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St. Thomas Academy launches big-play offensive, blows out Elk River

By JIM PAULSEN, Star Tribune, 11/16/19, 10:00PM CST

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The Cadets' 53-16 victory puts them in the Class 5A Prep Bowl against the only team to defeat them this season.


St. Thomas Academy running back Danny McFadden (2) sprinted toward the end zone in the first half. Photo: ANTHONY SOUFFLE • anthony.souffle@startribune.com

Like most football coaches, St. Thomas Academy’s Dan O’Brien doesn’t like to lose. But he knows a good lesson when he sees one. And when the Cadets were shutout in the regular season finale by Chaska, their only loss of the season, O’Brien found a silver lining.

“You hate to ever say a loss was a good thing, but in that particular case, it helped us a little bit,” O’Brien said. “We were able to refocus and go back to drawing board.”

The refocused Cadets delivered their best offensive showing of the season in a 53-16 romp over Elk River in a Class 5A semifinals Saturday at U.S. Bank Stadium.

St. Thomas Academy had five touchdowns of 32 yards or longer and 499 yards of total offense. Running back Danny McFadden alone had 216 total yards – 129 rushing, 87 receiving – and scored three touchdowns on just 13 touches.

The best part, as far as the Cadets are concerned?  They earned a Prep Bowl rematch Chaska.

“That was huge motivation for us,” quarterback Joe Deyak said.

The Cadets rarely seemed fazed by the Elks' now-trendy straight-T offense, with its quick-hitting three-headed rushing attack based on misdirection. They routinely stopped the dive play up the middle and showed enough discipline to disregard the fakes that so often fool opponents.

Elk River, which averaged more than 430 yards rushing per game, was held to just 182 on the ground. Things were so lopsided that the fourth quarter was played on running time.

First report

Who said St. Thomas Academy can’t play offense?

The Cadets turned that narrative on its ear Saturday, using big play after big play to run away from Elk River 53-16 in a Class 5A semifinal at U.S. Bank Stadium.

St. Thomas Academy had five touchdowns of 32 yards or longer and rolled up 499 yards of total offense. Running back Danny McFadden had 216 total yards – 129 rushing, 87 receiving – and scored three touchdowns on just 13 touches.

With the victory, the Cadets earned a Prep Bowl berth and a rematch with Chaska, the only team to beat them this year.

Elk River’s now-trendy straight-T offense has left a trail of teams in its path with a quick-hitting three-headed rushing attack that is often going one way when the defense is going the other.

But the Cadets rarely seemed fazed the Elks' attack. They routinely stopped the dive play up the middle and showed enough discipline to disregard the fakes that so often fool opponents. Elk River, which averaged more than 430 yards rushing per game, was held to just 182 on the ground.

Things were so lopsided that the fourth quarter was played on running time.

St. Thomas Academy showed off its offensive speed in the first half.

McFadden started the onslaught on the Cadets’ second possession. He darted through the left side of the Cadets line and outraced the Elk River defense for a 32-yard touchdown. A successful two-point conversion gave them an 8-0 lead.

Elk River put together a classic 52-yard scoring march to tie the score 8-8 soon after when Joe Nordstrom weaved 11 yards for a score.

But that was all the excitement the Elks could muster until scoring a late fourth-quarter touchdown.

St. Thomas Academy quickly responded with a 66-yard drive that ended in a 3-yard scoring run by Love Adebayo. It was his second scoring run of the possession. Five plays earlier, he had a 44-yard touchdown called back due to holding.

A short McFadden touchdown run just before halftime made the score 24-8 at the break, setting up the Cadets’ explosive third quarter.

The first two times the St. Thomas Academy offense touched the ball after halftime, they took it the distance for a touchdown.

McFadden scored for the third time with a 47-yard run one play after the St. Thomas Academy defense had stopped Elk River on downs at midfield. Soon after, Cadets quarterback Joe Deyak got in on the scoring action with a 67-yard scoring run.

Less than six minutes into the second half, St. Thomas Academy led 38-8, ending any doubts about the outcome.

Check back later for more on the game.

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