BEMIDJI -- One of the biggest rivals of the region is bound for Chet Anderson Stadium on Friday night.
The Bemidji High School football team will host Alexandria at 7 p.m. Friday in search of its fourth straight win, but they rarely come easy against the Cardinals.
Last year, in an early season matchup of two top-10 teams in Class 5A, the Lumberjacks outlasted Alex 28-26 on the road and used the inside track to claim the No. 1 seed in the section tournament.
This time around, a 2-2 Cardinals team will come into town with hopes of bouncing back from last week’s 49-29 loss to Sartell-St. Stephen. BHS topped the Sabres 48-6 in Week 2. Both teams have also faced Brainerd, with Alexandria winning 49-14 in Week 3 and Bemidji winning 38-13 in Week 4 to keep possession of the Babe's Bell traveling trophy .
The Cardinal offense boasts standout Kristen Hoskins, a junior wide receiver who has an offer from Iowa State. Hoskins has 23 catches for 441 yards and eight total touchdowns (seven receiving, one on a kickoff return) this season. Quarterback Carter Steffensmeier has gone 56-for-99 for 773 yards and eight touchdowns.
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However, Steffensmeier also has three multi-interception games this year, which could play into the hands of a BHS defense that has picked off seven passes in the past two weeks.
During its three-game winning streak, the Lumberjacks have outscored opponents by an average score of 40-6. Bemidji has been firing on all cylinders in all three phases of the game, which has them rolling into the Alexandria matchup with momentum.
This week is also the final game before the initial QRF rankings come out on minnesota-scores.net on Monday, Nov. 9. The regular season will conclude for BHS on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Moorhead, currently the only undefeated team in Section 8-5A. A to-be-announced two-week postseason will follow.
