Schuetz helps Knights drink milk

On a night when bragging rights and the coveted Milk Bowl were on the line, Mater Dei quarterback Colin Schuetz and the Knights made one of the top defensive units in the metro-east seem little more than average on Friday at Mater Dei High School.

Schuetz rushed for three scores and added a pair of touchdown passes as Mater Dei (3-2) kept possession of the precious Milk Bowl with 34-14 win over Central.

Facing a Cougars defense which had allowed only 10 points in four games, Schuetz and the Knights marched 86 yards on 14 plays on their opening drive to set the tone early. The drive took nearly six minutes off the clock and when Schuetz went in from 3 yards out, Mater Dei had the lead against a stunned Central defense.

Schuetz then added a 13-yard scoring run with 2:38 left in the first quarter and the rout was on.

“The first drive was huge because we set the tone and showed everybody that it was going to be a good game,” Schuetz said. “The defense was great and we were able to run the football tonight. It’s a lot easier when you are able to mix the pass and the run. It was a team effort.

BIG PLAY OF THE GAME

Following the Knights opening drive, Central moved the ball with a pair of first downs. But quarterback Hunter Toeben had a pass intercepted by Lucas Theising near midfield.

Seven plays later, Schuetz scampered around left end and scored his second touchdown of the night as Mater Dei took a 14-0 lead.

MATER DEI COACH JIM STIEBEL

“The first drive of the game set the tone. The way the team came out and marched the ball down the field both with the run and the pass showed that we were really ready to play. The execution on that drive was near flawless.”

MATER DEI ADDS TO THE LEAD

Theising, a sophomore linebacker, came up with his second interception of the night late in the second quarter and once again, the Knights capitalized. With Schuetz completing four passes, Mater Dei took the ball deep into Cougars’ territory. Then, with six seconds left in the half, Schuetz fired a 14-yard scoring pass to Jordan Kampwerth to give his team a 20-0 lead.

Schuetz, who finished 13 of 22 for 188 yards, added a 16-yard touchdown pass to Brendan Timmermann and also scored on a 25-yard run.

NUNN SPARKS CENTRAL

Senior Brock Nunn helped get Central (4-1) on the scoreboard with an 81-yard touchdown pass to Dalton Wise midway in the second half.

THE SERIES

Mater Dei, which forced five Central turnovers, now leads the Milk Bowl series 28-4.

WHAT’S NEXT

Central plays host to Red Bud; Mater Dei welcomes Quincy Notre Dame. Both games kick off Friday at 7 p.m.

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 11:38 PM with the headline "Schuetz helps Knights drink milk."