Opportunities Missed as St. Michael Falls to Owatonna in the Dome

At this level, at this point in the playoffs, one turnover can mean a difference in a football game. 

St. Michael-Albertville Friday afternoon had two in the red zone - inside their opponent's 20-yard line - and that made all the difference in the world. 

Owatonna, top-ranked and as good as advertised, used two solid drives and one short field to build a 21-7 lead and never looked back, tacking on two field goals late to post a 27-7 victory over the Knights at Mall of America Field. 

The Huskies top-ranked defense in 5A, which allowed just 80 yards rushing all season per average, bottled up Chris Kartes, Noah Evans and Jackson Greewaldt all day, forcing St. Michael-Albertville to use big plays and passing to stay in the ballgame. 

And the Knights did just that, after falling behind 14-0. STMA used a steady diet of slant passes from Greenwaldt to Austin Wik and a big play on a receiver screen by Dallas Freeman to march down the field, a big throw from Matt Kisch on fourth down cutting the lead to 14-7 in the second quarter. 

After that, the Knights, who had been run over by the Owatonna offense and Aaron Peterson on the Huskies' first two drives, stood tall, forcing a three-and-out. 

The offense went to work. Freeman caught a pass for a short gain. Kartes picked up a first down. Wik caught a pass and took it inside the 20. And the Knights were in business. 

But with under a minute to play in the first half, down by seven, Kartes got the call and the carry. He burst through the line and drug linebackers and safeties inside the 5 yard line and, suddenly, loss the ball. 

A strip and recovery by the Owatonna defense changed the game. 

After that, the Knights would not score. The first half would end 14-7. STMA would go three-and-out on its first possession, and a short punt gave Owatonna a short field. They capitalized in just seconds, Peterson breaking through for a 33-yard run, and it was 21-7, and practically over. 

STMA would drive with chance to make it 21-14, but a Greenwaldt interception in the endzone killed another chance. 

"Turnovers decide so many of these games. You get two teams that are pretty even and it comes down to mistakes," said coach Jared Essler after the Knights' other loss of the season, vs. Rogers. "Sometimes you win because of that. Sometimes you let the other team in the door." 

The Section 6-5A champions finished the season 10-2 and gave the community its first run to Mall of America Field at this level. 

"We've got a good mix of senior leadership with a few juniors who are stepping up and finding ways to contribute. But those seniors are who lead us," Essler said earlier this year.