Blue Jays Freeze Out Wildcats

PIERCE - On a windswept arctic night on their hometown frozen tundra, the Pierce defense iced the game in a 21-14 win over St. Paul in the Class C-1 State Semifinals.

The Blue Jays started hot, scoring on their first possession with a Michael Kruntorad 1-yard plunge to go up 7-0. But the Wildcats answered in the 2nd period, with a 19-yard Eli Larson game-tying scoring dash, set up by an interception that gave St. Paul a short field.

Lightning struck late in the first half with an Abram Scholting 70-yard bomb that was plucked out of the air by Logan Moeller, who turned around to find no one in front of him en route to the end zone and a 14-7 Pierce lead at the break.

The Wildcats came roaring out of the gate in the 3rd quarter, knotting the game at 14-14 with Larson's second TD of the game. But the Scholting-to-Moeller connection proved to be the decisive score of the game, this time from 29 yards out to put Pierce on top 21-14 late in the period. Defense sealed the deal for the Jays in the 4th, with interceptions by Ritter Oestreich and Tyler Race on the final two St. Paul possessions.

Pierce (11-0) hosts the C-1 state championship game next Friday against Adams Central, while St. Paul ends their season at 9-2, with both losses coming at the hands of the Blue Jays.