A small but satisfied grin crept across Orono senior linebacker Gage Kracht's face.
Orono protects its perfect mark, defeating Totino-Grace in high school football
Orono's Liam Rodgers rushed for 196 yards, and Totino-Grace had four turnovers.
October 14, 2023 at 2:14AM
The Spartans had just completed a convincing 31-7 victory over Totino-Grace (5-2), a game in which Kracht had not only led No. 2, Class 4A Orono over the No. 4 team in 4A but helped the Spartans (7-0) do it in dominant fashion.
They held a 16-0 lead when the game was barely more than 12 minutes old, and to that point they hadn't allowed their opponent a single first down.
If there was any doubt that the Spartans were for real, that argument was settled decisively.
"We showed everybody what we're worth," Kracht said, his smile growing broader. "We let them know that we're around, we're here and we're coming for you."
The Spartans dominated on both sides of the ball — holding Totino-Grace to barely 100 yards of total offense and forcing four turnovers while moving the ball efficiently, if not always cleanly, on offense.
Orono senior Liam Rodgers rushed for 196 yards and two touchdowns. His first TD came on the Spartans' opening drive, on which he did all of the heavy lifting. He carried the ball on all four plays, weaving through the Totino-Grace defense for a 10-yard touchdown. He added a two-point conversion and Orono led 8-0.
The Spartans made it 16-0 on a quarterback sneak by junior Charlie Cordes early in the second quarter.
Totino-Grace, which struggled to move the ball against Orono's aggressive, penetrating defense, scored its only touchdown with just eight seconds left in the first half on a 5-yard pass from Will Brands to Tyler Wagner, but that was the extent of the offense for the Eagles.
Orono drained any momentum Totino-Grace gained with a 10-play drive to start the third quarter. It ended in a 9-yard run by Kracht and a 24-7 lead. The Spartans iced the victory on Rodgers' 56-yard touchdown run halfway through the fourth quarter.
Orono coach Joe McPherson admitted his team wasn't perfect — the Spartans turned the ball over twice and were stopped on a goal-line stand in the first quarter — but thinks his team can go a long way.
"It wasn't a clean game," McPherson said. "But if we stay consistent and do what we know we're good at, we'll be tough to beat."
Six players plus head coach Garrett Raboin and assistant coach Ben Gordon are from Minnesota. The tournament’s games will be televised starting Monday.
