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Sophomore running back helps St. Thomas Academy silence Simley

By Drew Herron, SportsEngine, 09/23/16, 11:30AM CDT

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Brendan McFadden's three rushing touchdowns paced the Cadets in a 26-0 victory over the Spartans.


Simley quarterback Josh Halloran is taken down by St. Thomas Academy's Thomas Steven (9) and Maxwell Shuman (33) during the first half Friday night in Mendota Heights. The Cadets shut out the Spartans 26-0. Photo by Drew Herron

Change is rarely easy.  

So when St. Thomas Academy, last year’s Class 5A runner-up, underwent a total overhaul prior to this season, including a new coach and a new offense to be learned and executed, growing pains were sure to follow.

But Friday night at home in Mendota Heights, the Cadets pieced together their finest half of football to date and collectively took one giant step forward with a 26-0 victory over Simley that saw St. Thomas Academy dictate play on both sides of the ball.

It proved to be a satisfying win for the Cadets, who leveled their record at 2-2 and maintained their relevance in the competitive East Metro District Red Division race.

“We’re getting better each week, and we still haven’t played our best game,” St. Thomas Acadmey coach Jason Sedlak said. “I still believe that to be true, but our team was on it tonight.”

An early evening downpour had just eased and the sky southwest of the St. Thomas Academy campus began opening up, exposing a glimpse of the glorious sunset over Mendota Heights as the Cadets offense went to work.

However, the soggy conditions ensured a dull and sloppy opening quarter for both sides, while punts and miscues kept the game moving along.

The Cadets started gaining traction when tailback Brendan McFadden scored on a 4-yard run midway through the second quarter, but they were only slightly in control as they took a flimsy 7-0 lead into halftime.

In the second half, McFadden added rushing touchdowns from 36 and 41 yards as St. Thomas Academy pounded away on the ground.

It was a breakout performance for the 6-foot-2, 220-pound sophomore who is the third in a family line of talented brothers to start at St. Thomas Academy.

The other two have gone on to bigger things. Older brother Sean is a freshman running back at Boston College, and eldest brother Conor played center at Stanford from 2011 to 2013. They are also the sons of Mike McFadden, a successful Minnesota businessman and Republican challenger to Al Franken in the 2014 U.S. Senate race.

To carry on the legacy as a Cadet on the gridiron is something Brendan relishes being a part of.

“I’ve been coming to these games since I was in kindergarten,” he said. “To play out here on Friday nights in blue and white has been a dream come true. To try to honor (my brothers) by following in their footsteps is something I take seriously.”

Any advice given has been taken to heart.

“They told me, ‘You’re a sophomore, so keep your head down and work as hard as you can,’ ” Brendan said.

For the Cadets, Brendan is one half of the emerging effective backfield, along with junior Cameron Cashin.

Cashin entered the game as the Cadets’ leading rusher for the season with 203 yards and a touchdown on 52 carries, though McFadden carried much of the load in the second half.

It’s been beneficial for all involved to have two backs with contrasting running styles move the ball.

“We push each other, it’s been that way since the summer,” McFadden said. “Together, we work hard on our footwork and learning how to hit the holes. It’s been a lot of fun because we feel like we’ve got a pretty good 1-2 punch in our backfield.”

With the crafty Cashin slight of frame at 5-10 and 185 pounds, McFadden delivers more of a bruising and physical presence, not surprising as the sophomore has only recently moved to running back full time after developing into a fine middle linebacker.

Regardless, it seems for be working for St. Thomas Academy.

“To look at his frame. It’s crazy to believe he’s a sophomore, but it’s in his genes,” Sedlak said. 


St. Thomas Academy's Thomas Dolan (8) and Brendan McFadden (27) line up for a play in the first half behind a Cadets offensive line that proved increasingly effective as the game moved along.

First Report

After a slow and soggy start, St. Thomas Academy got things rolling in the second half to silence Simley 26-0 Friday night in Mendota Heights.

It was a much-needed victory for the Cadets, who stumbled to start a season filled with lofty expectations after they finished as the Class 5A runners-up a year ago.

The victory may also go a long way toward restoring St. Thomas Academy as a major player in the East Metro District Red Division race.

The Cadets started gaining traction midway through the second quarter when tailback Brendan McFadden scored on a 4-yard run. It was the first of three rushing touchdowns on the night for the sophomore, who also scored from 36 and 41 yards as St. Thomas Academy pounded away on the ground.

Three second half turnovers slowed a Simley squad (1-3) that couldn’t consistently move the ball and sustain drives.


Simley quarterback Jamie Warrick stands behind the Spartans' line to attempt a pass in the first quarter. Photo by Drew Herron


Simley senior wide out Joel Woja fights for yardage in the flat during the first half. Photo by Drew Herron

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