The Caledonia High School football team was in very unfamiliar territory after losing two of its first three games.
That hadn’t happened to the Warriors in more than 20 years — certainly before currently players were born — and it provided a chance for coaches to both challenge themselves and see what they truly had in a team.
Caledonia has pounced on that challenge won four games in a row. The Warriors enter the final week of the regular season after the most impressive of those victories, a 14-0 defeat of second-ranked Chatfield on Friday.
Caledonia (5-2 overall, 4-2 Southeast Central — Yellow) not only beat the Gophers, they shut out a team that scored 86 points in its previous two games and secured third place in the final division standings.
“It’s a very good team,” Caledonia coach Carl Fruechte said of Chatfield. “I think our guys just locked in, and coaches (Brent) Schroeder and (Roger) Knutson came up with a very good defensive scheme. I thought our kids played really hard, and it was a great high school football game.”
Fruechte said the success has also helped increase the player belief in what the team is trying to accomplish. There can be a lot of pressure on coaches and players alike in a community that has been successful on a state level in just about every sport for the past 15 years.
That’s a lot to maintain, and the fact that things are getting figured out on the field can be a big boost as the MSHSL postseason approaches.
The Warriors conclude their regular season with a game at La Crescent-Hokah (1-6) on Wednesday before embarking on another postseason.
Tackling that on a five-game win streak is the goal for a team that has shut out two straight opponents and allowed 15 points in the past four games.
Caledonia started the season with sophomore Grant King at quarterback, but an injury Week 1 forced a change. Senior Will Allen, who was going to be a receiver, took over and has improved with each passing week.
He has passed for 360 yards and three touchdowns and averaged 60 rushing yards with two rushing touchdowns the past two weeks.
Grant’s shoulder got dinged, and Will wanted to play receiver,” Fruechte said. “But it’s a situation where teammates have each other’s backs.
“Grant and Will want to win, and this is what had to happen.”
King is still on the field but at the receiver spot.
Allen has completed 61.1 percent of his passes this season for 1,025 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions. Seven of those touchdowns have gone to King, who has 20 receptions for 359 yards.
“He’s doing great,” Fruechte said of Allen, who is averaging 175 passing yards during the win streak. “I see more confidence and belief in what we’re doing.”
That, Fruechte said, has been the common them during the turnaround since two losses in the first three weeks.
“I’m just seeing a lot more belief,” he said. “I can’t explain it, and I don’t know why they lacked confidence (early), but coaches have told them we believe in them, and they’ve worked hard and been fun to be around.”
The Warriors have allowed just 65 points through seven games. Sophomore linebacker Cooper Allen leads the team with 68 tackles and has two of the team’s 12 sacks. Senior Noah Schroeder follows with 43 tackles and is tied with sophomore Max Schmitz for the team lead in sacks with three.
