CARRINGTON (NewsDakota)- The first four games of the 2026 season offered nothing but frustration for the Carrington Cardinals on offense.
And frankly, Kyle Smith and his team had had enough of it.
Behind a 32 personnel package (three running backs and two tight ends) for all 68 snaps, the Cardinals ran for 402 yards in a 30-24 homecoming win over the Park River Area Aggies on Friday night at Cardinal Stadium.
After Jaxton Peltier broke up a fourth-down pass on the Aggies’ (1-4, 0-3 Region 2A) opening possession, Carrington methodically drove down the field and freshman Krew Wolsky took a handoff around the left side for a fourteen yard score to make it 7-0.
The Aggies then marched down to the 3 yard line, but were stopped on fourth down. That led to the Cardinals (1-4, 1-2 Region 2A) longest drive of the season, an 18 play, 97 yard, 8 minute 49 second drive that ended with a six yard rush by Kallen Wolsky for a 14-0 lead. After Park River was forced to punt, a much shorter drive, as senior Gabe Clifton raced 62 yards, his longest career rush, on the first play of the drive for a 21-0 lead. Jaxon Omdahl found Kaden Stabo for a 37 yard score and it was 21-8 at the half.
The second half started with another long drive from Carrington, which concluded with a 32-yard field goal from senior Jaime Magro Rodrigo to extend to a 24-8 lead. But Omdahl found Noah Troftgruben from 19 yards and the two-point conversion cut the lead to 24-16.
But the Cards were not to be denied their first win, as Kallen scored his second rushing touchdown of the night in the fourth quarter, a four yard run, to extend to 30-16. Omdahl found Wyatt Carlson on a five yard touchdown with 5:25 left to cut the lead to 30-24. The Aggies decided against an onside kick and the Cardinals made that decision loom large, going on a five minute, nineteen second drive and while it did not result in points, with only :06 left, Omdahl’s hail mary fell incomplete to wrap up the first win of the season and second straight homecoming win for Carrington.
The Cardinals are next in action on Friday night in Belcourt, taking on the Turtle Mountain Braves, with coverage beginning at 5pm with KDAK GameDay.
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