This article will be updated later tonight with additional information, quotes and stats.
HASTINGS — The Stewartville football team has been taking steps in recent years. This year the Tigers have taken a big leap.
Stewartville, ranked No. 1 in the state in Class 3A is going to U.S. Bank Stadium and still has its state championship hopes alive. The Tigers advanced with a convincing 22-0 victory over Waseca in the Class 3A state quarterfinals on Saturday.
“Year after year we’ve kind of been building this thing,” Stewartville coach Garrett Mueller said. “Two years ago we got upset in the section playoffs and last year we made it back to state (and lost in the quaraterfinals). Now this year it’s ‘Let’s go kick the door down and get the job done.’ A lot of our seniors have already been talking about it.”
Stewartville rode the play of its stellar defense to defeat Waseca (9-3) for the second time this season, the first a 27-13 win the season opener for both teams. With a trip to the state semifinals on the line, the Tigers allowed just 95 yards of total offense and forced five turnovers to record a shutout.
“We knew coming in we were going to hang our hat on that,” Mueller said of the defense.
The Tigers (12-0) entered the game with the best defense in the state in Class 3A (5.1 points allowed per game).
On offense, Stewartville quarterback Ayden Helder was 17-for-23 passing for 194 yards and three touchdowns. He now has 38 touchdowns passes this season. He threw scoring passes to Carter Miller (13 yards), Caleb Bancroft (14 yards) and Henry Tschetter (5 yards). Tschetter finished with eight catches for 71 yards and also had an interception at the Stewartville 3 yard-line in the third quarter, when the Tigers were backed up most of the quarter.
Stewartville will face Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton (10-1) in the state semifinals at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 18 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.
Stewartville 22, Waseca 0
Waseca 0-0-0-0 — 0
Stewartville 7-8-0-7 — 22
SCORING
First quarter
Stewartville — Carter Miller 13 pass from Ayden Helder (Parker Wangen kick), 5:47.
Second quarter
Stewartville — Caleb Bancroft 14 pass from Helder (Wangen run), 5:11
Fourth quarter
Stewartville — Henry Tschetter 5 pass from Helder (Wangen kick), 5:58.
TEAM STATISTICS
Waseca — Stewartville
First downs 5 — 19
Total net yards 95 — 292
Rushing yards 23-60 — 31-98
Passing yards 35 — 194
Pass att-comp.-int. 4-13-3 — 17-23-1
Fumbles lost 3-2 — 2-1
Penalties yards 7-60 — 5-37
Punts/ave. 3-34.0 — 1-14.-0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
Waseca — Jordan Johnston 12-38, Jose Mixetco 10-33, Zach Hulscher 1-(-11). Stewartville — Carter Miller 25-67, Ayden Helder 13-27, Dylan Scanlan 2-2, Grayson Schneider 1-2.
Passing
Waseca — Jordan Johnston 4 completions, 13 attempts, 3 interceptions, 0 touchdowns, 35 yards. Stewartville — Ayden Helder 17-23-1-3, 194 yards.
Receiving
Waseca — Damarius Russell 2-21, Carson Ohnstad 2-14. Stewartville — Henry Tschetter 8-71, Parker Wangen 4-42, Carter Miller 3-49, Blake Turner 1-18, Caleb Bancroft 1-14.
