by Noah Grant/Sports Director/@noahgrant_23

ST. PAUL, Minn. – St. Cloud Tech football opened the 2026 season with a dominant road victory, defeating North St. Paul 44-12. The Tigers jumped out to an early lead and never looked back, taking a 37-0 advantage into halftime.

The Tigers opened the game with a surprise onside kick and recovered the ball, but their first drive stalled in Polars territory.

After forcing a punt, Tech found the end zone on its second drive when MarQwon Brown scored on a 1-yard touchdown run. The snap on the extra point attempt was low, but quarterback Andrew Brown, serving as the holder, found Henry Condon in the front of the end zone for a two-point conversion.

Tech’s defense then came up with a big play as Okili Gillo intercepted a North St. Paul pass and returned it into the red zone. Later in the drive, Andrew Brown found Condon for a 4-yard touchdown reception, putting the Tigers ahead 15-0.

In the second quarter, Tech drove 60 yards down the field, with MarQwon Brown accounting for 34 rushing yards on the drive. Jayce Ramsey capped the possession with a 2-yard touchdown reception.

The Tigers added another score just a few plays into the ensuing North St. Paul drive. Tech linebacker Malachi Jensen intercepted a pass at the Polars’ 30-yard line and returned it for a pick-six. Evan Ebnet-Cox converted the extra point to make it 30-0.

MarQwon Brown capped the first-half scoring with a 4-yard touchdown run, his second touchdown of the half, sending the Tigers into halftime with a 37-0 lead.

The Polars finally broke through in the third quarter when quarterback Freddie Jiles Jr. connected with running back Kaden Coleman for a 12-yard touchdown pass. North St. Paul’s extra-point attempt was blocked by the Tigers’ defense.

Jensen added his second touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter, scoring on a 2-yard run. Ebnet-Cox’s extra point extended Tech’s lead to 44-6.

The final points of the game came with just over two minutes remaining. Jiles Jr. again found success through the air, connecting with Changa Burch for a 16-yard touchdown. The Polars went for two but were unsuccessful.

With the win, St. Cloud Tech improves to 1-0 on the season. The Tigers will host Sartell-St. Stephen this Friday at 4 p.m. in their home opener at Tech High School. Logan Haglund will have the call on 97.5 RadioX.