reach. It was the South St. Paul defense that rescued the Packers, shutting down Irondale’s offense until the offense could find a rhythm. South St. Paul coach Chad Sexauer felt that the victory provided just about everything he could ask for. “We battled back, we got out of a tough place with a victory and the kids stay humble,” he said.

Key play: Early in the third quarter, defensive tackle Preston Woods burst through the line and forced a fumble in the backfield. Curtis Felton scooped it up and ran it back 72 yards for a touchdown, giving South St. Paul its first lead, 20-14

The quote: “No one has come out and done that to us,” said Woods, a 6-2, 290-pounder who has caught the eye of nearly every Big Ten school. “It was a wake up call. “

Worth noting: After giving up an 8-play, 69-yard drive to Irondale on its opening possession, South St. Paul allowed Irondale to run just 12 offensive plays for the rest of the first half. 

JIM PAULSEN