The Cottage Grove boys have done it again for Bemidji State’s football team.
Park High graduates Brandon Alt and Brendan Beaulieu connected eight times for 142 yards and a touchdown as the Beavers beat Augustana, 28-24, in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Alt, a redshirt sophomore quarterback, completed 19 of 34 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, including eight passes and a TD to his former Park teammate, as the Beavers avenged a loss to Augustana on Sept. 25 and nailed down the program’s first 10-win season.
The Beavers (10-2) have won eight games in a row heading into their second-round matchup with top-seeded Colorado School of Mines (10-1) next Saturday in Golden, Colo. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. CST.
Augustana (9-3) trailed 14-3 in the first half but rallied to take a 23-21 lead with two third-quarter touchdowns, the second on a 35-yard run by Kyle Graham. But the Beavers drove 90 yards for the go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter, a two-yard run by backup quarterback Sam McGath with just under 12 minutes to play.
Alt completed 19 of 34 passes for 326 yards and three touchdowns, his eighth 300-yard passing game this season.
ST. JOHN’S 41, LAKE FOREST 14
Devin Vouk ran 17 times for 143 yards and two touchdowns as the Johnnies improved to 11-0 and advanced to face the winner of Saturday’s game between Redlands and Lindfield. Chris Backes completed 10 of 18 passes for 120 yards and four touchdowns to four different receivers for St. John’s.
Junior defensive lineman Michael Wozniak had six tackles, including four tackles for losses, for the Johnnies.
CENTRAL 61, BETHEL 35
Jaran Roste passed for 353 yards and three touchdowns and ran for two more for the Royals, but Central scored five touchdowns in the final 23 minutes to advance in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Bethel finished its season with an 8-2 record.
Central quarterback Blaine Hawkins passed for 331 yards and seven touchdowns to five different receivers. Tanner Schminke caught 12 passes for 194 yards and two touchdowns for Central, which improved to 10-0 and will face Wheaton College in the second round next Saturday.
ANGELO STATE 48, MINNESOTA DULUTH 14
Junior quarterback Zach Bronkhorst completed 13 of 24 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns to lead Angelo State past No. 23 Minnesota Duluth in the first round of the Division II playoffs in San Angelo, Texas.
Armani Carmickle caught eight passes for 101 yards to lead the Bulldogs, who finished their season with a 9-3 record.
Alfred Grear ran seven times for 70 yards, and Bronkhorst had seven carries for 65 yards and another score for the Rams (10-2), the Super Region Four’s No. 2 seed.