REDFIELD – Another challenge, another hard-fought victory.

For the second straight week, Aberdeen Roncalli went on the road and returned home with a solid football win over a Northeast Conference foe. Last week it was against Deuel and Friday night the Cavaliers turned back Redfield 23-6 to move to 3-0 on the season.

“We knew it was going to be tough. Every time we’ve come down there they’ve played us hard,” said Roncalli coach Billy Young. “We knew that’s probably what we were going to get this week.”

The game was scoreless for the entire first half before Jackson Isakson booted a 45-yard field goal on the final snap of the second quarter. That kick not only gave the Cavaliers a lead, it also gave them momentum heading into the break.

“Even though we probably would have won it without it, that first field goal really, I think, gave us some momentum,” Young said. “Probably more than you would think a field goal would.”

He said it allowed the Cavaliers to play with more confidence the remainder of the game.

While that kick gave Roncalli the lead, it was Maddox May who gave the Cavaliers a cushion.

The senior broke free for a 67-yard touchdown run in the third quarter to open up a two-possession margin.

“We had been running inside the tight ends several times in the last couple of series,” Young said of the key play. “We had an outside run play that starts off kind of looking like it’s power and it kind of bounces.”

The Redfield defender took an angle that allowed May to bounce it outside and the play worked to perfection. May did the rest.

“It was a nice run,” Young said. “He turned what probably was going to be a 10-yard run into a long touchdown run just with effort.”

May finished the game with 122 yards on just 11 carries. He also added a short TD run late in the period as Roncalli opened a 17-0 advantage.

“He’s always just one touch away from taking it to the house,” Young said. “When you have a running back like that, we have to feed him as many times as we can.”

The Pheasants, who actually had more total yards than Roncalli on the night, did not go quietly. Mason Whitley, who had a monster game, scored on a 24-yard run early in the fourth quarter. He finished the contest with 129 yards rushing and 11 tackles.

“We knew he was a threat every time he touched the ball,” Young said. “They had a couple of other nice weapons. They kind of made us defend the whole field.”

The Cavaliers were up to the challenge though, including a key interception by Andrew Brennan which all but put the game out of reach.

Isakson kicked two more field goals for the final margin, one from 35 yards and the last from 45 yards.

With the senior’s powerful leg, the Cavaliers start contemplating field goals the second they cross midfield.

“I don’t know how many times I said that tonight over the headset to the other coaches,” Young said. “What do you guys think, are we in range?”

Young said the win was a total team effort as he turned to his bench to allow guys breathers and also when players had to leave the field with injuries.

“I really felt like our depth helped us tonight,” Young said.

The Cavaliers play their third straight road game on Friday when they travel to Wilmot to take on Dakota Hills.

Young knew his team had a demanding first-half schedule when he saw it come out last spring, and the Cavaliers have risen to the challenge.

“When I saw that two of the first three were against Deuel and Redfield, I knew that we better strap it up and be ready to bring our best,” Young said, “and fortunately we’ve done that and came away with two wins.”

Aberdeen Roncalli (3-0) 0 3 14 6 – 23

Redfield (1-2) 0 0 0 6 – 6

Second Quarter

AR – Jackson Isakson 45 field goal, :00.

Third Quarter

AR – Maddox May 67 run (Isakson kick), 8:37.

AR – May 1 run (Isakson kick), 1:41.

Fourth Quarter

R – Mason Whitley 23 run, 11:52.

AR – Isakson 35 field goal, 4:06.

AR – Isakson 45 field goal, :21.

OFFENSE: Aberdeen Roncalli rushing 169 (May 11-122), passing 52, first downs 11; Redfield 185 (Whitley 20-129), passing 59 (Nolan Gall 5-12-1 for 59), receiving (Elliott Komraus 4-45), first downs 12.

DEFENSE: Redfield, Whitley 11 tackles 1 for loss, and 1 sack.