GRAND FORKS, N.D. - Quarterback Grant Windfaldet stayed after practice every day this week in an effort to develop a rapport with his West teammates. It worked.
Windfaldet - a former Divide County standout - had 202 total yards and five touchdowns to lead the West to a convincing 57-24 victory against the East All-Stars during the 9-man game of the North Dakota Shrine Bowl on Saturday at the Alerus Center.
"It all started with the line," said Windfaldet, who finished 5 of 7 for 155 passing yards. "Once they got their blocks we were able to run or pass. They didn't know how to defend us."
The East marched down the field for a 12-play, 80-yard drive on its first offensive possession. John Bellon of Hope-Page scored on a 1-yard run to give the East a 6-0 advantage.
The West needed only seven plays to score on its first possession. Anthony Schumacher of Edgeley-Kulm scored on an 8-yard run and Brandon Sturn added a 2-point conversion run to put the West ahead 8-6 with 7 minutes, 44 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
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Another 1-yard run from Bellon and a 70-yard scamper from former standout North Border running back Brett Stanhope gave the East an 18-8 lead early in the second quarter.
The West took over from there.
"Once our defense made a couple of big hits it got us going," Windfaldet said. "They had been stopping us all week in practice so we knew they would come through sooner or later."
The West, which piled up more than 300 rushing yards in the game, scored 28 unanswered points in the second quarter to pull ahead 36-18 at halftime.
Despite a blistering start, the East managed just 371 total yards in the game. The East had 255 total yards in the first half.
"The West didn't want to stop," said Stanhope, who finished with 166 yards on 24 carries. "They just kept going at us and some of us started getting a little tired."
The East never recovered.
Windfaldet, who had three rushing touchdowns, finished with 47 yards on 13 carries to lead the West.
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Schumacher had 142 rushing yards on 18 carries. Windfaldet's primary target through the air, North Border's Seth Mathison, had 128 receiving yards on just four receptions.
"It was a lot of fun," Windfaldet said. "We knew we could score but we didn't think the score would be quite this high."
East 12 6 6 0- 24
West 8 28 6 15-57
E-Bellon 1 run (kick blocked)
W-Schumacher 8 run (Sturn run)
E-Bellon 1 run (run failed)
E-Stanhope 70 run (pass failed)
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W-Windfaldet 3 run (run failed)
W-Sturn 3 run (Windfaldet run)
W-Schumacher 27 pass from Windfaldet (run failed)
W-Windfaldet 5 run (Schumacher pass from Windfaldet)
W-Windfaldet 25 run (run failed)
E-Stanhope 12 run (pass failed)
W-Grosz 15 pass from Windfaldet (Sturn run)
W-Sturn 1 run (Grosz kick)
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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
PASSING: E, Cudworth 7-17-1, 89 yards. Anderson 2-6-1, 27. W, Windfaldet 5-7-0, 155.
RUSHING: E, Stanhope 24-166, Bellon 9-50, Wuori 1-2, Cudworth 3-17, Anderson 3-19. W, Schumacher 18-142, Windfaldet 13-47, Sturn 20-97, McCleary 1-1, Gunderson 2-3.
RECEIVING: E, Mathison 1-0, Bellon 2-35, Wuori 2-17, Stanhope 3-59, Hanson 1-5. W, Grosz 4-128, Schumacher 1-27.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Heath Hotzler at (701) 241-5562
