Football Recap: Ainsworth Takes a Loss

Ainsworth managed to slip by St. Mary the last time these teams faced off, but didn't have those same answers this time around. The Bulldogs were beaten by the Cardinals 78-35 on Friday. The Bulldogs were in a tough position after the first half, with the score already sitting at 52-14.

When it comes to explaining why Ainsworth lost, don't look at Chris Fernandez. Despite the final result, he rushed for 112 yards and one score on only 15 carries, and also threw for 35 yards and one touchdown.

Gage Hedstrom continued his habit of posting crazy stat lines for St. Mary's, throwing for 319 yards and seven TDs while picking up 13.3 yards per attempt, and also rushing for 64 yards and one score on only eight carries. Thanks to that big game, Hedstrom is now up to 18 passing touchdowns on the season. Ben Barlow was another key player, picking up 126 receiving yards and three touchdowns.

Ainsworth's defeat was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which dropped their record down to 0-5. Those home losses can't be blamed on the team's offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 32.5 points over those games. As for St. Mary's, their record is now 5-0.

We've got plenty of inter-district action coming up soon. Ainsworth will take on rival North Central at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Meanwhile, St. Mary's is set to face off against their familiar foe Elgin/Pope John at 2:30 p.m. on Friday.