HIGH SCHOOL JOURNALISM: Saints rolling again in football

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By Shannon Mulcahey, Xavier seniorCEDAR RAPIDS - After last year's 13-1 season, the Xavier  football team is looking to move on from the loss to Ankeny in the Class 4A championship game and focus on the new leadership  this fall.Last season, the Saints  had 75 players with 34 seniors. This year's team has increased to 86 players and 41 are seniors.“This season, we have a completely different team; it is a new group with new leaders," senior quarterback Quinton Scholer said. "As far as last year, we sometimes reminisce on the season, but we try to focus on this year and this season.”Scholer completed 8 of 10 passes for 112 yards in  the first regular-season game on Aug. 31,against Dubuque Hempstead. But Scholer did not stop there. He also carried the ball eight times for 99 yards and had two touchdowns. Xavier defeated Hempstead, 35-7.“Our theme this year is the same as last year, ‘Do your job and you get what you earn',” head football coach Duane Schulte said.At the Senior Night game, the Saints beat Cedar Rapids Jefferson, 44-0. The Saints scored on all six possessions in the first half. Senior Ryan Persick scored five out of six extra-point kicks and made one field goal. Senior Matt Nelson scored in the first quarter and Brendan Miller had two touchdowns. Scholer ran 48 yards for a score and juniors Jay Kortemeyer and John Hovda also scored.In the third game of the season, the Saints beat Cedar Rapids Prairie, 23-0. The Saints (3-0) gained some momentum after the half when they were leading just 2-0.The Saints play Dubuque Wahlert tonight.