After a penalty-filled, mistake-prone first half, Osseo scored on each of its first five possessions after the break, pulling away for a 56-10 rout of Northwest Suburban Conference rival Blaine.     

Quarterback Matt Miedtke had 328 yards and three touchdowns on 20 of 31 passing, as Osseo racked up 574 yards of total offense. Connor Kittelson caught nine passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jaimen Hampton scored twice for the Orioles.

Blaine held an early 10-0 lead in the first quarter, as both offenses struggled to find a rhythm. But Osseo slowly started picking up the pace in the second quarter, scoring a pair of touchdowns before the break.

The Orioles (2-1) caught fire in the second half. A 41-yard pass from Miedtke to Joshua Goldschmidt helped set up a Hampton touchdown run on Osseo’s first possession of the third quarter, and the Oriole offense never slowed down from there.

Meanwhile, the Orioles’ defense turned in a dominating performance. In handing Blaine its first loss, Osseo held the Bengals (2-1) to just 273 yards of total offense and forced two turnovers, including a 57-yard interception return for a touchdown by Melvin Jarlee.

Senior quarterback Alex Copa led Blaine with 73 yards and a touchdown on the ground. 

Recap: Senior quarterback Matt Miedtke had 328 yards and three touchdowns on 20 of 31 passing, as Osseo racked up 574 yards of total offense in the rout. Connor Kittelson caught nine passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Jaimen Hampton scored twice for the Orioles. Blaine’s lone touchdown came on a 23-yard run by quarterback Alex Copa, who led the Bengals with 73 yards rushing.

Key of the game: After a number of dropped passes and costly penalties held up the Osseo offense through two quarters, the Orioles scored on each of their first five possessions of the second half, putting the game out of reach.

Quote: “We need to go prove ourselves against some other teams,” Miedtke said. “But I think it makes a good statement, statewide, that we can play.”

Thing to know: A lot of the attention will go to the Osseo offense, but after giving up an early touchdown the Orioles defense was dominant. Blaine amassed only 273 yards of total offense, and Osseo forced two turnovers, including an interception that Melvin Jarlee returned for a fourth-quarter touchdown.

BRYCE EVANS