St. Croix Lutheran’s identity is a veer-option offense that averages almost 50 points per game. But a dominant 45-7 victory over Pequot Lakes in the Class 3A semifinals Saturday showed that the Crusaders can play a little defense, too.

“I told our team that the 48 points [actually 45] was nice, but the 7 was better,” St. Croix Lutheran coach Carl Lemke said.

The No. 1-ranked Crusaders (12-0) dictated terms from the beginning.

They went 57 yards on nine plays on their first possession, taking a 7-0 lead when quarterback Jonathan Liesener ran the option to perfection, drawing the defense before pitching to James Chernohorsky for an 18-yard touchdown.

The Crusaders added short touchdown runs by Mike Stern and Liesener near the end of the first and second quarters to take a 21-0 lead into halftime.

Meanwhile, Pequot Lakes struggled offensively, woes traced to the St. Croix Lutheran defense and the loss of starting quarterback Blake Lane to an injury in the first quarter. Forced to play sophomore backup Cale Wolf, the Patriots were held to 15 total yards in the first half, minus-26 on the ground.

Losing Lane, Pequot Lakes coach Chip Lohmiller said, was a turning point in the game.

“When Lane went down, we lost half of our offense,” he said. “We really couldn’t get a rhythm going.”

St. Croix Lutheran defensive end Stephen Kletscher was the primary beneficiary of a defense that dropped Pequot Lakes for lost yardage 14 times. Kletscher finished with three sacks and four tackles for losses, pacing a defense that allowed just 125 total yards.

“It felt good, but I’m never going to get a single sack if my cornerbacks aren’t doing their work,” Kletscher said. “Gotta thank those guys for doing their job so I can do mine.”

First report

So much is made of St. Croix Lutheran’s ability to score points that the Crusaders’ defense often goes unloved.

But certainly not unappreciated.

St. Croix Lutheran thoroughly dominated Pequot Lakes on both sides of the ball Saturday, qualifying for the Prep Bowl for the second consecutivet year with a 45-7 victory in the Class 3A semifinals.

The No. 1-ranked Crusaders showed off their ability to dictate the terms of the game in their opening possession. They went 57 yards on nine plays, taking a 7-0 lead when quarterback Jonathan Liesener ran the option to perfection, sweeping right and drawing the defense before pitching to James Chernohorsky, who dashed untouched for an 18-yard touchdown.

The Crusaders added short touchdown runs by Mike Stern and Liesener near the end of the first and second quarters to take a 21-0 lead into halftime.

The Crusaders had 187 offensive yards in the first half, but their defensive numbers were more impressive. Pequot Lakes, which lost starting quarterback Blake Lane to a shoulder injury in the first quarter, was held to 15 total yards in the first half, including a loss of 26 yards on the ground.

St. Croix Lutheran defensive end Stephen Kletscher had three of his four sacks in the first half, leading a defense that made nine tackles for loss.

St. Croix Lutheran’s pressure defense continued to play havoc with Pequot Lakes’ offense in the second half, chalking up four more tackles for loss. And when St. Croix Lutheran got the ball on offense, it scored quickly with three one-play drives – a 17-yard run by Stern, a 67-yard pass from Liesener to Garett Maag and a 2-yard run by Stern.

Pequot Lakes scored in the fourth quarter, but by that time, the game was into running time and out of reach.

Check back later for more on the game.