Flatonia snaps St. Paul win streak, spoils homecoming
by Jason Chlapek
Friday, September 20, 2011
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SHINER -- Everything was set up just right for the St. Paul football team Friday night.
The Cardinals had a 17-game winning streak, and they were hosting their annual homecoming game against a Flatonia team which just snapped a nine-game losing streak a week earlier. St. Paul also led 17-7 at halftime, and wide receiver Justin Natal was named Homecoming King.
But none of that seemed to matter with Flatonia. The Bulldogs scored two second-half touchdowns and shut out the Cardinals in that same time frame as Flatonia spoiled St. Paul’s homecoming and snapped its 17-game winning streak with a 21-17 victory Friday at Comanche Field in Shiner.
A year ago, the Cardinals ran for 273 yards in a 48-6 rout of the Bulldogs. But, Friday night’s contest proved to be a role reversal as Flatonia (2-2) ran for 232 yards and limited St. Paul (3-1) to 111 yards on the ground.
Both teams switched offenses from last season. The Cardinals went from a power-running game to the spread, while the Bulldogs changed from the spread to the wishbone.
After one quarter of play, it looked as if St. Paul was on its way to its 18th straight win. Brett Hodges opened the scoring on a 1-yard touchdown run and Dakota Kresta hit Adam Hollenbach for a 37-yard score to give the Cardinals a 14-0 lead.
St. Paul followed the prescribed notion of taking a two-touchdown lead on a running team. But Flatonia had other things in mind as Mitchell Mica scored from seven yards out to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 14-7 at the 8:23 mark of the second quarter.
St. Paul received a 25-yard field goal from Will Hybner on the final play of the first half to give the Cardinals a 17-7 lead at intermission. Hybner’s field goal, however, would be the last time St. Paul would put points on the scoreboard.
Colby Mica scored from one yard out to cut the Cardinals’ lead to 17-14 at the 5:14 mark of the third quarter, and Mitchell Mica scored from four yards out at the 11:49 mark of the fourth quarter to give the Bulldogs the lead for good, 21-17. Despite several chances, St. Paul could not find its way into the endzone in the fourth quarter.
Kresta led the Cardinals with 135 yards passing and 28 rushing. Hollenbach was the leading receiver with three catches for 49 yards and 26 yards rushing on five carries.
St. Paul hosts Bryan St. Joseph at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Comanche Field.
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