Senior quarterback Sam Gubbrud passed for two touchdowns and ran for another — while also connecting with his brother and receiver Jon Gubbrud for big gains throughout — leading St. Paul Central to a 47-28 victory over St. Paul Highland Park. He gave the Minutemen a share of the Twin City District Maroon Division football championship before a capacity crowd on the Scots’ home turf.
Gubrudd got Central on the board first with a one-yard scoring run giving Central a 7-0 first-quarter lead.
With the exception of a 22-yard touchdown run by Highland Park running back Antonio Ortiz, it was Central in the second period as Gubbrud threw for two touchdowns — 31 yards to JaQuantay Winston and 14 to Jamal Galato — and ran for another as the Minutemen jumped out to a 27-7 lead.
Amitri Collins-Westlund’s 91-yard pass reception from quarterback Charles Klug in the opening minutes of the third quarter made it a 27-14 game, but a 35-yard punt return by Owen Donnelly made it a 33-14 Minutemen advantage.
Collins-Westlund passed for one touchdown and ran 59 yards for another making it a 33-28 game after three quarters.
Galato’s five-yard run and an 85-yard interception return by Taariq Hutchinson-Carroll put the game out of reach.
Mitchell Palmer McDonald welcomes reader responses to mmcdonald@spokesman-recorder.com.
Dr. Mitchell Palmer McDonald is a contributing columnist at the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder.