The Knights’ teamwork and communication was on full display tonight, as there was always at least one Knights player somewhere around the ball. But one player in particular shined the most. Senior guard Tessa Johnson seemed unstoppable, despite the organized defense from the Hawks. She ended her night with a historic 51 points and nine made threes, both school records for St. Michael-Albertville.  

“Every time she does something, I’ll look at the coaches on the bench and go ‘how did she do that?’ It’s not just in games but practice too. What this kid can do is unbelievable,” Knights head coach Kent Hamre said.  

“I feel great, like great is the only word,” Johnson said about her night. “I feel good because we played a great team and the whole team did the job. 

“…I literally thought I had 30, I had no idea why everyone was cheering. I didn’t understand but they told me when I sat down.” 

The win now brings the Knights to 5-0 in their early season, with their high scoring becoming a hot topic for last year’s Class 4A state runners-up. They’ll look to keep up the scoring with a game against Maple Grove on Dec. 20. Chaska will now face Roseville at home the same night.  

Meanwhile for the Hawks, they face their first defeat of the young season but still have momentum coming from their 5-1 record. Head coach Tara Seifert will have positives to build on from tonight too. Senior guard Kennedy Sanders continued her hot scoring tonight too, with a team-high 23 points. She was helped by fellow senior Ashley Schuelke with 13 points on the night.  

Despite the score, the Hawks put up a strong fight especially early in the game. It wasn’t until the second half that the Knights pulled away, and that was in part to the tough defense from the Hawks.  

“They’re really a great team. You watch what they do, and what their coaching staff has done. In my opinion, Tara (Seifert) is one of the top coaches in the state,” Hamre said. “So us being prepared took a lot of preparation. It was a good team win.”  

Johnson may have scored 51, but the focus on the Knights was still primarily on the team and its connection to each other. Out on the court, there were a number of players that shined. Both Ava Haus (12) and Carlson (11) finished with double digit points. But it was a combination of players grabbing rebounds and facilitating that allowed Johnson to shine to a new school record in points. 

“This team really likes each other; they get along and they’re happy with each other. I think that goes on to the court and it only helps us,” Hamre said.