Lions Football Earns First Win of the Season in 13-10 Thriller
The Providence Academy Lions football team picked up its first victory of the 2026 season Friday night, defeating Kasson-Mantorville 13-10 in a hard-fought matchup.
The victory was especially meaningful for a Lions program that entered the season with high expectations. Providence Academy envisioned one of its strongest seasons in recent program history, but those plans changed early in the season when junior quarterback JJ Rooney suffered a broken collarbone.
Rooney, who threw for more than 1,000 yards as a junior in 2025, had been the Lions' starting quarterback for the previous three seasons under his father and head coach. With JJ sidelined, the quarterback position was handed to sophomore Tommy Willihnganz, creating a significant adjustment for both the team and coaching staff.
Rather than simply asking Willihnganz to step into the same role, the Lions worked to adjust the offense and build around the sophomore quarterback's strengths. That preparation paid off Friday night against a Kasson-Mantorville team that competed in the Class 4A Prep Bowl last season.
Willihnganz completed 17 of 32 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown, showing poise throughout the game and helping the Lions secure the 13-10 victory.
“We would have liked to have scored more than 13 points,” Head Coach Colin Rooney said. “But we’re happy to have our first win.”
Willihnganz spread the ball around, completing passes to seven different receivers. Senior Noah Boro led the way with eight receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. Boro's impact went well beyond receiving, as he also rushed five times for 28 yards and punted once for 36 yards. After primarily serving as a kicker in previous seasons, Boro has taken on expanded responsibilities on both offense and defense this fall.
Logan Comfort, Zach Roles, and Jack Servi each recorded two receptions, while Isaiah Coyle, Isaiah Mokosso, and Henry Willihnganz each added a catch.
The Lions also found success on the ground, led by Ayden Hanssen. Hanssen rushed for 75 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, including a 3-yard touchdown run that capped a key Providence Academy scoring drive.
The Lions' other touchdown came through the air when Willihnganz connected with Boro on a 23-yard touchdown pass.
Defensively, senior captain Liam Sweet led the Lions with eight tackles and added an interception. Carl Meitner also recorded eight tackles and came up with one of the game's biggest plays late in the fourth quarter.
“Carl made a big play late in the game when he sacked their quarterback,” Coach Rooney said. “Then Kasson-Mantorville was called for intentional grounding, which took them out of field-goal range.”
Boro also made an impact on defense, recovering a fumble as the Lions' defense helped preserve the three-point victory.
While JJ Rooney has been unable to take the field due to his injury, he has remained heavily involved with the team. Rooney has attended practices and taken on a mentoring role with Willihnganz as he makes the transition to varsity quarterback.
“JJ gets a lot of credit for Tommy’s development,” Coach Rooney said. “JJ wants to help the team as best he can. In the game Friday night, Tommy showed a lot of poise and made some good throws. We had planned to use a college-type passing offense with JJ this season. We cut the playbook down to make it easier for Tommy.”
After opening the season with three difficult losses, the Lions finally broke through against Kasson-Mantorville, improving to 1-3 on the season. The victory provides an important boost for a team that has continued to compete through adversity and adjust to significant changes throughout the season.
The Lions will look to build on their first victory when they return to action Friday, October 2, against DeLaSalle. The game is scheduled for 7:00 PM on Nicollet Island in Minneapolis.
Congratulations to Coach Rooney, the coaching staff, and the entire Lions football team on their first victory of the season.
Go Lions!
Sources: HomeTownSource.com, Max Preps