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Rochester Lourdes flying high

By MN Football Hub staff, 09/09/11, 11:40PM CDT

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Senior Sean Griffin's touchdown returns power No. 1 Eagles (Class 3A) past Byron


Byron senior running back Brian Bellrichard rushed for 201 yards against Rochester Lourdes. Photo by Helen Nelson

Last season’s defending Class 3A champs Rochester Lourdes was at it again in Byron on Friday, winning behind the leadership of senior quarterback Sean Griffin. The Eagles quarterback was a jack of all trades in a 28-13 victory over the Byron on Friday, Sept. 9 in Byron.

Backed by a travelling student section clad in all orange as “bear hunters,” Griffin came up with the big plays to keep Rochester’s undefeated streak alive. 

Griffin started the scoring with a bang as a defender, when he returned a fumble 65 yards to put the Eagles ahead in the first quarter. When asked about the play, Griffin, displaying true leadership, deferred all the credit.


Rochester Lourdes quarterback Sean Griffin scored on a fumble return and a punt return against Byron. Photo by Helen Nelson

“We stood him up and I was able to come in and strip him and make that play, so without my teammates none of that is happening,” he said. 

Griffin continued to dominate in the second half, but not as a quarterback. The Eagles' offense struggled to consistently move the ball, so Griffin was forced to make plays elsewhere. A member of last year’s state title team, Griffin knows what is required to win, and that inspired him to jumpstart his team with a sparkling individual effort.

With 8:11 left in the fourth quarter, Griffin returned a punt 80 yards for a touchdown, streaking along the sideline as he finished off the run with a final burst of speed.

“Well, I just showed up," Griffin said. "Byron, it’s a big rivalry.”

The credit for the play however? All to his teammates of course.

“I couldn’t have had that punt return without those blocks," Griffin said. "We work on our special teams, we take a lot of pride in it. It’s one-third of the game so it’s great to see that we came out ready to play.”

Added Rochester Lourdes coach Mike Kesler, “That punt return was huge, it was a big night for Sean.”

When asked if he pressured Griffin to step up on special teams and defense as the Eagles struggled to pull away from the Bears, Kesler responded that all he told the senior was to “keep being the leader that he is."

"He has been a big part of the program for a number of years and we expect those things out of him," Kesler said. "His senior leadership has been outstanding all year long.”

If Rochester Lourdes wants to repeat this year, expect Griffin to be a cornerstone of the team.

Griffin added to his two touchdowns with 20 rushing yard with two deflected passes and an interception late in the fourth quarter. 

"You can’t give up the big plays and expect to win against a team like Rochester Lourdes," Byron coach John Austinson said. "They are No. 1 in the state for a reason."

-- Walker Orenstein, MN Football Hub staff


Rochester Lourdes senior defensive lineman Eric Potvin brings down Byron quarterback Jack Nelson for a 12-yard loss. Photo by Helen Nelson

Byron's Bellrichard bowls them over

Brian Bellrichard is as much a bowling ball as he is a football player.

The stocky senior running back stands closer to 5 feet than 6, giving him a center of gravity that hovers just inches above the turf.


Byron running back Brian Bellrichard found plenty of running room against Rochester Lourdes. Photo by Helen Nelson

When Bellrichard builds momentum, as he did repeatedly against Rochester Lourdes on Friday, Sept. 9, he slams into opposing defenders with pile-moving authority.

“Brian Bellrichard is a nice running back,” Byron coach John Austinson said. “He is a solid kid.”

Solid, and no doubt sore. Very sore.

Bellrichard rushed for 201 yards on 31 carries against the defending state Class 3A champion Eagles. In two games this season Belrichard has rushed for a combined 379 yards.

“He gave it all he could tonight,” Austinson said about Bellrichard, who was nursing a sore foot and clearly was in pain. “If he was healthy, there was a couple of (runs) he might have broke.”

-- Loren Nelson, MN Football Hub staff

Statistics, Summary

Game Recap

Rochester Lourdes senior Sean Griffin scored touchdowns on fumble and punt returns as the Eagles, ranked No. 1 in Class 3A, defeated Byron 28-13 on Friday, Sept. 9, at Byron Middle School.

Griffin, Rochester Lourdes’ quarterback who also starred as a defensive back and on special teams, scooped a fumble and raced 65 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter and added an 80-yard punt return in the fourth to propel the defending state Class 3A champion Eagles (2-0) past the Bears (1-1).

Griffin added to his big night with an interception late in fourth quarter.

Griffin’s performance overshadowed a monster effort from Byron running back Brian Bellrichard, who rushed for 201 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries.

Rochester Lourdes bolted to a 15-0 led, but Byron rallied to within 15-13 after a Bellrichard touchdown run in the second quarter.

-- Loren Nelson, MN Football Hub staff

1. Sean Griffin, Rochester Lourdes
A senior quarterback who also plays in the defensive backfield and returns punts, Griffin had his hand in almost all of the Eagles’ most important plays (including fumble and punt returns for touchdowns) as he showcased his speed and athletic ability.

2. Brian Bellrichard, Byron
On any other night against most any other team, Bellrichard would have been a lock for the No. 1 star. All he did was rush for 201 yards on 31 carries, doubling as leg-pumping wrecking ball on carry after carry.

3. Eric Potvin, Rochester Lourdes
Potvin, a 6-foot-3, 220 pound senior defensive lineman, registered a sack and helped to make life miserable for Byron quarterback Jack Nelson when the Bears were forced to throw in the second half.

-- Loren Nelson, MN Football Hub staff

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