Benilde-St. Margaret’s won three consecutive games to earn a shot at Minnesota’s top-ranked Class AAAA team but came up short in the Section 6AAAA semifinals, dropping a 26-24 decision to DeLaSalle.

The Red Knights outgained the Islanders, 383-340, in total yardage but it was big plays early that would give the home team a lead.

BSM wasted little time in getting on the scoreboard, taking the opening kickoff and proceeding to march 75 yards on eight plays. Mikey Koller took a shovel pass from Keaton Studsrud the final 35 yards to give the Red Knights a lead just three minutes, 37 seconds into the contest. However, a missed extra point attempt would prove costly.

DeLaSalle responded in kind as Chris Williams rumbled 32 yards with a pass reception on the Islanders’ first play from scrimmage and, five plays later, scored from nine yards out as the osts took a 7-6 lead with less than six minutes gone in the opening quarter.

The Red Knights put together an 11-play drive on their next possession but the drive stalled at the DeLaSalle 41. A short punt gave the Islanders the ball at their own 21 and, on their first play, Reid Travis hooked up with James Lawson for a 79-yard touchdown pass to stretch the lead to 14-6.

When the Red Knights got the ball back, they moved the ball quickly as Studsrud completed a pair of passes for 27 yards to Jack Sims and carried the ball four times for 42 yards, including a two-yard run for a touchdown but his rush attempt on a two-point conversion try came up short and BSM found itself trailing by two points.

After that score, the teams would trade a pair of possessions but DeLaSalle caught a break when Jareid Combs sacked Studsrud and forced a fumble, which the Islanders recovered, and two plays later Travis and Lawson combined for a 43-yard touchdown and the hosts would take a 20-12 lead into the half.

Neither team could sustain any drives in the third quarter but the Red Knights caught a break when Nathan Hanks fell on a fumbled punt with 4:33 to play in the frame at the DeLaSalle 27. However, the Islanders’ defense held and got the ball back on their own 24 after holding on downs.

DeLaSalle gave up the ball on downs after getting the ball back and BSM took over on Islanders’ 32, from where it would take just two plays before Garrett Haughey went off the right side, bounced off three would-be tacklers and scored on a 20-yard run. Studsrud then rushed over the right side for the two-point conversion but a holding penalty negated the play and the Red Knights found themselves trailing by two points once again, 20-18.

The teams would again trade a pair of scoreless possessions but DeLaSalle managed to win the battle of field possession, finally getting the ball back at their own 49 with 6:33 to play in the game.

Travis began the possession with a 20-yard run and Williams went 29 yards on the next play to get the ball to the BSM two-yard line, from where it would take three carries before Travis got into the end zone on a two-yard run. However, a failed two-point conversion attempt gave BSM hope of tying the game as it trailed 26-18.

Joseph Pauly’s 29-yard kickoff return gave the Red Knights the ball at their own 40 with 4:20 to play and one third-down conversion and a conversion of a 4th-and-2 set up a five-yard touchdown run by Haughey but Studsrud’s rushing attempt on the conversion came up short and, after recovering an onside kick attempt by BSM, DeLaSalle was able to run out the clock and remain unbeaten on the season.

Haughey’s two touchdown runs highlighted his 119-yard rushing performance, 98 of which came in the second half. Studsrud completed 14 of 22 passes for 151 yards in addition to 67 yards rushing with Sims, Lynch and Hanks all hauling in three pass receptions.

Defensively, Jared Taitt’s 10 tackles led the Red Knights. He also added a fumble recovery while Barrett Fitzgerald chipped in with nine tackles.

BSM’s season comes to an end with a 5-5 record. The team will be honored at the annual BSM Football Banquet, Nov. 15.

For complete statistics from the game, click here.