At 47 days from the first regular season game to the finale, the high school football season is a relatively short one. Accordingly, it is important that a team break from the gate fast and strong. As the Saint Agnes football team heads to the midseason point Friday, September 24 when they visit undefeated Providence Academy, head coach Tom Flood is of two minds.
“I’m happy with what I’ve seen so far,” Flood said of the Aggies, who moved to 3-0 after a 39-0 blanking of Saint Croix Lutheran September 17 at Sea Foam Stadium. “At the same time, I know we have some very tough games ahead and we need to shore up a few things.”
The offense and defense have been in sync so far. The offense is averaging nearly 38 points a game. “We have some guys who can score on any play,” Flood said. “We can run the ball and catch the ball” The defense has been sharp.
Senior leadership has played a major role on both sides of the ball. On offense, QB Isaac Schmidt has played an integral role in both facets of the offense. Schmidt has thrown for five touchdowns and ran for six more. He is one of four Aggies who has already rushed for 100 plus yards. A healthy John Patros led the ground game with 367 yards, including three TDs and a two-point conversion while Caleb Flood is the top receiver with nine catches for 204 yards and three scores. Flood also took off from the backfield for a 57-yard scoring sprint to cap the win over the Crusaders.
The hearty offensive numbers are even more impressive because a rash of early injuries forced several alterations of the offensive line in the early going. “Throwing the ball is harder than people think,” Flood noted. “Considering everything, we have done very well in that regard.”
Schmidt has been a force on the other side of the ball as well, leading the team in tackles (21) and forced fumbles. Samuel Lopez, also a senior, is close behind with 17 stops.
“We’re not in complete rhythm yet,” Flood said. “But we have been getting better every game.” One pleasant addition to the offensive attack is the strong leg of senior placekicker McKenna Evans, who is also a member of the Aggie soccer team.
The program’s overall future looks bright. The varsity roster has been gaining in numbers in recent years. The Aggie JV team opened the season with a pair of shutouts of the C team has 25 freshmen on it.
For now, though, Flood’s focus is on the present. In addition to the Friday game at Providence, the second half of the schedule has games against Breck (also 3-0) and an always tough DeLaSalle team. Fortunately, the latter two are home games. The Breck game is also Homecoming and will be at Hamline University’s Klas Field on Friday, October 8 at 7:00 p.m. The Islander matchup is the regular season finale at Sea Foam Stadium on Wednesday, October 20 at 7:30 p.m.