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Class 5A: Elk River blows out St. Michael-Albertville -- again

By JIM PAULSEN, Star Tribune, 11/04/16, 9:00PM CDT

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Only this time, the margin of victory was even greater as the Elks romped to a 56-0 victory and a trip to the state tournament.

blocked punt

Elk River’s Sam Gibas (15) and Mitchell Stroh (2) celebrate a touchdown off a blocked punt in the first quarter against St. Michael-Albertville. Cameron Cotton (not pictured) scored on the play. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

Hindsight being what it is, it should have been easy to see this coming.

Elk River’s 56-0 rout of Class 5A defending champion St. Michael-Albertville on Friday is the type of result that would normally leave observers shaking their heads in disbelief. Defending state champions just do not lose by 50-plus points.

“I didn’t see this result coming,” St. Michael-Albertville coach Jared Essler said.

But signs were there. Elk River had defeated St. Michael-Albertville 43-6 during the regular season, the victory that boosted the Elks to the No. 1 ranking in Class 5A. The Elks’ deceptive wing-T option, always difficult to stop, was humming. The defense, the weak spot in previous seasons, was making a name for itself. And the game was played on artificial turf at Buffalo, an added advantage.

“Things get so congested inside, we need good footing to move people,” Elks coach Steve Hamilton said.

Celebrating its 125th year of high school football, Elk River left no doubt from outset: St. Michael-Albertville would find no redemption for the earlier loss.

The Elks scored a touchdown on their opening drive, then quickly added one on a blocked punt return by Cam Cotton a minute-and-a-half later. They put up 290 yards of total offense and a 35-0 lead by halftime. The second half was just a matter of setting the final score.

Elk River’s hard-nosed captain Sam Gibas said he thought a rout might happen. “Nobody thought that, but I did because we work,” Gibas said.

Hamilton, who previously coached in Georgia and Michigan, said: “This is the best team I’ve ever coached. Anywhere.”

First report

St. Michael-Albertville is a proud football program, with three consecutive state tournament appearances and the 2015 Class 5A state championship to its credit. No way Elk River would dominate the Saints again the way the Elks had in a 43-6 mid-season rout, right?

Wrong. And this time, it was worse.

Elk River, celebrating its 125th year of playing high school football, looked like a team for the ages, dominating in every way possible in a 56-0 victory in the Class 5A, Section 6 championship game Friday at Buffalo High School.

The No. 1-ranked Elks set the tone on their opening drive, rolling 77 yards in 11 plays to take a 7-0. They bumped that to 14-0 less than two minutes later when Cam Cotton picked up a blocked punt and returned it 14 yards for a score.

The Elks poured it on throughout the rest of the first half, picking off three passes and building a 35-0 halftime lead. Elk River rolled up 290 yards of total offense before halftime and held St. Michael-Albertville to just 65.

The Elks sealed the victory early in the third quarter, scoring twice in the first six minutes to bump the lead to 49-0 before both teams turned to their second string. The fourth quarter was played with running time.

Elk River (10-0) qualified for the state tournament for the first time since 2012 and just the second time since 1992. St. Michael-Albertville finished the season 8-2.

Check back later for an updated story.

tackle

Elk River linebacker Jackson Smith (21) leads a pack of defenders in stopping St. Michael-Albertville running back Mitchell Kartes for no gain. Photo by Mark Hvidsten, SportsEngine

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