Elk River perseveres through second-half push, defeats Alexandria in high school football

Elk River coach Steve Hamilton had seen this before.

After a sterling first half in which the Elks ran up a 24-point halftime lead, their second-half foibles and fumbles were starting to add up.

And their lead over Alexandria, a team that had been ranked No. 1 in Class 5A until the most recent set of state polls, was shrinking.

“Last year, we led them by 18, and they came back and beat us,” Hamilton recalled. “I was thinking, ‘This seems familiar.’ ”

Enter Brecken Keoraj, the Elks’ lightninglike 5-8 playmaker. Usually, the explosive Keoraj is breaking off long runs that wind up in the end zone. On Wednesday, however, Keoraj put the lid on any dreams Alexandria had with an interception at the Elks 38-yard line, stemming Alexandria’s second-half flow of points and giving momentum back to the Elks, who proceeded to drive 62 yards for a game-clinching touchdown and a 44-34 victory.

“We had had those two fumbles, we didn’t really have any momentum,” Keoraj said. “I saw a play that needed to be made. I saw their quarterback roll out — he’s a great player, don’t get me wrong. But I was there to bait him in and jump on the ball.”

Keoraj let his legs do his speaking for him before halftime, rushing for more than 100 yards and scoring on runs of 64 and 29 yards as Elk River played the type of first half for which it is renowned. The Elks put up more than 200 yards rushing, scored on four chunk plays of 65, 64, 26 and 23 yards and even got a punt return for a touchdown from quarterback/defensive back Levi Harris, rolling to a 38-14 halftime lead.

The second half was a different story altogether. The Elks had a lone touchdown run called back because of a holding penalty and put the ball on the ground twice, giving Alexandria the opening it needed to mount a comeback.

It looked likely until Keoraj came up with his timely interception. It was the first interception Alexandria’s superb 6-8 quarterback Chase Thompson has thrown all season. He threw for more than 300 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third Wednesday.

“We were having success with our hurry-up stuff,” said Thompson, who is committed to Clemson for basketball. “We were trying to come back, so I was getting a little reckless, and that’s what happens.”

Hamilton said Keoraj’s momentum-killing interception was the result of a defensive adjustment, but he credited Keoraj with making the play when the Elks needed it.

“That’s who he is. He’s so twitchy, and he’s done that for us in the past,” Hamilton said. “Part of that was our linebackers making a deeper drop and forcing [their quarterback] to throw it a little high, but Brecken stepped up. He made a play for us at a time when you need your best players to make a play.”