ST. BONIFACIUS, Minn. --- Crown Football won their third straight home game on Saturday as they bested the University of Minnesota-Morris 28-18. The Storm improve to 3-3 during the season, their most wins since the 2015 season. 

The game started with six traded drives and no one able to score, but then late in the first quarter first-year receiver Cole Mistretta caught a 26-yard touchdown pass from sophomore Jared Gilmore to put the Storm on the board. The Cougars nearly took the ensuing kickoff back for a score and were able to punch in a short drive to tie the game at the beginning of the second quarter. That was the score entering the break, with the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) rivals tied up at seven apiece. 

In the second half, UM-Morris struck first when their first drive ended in a field goal. However, the Storm came back with a late third-quarter touchdown when Gilmore found the first-year receiver Andra Key for a four-yard score to go ahead 14-10 to cap a long 9:41 drive. On that one possession, sophomore running back Avory Caruthers ran 13 times and gained 49 yards as he led the steady Storm attack. 

In the fourth quarter, the Storm had two touchdown passes with the Gilmore, Mistretta connection scoring both for Gilmore's third and fourth touchdown pass, Mistretta's second and third touchdown reception. Morris scored once more in the final minute, but it was too little too late as the Storm found their second straight win. 

"We relied on our offense to turn it up towards the end, and the defense always does our best," said junior safety Cody Ricketts, who had two interceptions during the game. "Keep them under 21 [points], that's the goal." 

The Storm defense once again had a remarkable performance, with Ricketts leading the team with two picks. Ricketts now has five interceptions this season, tying senior Sebastian Alvarado's Crown season record. First-year Isaiah Hawkins had the first interception of his career and junior Corey Huard had an interception, his third of the year. For the third time this season, the Storm defense had four interceptions. 

First-year Junior Doe led the team with seven tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble forced and recovered. Alvarado and senior Joe Duffy also had seven tackles in the contest. Junior Micah Moyer and first-year Ugo Egwim both had a sack in the game, and Alvarado, first-year Denilson Mendoza, and sophomore Quis Icon had .5 sacks each. Icon and Ricketts both had a pass deflected in the contest. 

For the offense, Gilmore led the team with 186 yards through the air and four passing touchdowns. Mistretta led the receivers with 71 yards and three TDs. Caruthers ran for 93 yards to lead the Storm on the ground. 

The Storm outgained the Cougars 86 to -10 on the ground, and 186 to 134 through the air. The Storm had 19 first downs to the Cougars' ten. Crown heads on the road next weekend to Jacksonville, Ill. to face MacMurray College for another conference game.