Football: Rocori Spartans wreck Willmar Cardinals' homecoming

WILLMAR — Rocori stopped any chance of homecoming heroics for the Willmar football team on Friday. The Spartans, ranked 10th in Class AAAA, started the game with a tone-setting 13-play, 70-yard drive that resulted in a score. Rocori finished with a 29-7 Skyway Green District victory, spoiling the Cardinals’ homecoming game at Hodapp Field.

Grant Tylutki capped off the long opening drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. The Spartans’ next drive didn’t take as long, going just four plays. But it ended up in the end zone when Caleb Maddox caught a pass from Max Fredin for a 23-yard TD.



Maddox and Fredin later connected for a second-half touchdown from 32 yards out in the third quarter. Tylutki added a 16-yard TD run in the second quarter that put Rocori ahead 22-0 at the break. The Spartans used the ground game to chew up the clock, rushing for 231 yards on 47 carries.

Dylan Thompson did the bulk of the work with 143 yards on 26 attempts. Willmar quarterback Jordan Ellingson put Willmar on the scoreboard with a 2-yard TD run in the fourth quarter. He also completed 4 of 10 passes for 92 yards.

Hudson Sjoberg had a 47-yard catch and Jonah Gee had a 30-yard reception. Conlan Carlson led the Cardinals’ rushing attack with 65 yards on 13 carries. Braeden Fagerlie had a Willmar-best eight tackles (five solo), followed by six from Bobby Poe (three solo).

Willmar travels to eighth-ranked Hutchinson at 7 p.m. next Friday.

Rocori 29, Willmar 7.