14 October 2023
Max Mogelson said Two Rivers prides itself on zero. One yard given up by the Warriors is one too many in their eyes.
“And we’ve got guys on guys that are just willing to give up everything they’ve got to hold them to zero yards and zero points, obviously, is the goal at the end of the game,” the senior defensive lineman said. “But it’s one play at a time — win that play, win that drive, get the offense the ball and go from there.”
So with zero in mind, Friday was a success for Two Rivers, as the Warriors shut out the Minutemen 41-0 at Central High School to claim the Northstar-Twin Cities subdistrict title.
It’s Two Rivers’ first subdistrict or conference title dating back more than 20 years. That means something to seniors like Mogelson, a UNLV commit who entered the Mendota Heights school three years ago with the goal of turning the football program around.
Mission accomplished. Friday’s win moved the Warriors to 6-1 on the season with only a date Wednesday with Simley remaining in the regular season. Not bad for a program that, prior to this season, had won just 15 games since its last state tournament appearance in 2013.
“It’s been a slow build, and I still think we’ve got a ways to go, but they’ve been playing really well of late,” first-year co-coach Bruce Carpenter said. “We see improvements every week, and that’s all we can ask for as coaches. You don’t want to get stagnant and you don’t want to stumble your way through some games. We’re seeing steps each week.”
Co-coach Tom Orth said the Warriors pride themselves on their first series every week. That’s the tone-setter where they display the physicality that will be featured all evening. Friday was no exception.
Two Rivers running back Riley Pearce runs in a 7-yard touchdown run in the first quarter of the Warriors’ victory over the Minutemen at Central High School on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. (Jace Frederick / Pioneer Press)
The Warriors received to start the game and proceeded to march on a lengthy drive that featured a pair of tough fourth-down rushing conversions and ended in a seven-yard rushing score from Riley Pearce.
Central proceeded to go three-and-out on its ensuing drive, and a botched snap on the punt gave the Warriors the ball on the Minutemen 22-yard-line. One play later, Drew Altavilla hit Adam Suchy for a 22-yard scoring strike to make it 14-0 Two Rivers.
That was more than enough offense for a Warriors defense that hasn’t surrendered more than 13 points in a game this season. Central’s often explosive offensive wasn’t able to generate any momentum in the rushing game, a feeling often experienced by Two Rivers’ opponents this season.
“We pursue with a passion unknown to mankind. That’s what our coaches say before every game. That’s what every guy is hunting after,” Pearce said. “We have 11 guys to the ball every play. … That’s all it is, hunting the ball.”
Orth said the Warriors have a combination of athletes, relentless pursuit, discipline and guys who like to hit — a lethal defensive domination.
While Friday’s defeat cost it a subdistrict title, Central is still a 5-2 team in the midst of a strong season. The Minutemen will almost certainly earn a No. 2 seed in sections. But a deep postseason run cannot feature some of the mistakes Central made Friday. The Warriors capitalized on every bad snap on a punt or muffed kick and punt return. Two Rivers led 35-0 at the break, as Pearce ran in two scores and Altavilla threw for three touchdowns.
Mogelson said Two Rivers is “not close to done.”
“Not close to satisfied, don’t get me wrong, with anything (we’ve achieved). I think every game we played this year we should win, and I still feel that coming up into sections and the last regular-season game,” he said. “We have the confidence to go out and win every game we play.”
Added Pearce: “We’re going to keep on building. This is another step. We’ve got the end goal of winning a section championship.”
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