Benilde-St. Margaret's went 0-8 during the regular season. But being the bottom seed in their Class 4A section didn't stop the Red Knights from winning big in their opening playoff game.
The Red Knights stormed to a 41-7 lead at halftime, scoring three touchdowns in each of the first two quarters, and went on to defeat Richfield (3-6) 44-7. Quarterback Nirvaan Yogarajah threw four touchdown passes, including an 80-yarder to Elliot Huether, and Nic Kalb ran for two touchdowns.
It was a near-repeat of the 2021 postseason, when Benilde had a 1-7 regular-season record and defeated Richfield in the first round before losing 10-3 to SMB — the co-op program of St. Paul Academy, Minnehaha Academy and The Blake School — in the section semifinals.
Benilde will get a chance to avenge that loss at noon Saturday when they play SMB at Blake.
