Running back Jack Kaiser scored two first-half rushing touchdowns, and fellow halfback Jordan Roberts chalked up 111 rushing yards to push the No. 4-ranked St. Thomas football team to a huge 23-3 halftime lead over 2nd-ranked Linfield (Oregon) in the national semifinals Saturday afternoon at O’Shaughnessy Stadium.

The Tommies (13-0 overall) didn’t take long to tally their first points of the game. Roberts recorded a 4-yard rushing touchdown with 12:49 left in the first quarter.

Mishaps for the Wildcats (12-0 overall) abounded when quarterback Tom Knecht was stripped of the ball, and linebacker Steve Harrell recovered the loose ball on St. Thomas’ 27-yard line. Kaiser galloped for an 8-yard rushing score to push the Tommies’ lead to 14-0 with 5:36 left in the first quarter.

On Linfield’s next possession, Knecht committed another costly turnover when linebacker Jesse Addo intercepted the senior at St. Thomas’ 45-yard line and returned it to the 38-yard line. Knecht completed 14 of his 28 passes with 117 yards and no touchdowns in the first half. Kaiser pushed his way into the end zone from two yards out to score his second rushing touchdown of the day. An unsuccessful two-point try gave the Tommies a 20-0 lead with 1:47 left in the first quarter.

St. Thomas’ first miscue happened on the first play of the second quarter when Skylor Elgarico picked off quarterback John Gould at Linfield’s 33-yard line. Gould finished the first half with 39 yards and one interception, completing two of his seven passes. The interception resulted in Linfield’s first points of the game when kicker Michael Metter booted a 25-yard field goal with 11:54 left in the second quarter.

Defensive back Jordan Young intercepted Knecht toward the end of the second quarter, the Wildcats’ third turnover of the first half.

Jesse Krull can be reached at krul7386@stthomas.edu.