Woodbury Bulletin:
Tom Carothers

Behind 229 yards rushing and four touchdowns...  More »

Woodbury Bulletin:
Tom Carothers

Behind 229 yards rushing and four touchdowns by senior running back Anthony Osifuye, along with a strong third quarter, the Woodbury football team defeated inter-district rival Park for the sixth straight time on Friday, Sept. 11 at Woodbury High School.

Ahead 14-12 at the half, Woodbury (2-0), ranked No. 8 in Class 5A, scored on its first two possessions of the second half and held Park (0-2) to two consecutive three-and-outs to extend its two-point lead to a 27-12 advantage with one quarter to play.

Osifuye, who had 110 yards and a touchdown last week against East Ridge, had the Royals’ first four scores of the game, including touchdowns of 76 and 41 yards.

Junior quarterback Jake Quast had the Royals’ fifth score of the game on a five-yard run on fourth-and-goal with 3:20 remaining in the game to put Woodbury ahead 34-18.

Park would score with 42 seconds remaining and converted a two-point conversion to make it a one-possession game. However, Woodbury senior Cassius Miller recovered the Wolfpack’s onside kick to seal the win for the Royals.

The last time Woodbury lost to Park was Sept. 13 of 2002, when the Royals fell 26-0 to the Wolfpack.

However, since then, Woodbury is now 6-0 against Park, including defeating the Wolfpack 47-12 in the Section 4AAAAA playoffs — the two teams’ most recent meeting. Park and Woodbury didn’t play the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons.

Next week, Woodbury travels to Mounds View, which lost to Stillwater 19-7 on Friday.

Article Link:
http://www.woodburybulletin.com/event/article/id/32618/  « Less

Long time Woodbury Baseball, Football, and Basketball coach Wayne Dietz passed away just after...  More »

Long time Woodbury Baseball, Football, and Basketball coach Wayne Dietz passed away just after midnight on Wednesday, October 15. Many people often over use the phrase, "the nicest guy you will ever meet." If you were fortunate enough to meet this man, you would instantly know that he actually is the nicest guy you will ever meet. Wayne is the most genuine, caring, and positive person that I have had the pleasure of being around.

You will surely be missed Dietz...  « Less

WHACK!
Tom Carothers Woodbury Bulletin
Published Saturday, October 11, 2008More »

WHACK!
Tom Carothers Woodbury Bulletin
Published Saturday, October 11, 2008

You can read the article and access pictures by Tom Carothers at the following link:
http://www.woodburybulletin.com/articles/index.cfm?id=29259§ion=sports

Technically, it was a closer game for the Woodbury football team at White Bear Lake on Friday night, but not by much.

The Royals handed out their second-straight seven-touchdown effort in a 48-20 win against the Bears, defending their reputation as one of the top programs in the metro.

While it wasn't exactly the absolute cakewalk Woodbury experienced a week earlier at Hastings, there were some distinct similarities:

1) The Royals scored four touchdowns in one quarter. This time is was the third quarter as Woodbury turned a 14-14 halftime tie into a rout with 27 points in 12 minutes. Last week, the Royals scored 28 in the first quarter.

2) Justin Patterson scored a touchdown. The speedy senior reserve sprinted 10 yards into the endzone after hauling in a pass from quarterback Bo Schiffler. Last week, Patterson ran home a 76-yard touchdown in his first varsity game.

3) A member of the state champion 4x400-meter relay team scored two touchdowns. After wide receiver Cooper Wahlo logged a pair of scores last week, this time running back Ernest Dorsett took two to the house — including a 53-yarder.

4) Mike Willett scored impressively. After busting his way to a 21-yard run at Hastings, the senior running back scored on a 43-yard pass from Schiffler to cap the third-period point festival at White Bear Lake.

5) A senior running back earned his first varsity score. At Hastings, it was Patterson. Against the Bears, it was Sean Nash, who ran in a 14-yard touchdown to wrap up the scoring on the night.

6) The Woodbury defense was superb. After utterly embarrassing the Raiders last week, the Royals recovered five turnovers and held the Bears frenetic offense to its third-lowest scoring output this season.

7) The game was played on grass. Not that it had much of an impact, but like Hastings, White Bear Lake plays on the organic. It will most likely be the last game of the season the Royals play on a surface that requires water for it's long-term sustenance.

The similarities were enough to make an uncharacteristically fumble-rific night not much more than a laughable footnote.

For while Woodbury kept the game close with crucial turnovers in the first half and logged a stunningly high four gaffes in the contest, White Bear Lake would not be beaten in the fumble category by committing five themselves.

The Bears held the lead twice in the first half, but Dorsett's 53-yard scoring scamper, followed by another 17-yard jaunt after an Tyler Wakawugi touchdown run was called back on one of three highly questionable blocking penalties called on the Royals, put the game out of reach.

Full statistics for the contest were not available at this time.

It wasn't the highest scoring output in the Suburban East Conference on the evening — that honor went to league frontrunner Cretin-Derham Hall, which scored 62 points in fending off a pesky effort from Park in Cottage Grove.

However, the 48 points were more than enough to keep the Royals in the hunt for a share of the SEC crown this coming Wednesday night.

Woodbury (6-1 overall, 5-1 SEC) hosts Stillwater (3-4, 3-3) at Royals Stadium in the traditional regular-season ending midweek contest.

A WHS victory in that game will clinch at least a second-place finish in the SEC and likely a No. 2 seed for the upcoming sectionals.

However, while the Royals and Ponies clash, Cretin (7-0, 7-0) will be hosting Mounds View (6-1, 5-1) at the University of St. Thomas.

While the Raiders are undefeated on the season, the Mustangs have been playing with fury since a season-opening loss to Woodbury at Mustangs Stadium, averaging 40 points per game in their six wins that followed.

A Mounds View win against Cretin would create a three-way split of the conference title with all three teams having notched a win against one of their fellow deadknotters.  « Less

WHAM!
Tom Carothers Woodbury Bulletin
Published Friday, October 03, 2008
More »

WHAM!
Tom Carothers Woodbury Bulletin
Published Friday, October 03, 2008

In the most dominant victory many could remember, the Woodbury football team overwhelmed Hastings Friday night — scoring 28 first-quarter points en route to a 48-14 victory.

It was over shortly after it began as the Royals needed just eight plays to take the lead for good on the game's opening possession.

After a long runback of the inaugural kickoff by Ernest Dorsett, running back Mike Willett went into the end zone from one-yard out to give his team a 7-0 lead after an extra point by kicker Tony Pittman.



The Woodbury football team overwhelmed host Hastings, 48-14, at the Raiders' Homecoming on Friday night. It was the first 40-plus point game for fourth-year coach Beau LaBore. Staff Photo by Tom Carothers.
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After a feverish Woodbury defense held the host Raiders to the first of numerous three-and-out possessions on their initial possession, Dorsett again set his team up in outstanding field position with a lengthy punt return.

It wouldn't take long for quarterback Bo Schiffler to find tight end Logan Crossley with a 12-yard touchdown heave as the Royals went up 14-0.

After another quick and fruitless Hastings possession, the hosts punted again to Dorsett.

The third time was absolutely the charm for the senior returner/running back, who sliced through the defense for a 63-yard touchdown as the rout was on with the Royals increasing their edge to 21-0.

Hastings again failed to move the ball with any success against the vaunted Royals defense as Woodbury found itself with its fourth first quarter possession as the clock ticked under 20 seconds to go in the frame.

One play, one pass, one 83-yard touchdown reception by wide receiver Cooper Wahlo later, and the Royals had officially ruined the Raiders' homecoming night as the visitors had tucked away an insurmountable 28-0 lead.

Wahlo also notched the lone score of the second half on a 21-yard end around rushing play as Woodbury jubilantly headed off to the halftime locker room after outpacing the hosts, 35-0.

The Royals opened the second half scoring as Willett ran in his second touchdown of the night to give Woodbury the first 40-plus point game of the Beau LaBore era. While the Raiders blocked the extra point, the Royals were ready to bring in the reserves after amassing a 41-0 cushion.

Hastings would finally end the shutout, giving their ample assortment of fans slight cause for celebration, with a touchdown in the third quarter to pull to within 41-7 as the contest entered its final act.

A new "Mercy Rule," enacted by the Minnesota State High School League, that calls for running time when a team is ahead by 35 or more points in the fourth quarter, came into effect after running back Justin Patterson — taking his first-ever varsity handoff — burst through the Hastings defense and ran 76 yards into the endzone for the Royals' final score of the night as Woodbury posted its 48th point of the night on kicker Mac Blumel's successful conversion.

While Hastings ended the ignominy of running time on its own field on Homecoming with a final touchdown drive that brought the count to its would-be final of 48-14, it was the Royals that had the happy bus ride home after the final horn sounded on the most lopsided victory in recent memory.

Offensively, it was a balanced night at seven Royals rushed for more than 20 yards — led by Patterson's 76 yards that were officially split over two carries.

Five Royals caught a single pass each, with Wahlo's 83-yard reception leading the pack as Schiffler was 5-for-9 for 108 yards and two touchdowns in limited necessity through the air.

Defensively, Eric Giddings hauled in his second interception of the season, with Royals teammate Derek Bryant also making a pick. Other defensive statistics were not available at this time.

The enthralling victory clinched a winning season for the Royals, who pushed their record to 5-1 on the year with two regular-season games remaining.

Woodbury is currently tied for second-place in the Suburban East Conference with Mounds View, whom the Royals defeated in the season opener.

The Royals will travel to White Bear Lake next Friday night, while the Mustangs host Forest Lake.

After that, Woodbury will host Stillwater on the final night of the regular season (Wed., Oct. 15), while Mounds View travels to face SEC frontrunner Cretin-Derham Hall.  « Less

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