(Kalamazoo) – The St. Joseph Bears broke into the win column in emphatic fashion Friday night, running past Kalamazoo Loy Norrix 51-25 at Griffith Stadium. From the opening quarter, the Bears controlled the game with a bruising ground attack that rolled up 440 rushing yards on 64 carries. Nine different players recorded rushing attempts, and six different ball carriers produced runs of double-digit yards, showing the depth of the St. Joseph backfield. The Bears’ offensive line dominated the trenches, clearing the way for an average of nearly seven yards per carry.

After trading early turnovers, St. Joseph set the tone midway through the first quarter with a methodical 48-yard drive capped by a one-yard touchdown from quarterback Caden LeClear. The Bears stretched the lead in the second quarter behind the speed and power of Ish Dixon, who finished with 148 yards on 20 carries. Dixon capped a 97-yard march with a nine-yard scoring run and two-point conversion. Minutes later, James Atterbery stunned the home crowd by breaking free for an electrifying 80-yard touchdown dash, sending St. Joe to halftime ahead 22-0. The defense held firm in the first half, with Nate Schmitt intercepting a pass near the goal line and Chase Pitcher stuffing the Knights’ run game with three tackles for loss.

Loy Norrix showed signs of life in the second half with four passing touchdowns, including long strikes of 64 and 48 yards from quarterback Jonavan Hare. But each time the Knights closed the gap, the Bears had an answer. Gabe King finished off an 85-yard drive with a five-yard touchdown in the third quarter, and LeClear added his second score in the fourth with a 20-yard burst. Mellott then provided a spark through the air, connecting with Liam McAndrew for a 61-yard touchdown before adding a 33-yard scoring run of his own late in the game. By then, the Bears’ lead was insurmountable, and even a pair of late Knight touchdowns only served to narrow the margin.

Defensively, St. Joseph bent but did not break, forcing three turnovers and limiting Loy Norrix to just 19 rushing yards on 27 attempts. Isaac Codde led the Bears with 10 tackles, while Jackson Huber added a sack and five stops. Special teams also contributed, with kicker Wes Hudson converting five extra points and Dominick Lignell adding another after Mellott’s second touchdown. The Bears’ 51 points marked their highest offensive output of the young season and provided a needed confidence boost after starting the year 0-2.

With the victory, St. Joseph improves to 1-2 and builds momentum heading back to Dickinson Stadium for a Week 4 matchup with Gull Lake. The Blue Devils come in at 0-3 and have struggled to find consistency, giving the Bears an opportunity to string together consecutive wins for the first time this fall. St. Joe will look to lean again on its powerful running game and opportunistic defense as they aim to climb back to .500 and keep pace in the SMAC standings

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