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St. Paul Como Park runs through Breck in the second half

By Matthew Davis, SportsEngine, 10/25/16, 1:15PM CDT

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William Wooten scored three rushing TDs to send the Cougars into a section semifinal against St. Croix Lutheran.


St. Paul Como Park quarterback Robert Adams carries the ball during the first half Tuesday night at Breck's McKnight Stadium. The Cougars defeated the host Mustangs 39-17 in Class 3A, Section 4 quarterfinal action. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine


St. Paul Como Park junior running back William Wooten rushed for three touchdowns as the Cougars knocked off Breck 39-17 Tuesday night at Breck's McKnight Stadium in Golden Valley. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine

William Wooten took what he learned from a recent St. Paul Como Park track star and made it work in a big football playoff win.

“I was trying to be like him,” Cougars junior running back Wooten said.

Treyvon Clay, a state hurdling champ at the St. Paul school, also starred in the backfield for the Cougars’ football teams before graduation last spring. Clay's departure left a void in the running attack, but Wooten alleviated concerns with 5.1 yards per carry in the regular season this fall.

“He kind of showed me some stuff [and] kind of showed me the little quick moves,” Wooten said. “I've been practicing those over the summer, and I kind of got it down pat.”

Wooten didn't have Breck's defense down pat when the Twin City Red District rivals met on Sept. 16 when he had a 36 yards on 10 carries. The Cougars lost that game 21-14.

However, Wooten bounced back on Tuesday with 58 yards on one play against the Mustangs for a convincing 39-17 rout in the Class 3A, Section 4 playoffs.

“The adrenaline was pumping [and I was] just trying to get to the touchdown,” Wooten said about the 58-yard run.

Wooten did get the score and a 13-0 lead for the Cougars (3-6). He recorded a season-high 181 yards on 13 carries and finished with three TDs.

“The linemen did a good job [blocking],” Cougars’ junior quarterback Robert Adams said.

Adams also stepped up in the running game with a 1-yard TD run during the opening drive. He also had a clutch 6-yard run to move the chains on a fourth-down play in the second quarter, which set up a TD the next snap.

“I consider myself a running quarterback, but I like throwing the ball more though,” Adams said.

In the rain, Adams couldn't get the passing game going at Breck. Being one-dimensional didn't matter as the Cougars scored six rushing TDs.

Patrick Corniea, a junior wide receiver, took the ball 25 yards on a reverse for the score, giving his team a 19-7 lead. Junior tight end Donnie Ventrelli also scored on a running play for the Cougars, a rush of 6 yards in the fourth quarter.

Breck (2-7) sophomore quarterback David Roddy scored twice on TD runs but couldn't get consistent drives going. A limited running attack didn't help the Mustangs either as they ended the season on a 6-game slide.

“We came out kind of slow,” Roddy said.

The Cougars advanced to the Section 4 semifinals and will visit No. 1-ranked St. Croix Lutheran (8-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m. That makes it a fourth-straight year St. Paul Como Park faces the Crusaders. Each of the previous meetings went in favor St. Croix Lutheran, a team that prides itself on a powerful running attack with the veer offense.

First Report

William Wooten scored three rushing touchdowns as fifth-seeded St. Paul Como Park blew past fourth-seeded Breck in the Class 3A, Section 4 quarterfinals on Tuesday night at Breck High School.

A 5-foot-9 junior running back, Wooten broke a 58-yard TD run to give the Cougars a 13-0 first quarter lead en route to a 39-17 win. Wooten scored twice in the third quarter to help the Cougars (3-6) pull away, ending a three-game skid.

Breck (2-7) sophomore quarterback David Roddy scored twice on TD runs but couldn't get consistent drives going. A limited rushing attack didn't help the Mustangs as they ended the season on a six-game slide.

The Cougars advanced to the Class 3A, Section 4 semifinals and visit No. 1-ranked St. Croix Lutheran (8-0) on Saturday at 7 p.m.

Check back for more on the game.


Breck sophomore quarterback David Roddy passes during the second half of Tuesday night's game. Roddy finished with two rushing touchdowns in the Mustangs' 39-17 loss to St. Paul Como Park Tuesday night. Photo by Drew Herron, SportsEngine

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