SARTELL, Minn. — Last year was so nice they decided to do it twice.
The Sartell soccer programs — both boys and girls — clinched the Section 8AA titles with wins over Rocori and Sauk Rapids, respectively. Marking the second consecutive year that the Sabres were able to sweep the section and advance to the state tournament.
“It’s so special; it’s something that we don’t take for granted,” boys head coach Caleb Forberg said. “We do so much with the girls program. To have them here supporting us, and us supporting them [against Sauk Rapids], it’s going to be special next week. We feed off each other, and just to be able to host section final games here is such a special feeling. It’s a testament to the program, and it’s special for the school and the city.”
The girl’s beat Sauk Rapids 3-0 behind two goals from senior forward Mollie Statsick and a breakthrough goal from junior forward Scarlett Haws to shake off a 0-0 halftime score.
While Statsick is the leader for the Sabres, Haws has found the net three times in a row now to start the playoffs.
“We’ve got a lot of good girls,” Haws said. “We are a lot younger [than last year], but we are like a family more than a team. Our chemistry playing together and our ability to work together and win games has grown.”
With the win, the Sabres advanced to the state tournament with a 12-6-1 record.
“It feels awesome,” girls head coach Andrea Benninghoff said. “It’s not the same team [as last year], and they’ve had a lot of growth from the beginning. For them to keep working, growing, be resilient and have each other’s back, I’m proud of them. It’s really cool to go back to state.”
As for the boys, they got off to a bit of a better start, pacing out to a three-goal lead in the first 30 minutes behind goals from seniors Ashton Shosted, Cole Davidson and Alex Pooler. Rocori sophomore midfielder Carter Stavros got the Spartans on the board before halftime to make it 3-1, which held firm until the final whistle.
The win over Rocori marks the 17th in a row for Sartell, the seventh most in state history and the longest since North St. Paul put away 18 consecutive wins in 2013. Winning the 2A championship would put the Sabres at 20 consecutive wins, which would be good for fourth most all-time.
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“It’s kind of surreal,” Pooler said. “Our coach likes to tell us to take it one game at a time, so you don’t really think about the next opponent even if they’re a big one. There’s a level of confidence because last year [we were] the underdog and I think we all are ready for this one. We have a shot at the state championship, and that's the goal.”
Last season, the girls lost in the first round to Blake, 5-0, while the boys lost in the final seconds to Northfield, 1-0.
Two results that both Sabre squads are sure to want to improve upon a year later.
“Last year, we came in with a different mindset,” Forberg said. “This year, we’re coming in on a winning streak, we have not lost to a team in the conference or in the section. We’re feeling good. It’s been a fun ride, and it has been a blessing to be with [this team] every day. This is it for a lot of these guys, and they want to play as long as they can. We want to play more games.”
Quarterfinals for the MSHSL state tournament begin between Tuesday, Oct. 27 and Thursday, Oct. 29 for both teams.
Exact dates and times are to be determined as the other sections crown champions.
You can reach St. Cloud Times sports reporter David Jacobs and send story ideas and tips to djacobs@gannett.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @davidrjacobs10, and on Instagram @ByDavidJacobs.
This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: Sartell sweeps Section 8AA, returns to state soccer tournaments