Photo by Paul Trende
As the fourth quarter evolved, Caledonia’s chances of winning did not look too good. Hosting Rushford-Peterson, the Trojans got a 62-yard TD run from senior RB Owen Lange to enhance their lead to 18-10 with 10:37 left to go in the fourth quarter. After the teams swapped three and outs, it was literally do-or-die time for the Warriors, down eight with around 5:00 to go. But a solid punt return by Chase Hauser set the Warriors up in R-P’s end. A 17-yard Grant King to Tyson Ginther pass play got Caledonia just outside the red zone. Their chances increased, but they still needed a score and the two-point conversion. With 0:40 left, fullback Cooper Allen provided the first on a 1-yard dive touchdown run. The Warriors then needed the all-important two-point conversion to force overtime. Senior tailback Bo Knutson obliged, powering across the goal line. And with that, the teams were even 18-18! The game went to overtime. R-P failing its conversion after going ahead 18-10, loomed large (as the game stayed a one-possession affair). In the extra session, with each team getting the ball on the 10-yard-line, Caledonia suffered a holding penalty to make it 1st and goal at the 20, but then got an 18-yard scrambling run by King to put the ball on the doorstep. Knutson plunged in one play later and Sean Wallin added the PAT to make it 25-18. R-P’s shot from the 10 ended on their third play. Warrior sophomore Jayven Ross intercepted a Creighton Hoiness pass, cementing the big week one comeback win. Caledonia avenged a week one loss at Rushford-Peterson last year. The Warriors got the scoring started with a 25-yard Wallin field goal after a 15-play 52-yard opening drive. R-P subsequently went 75 yards in 13 plays, Lange scoring from 8-yards out to make it 6-3 early in the second quarter. A King to Ginther 29-yard TD pass (Wallin PAT) with 1:37 to go before halftime sent the Warriors to intermission up 10-6. Late in the third quarter, Hoiness hit Ayden Garrett on a 34-yard TD pass to put R-P up 12-10 and Lange’s score followed one series later. Knutson (18-74, TD, conversion rushing) led the Warrior ground game. King (9 of 21, 63 yards, TD passing; 6-23 rushing) and Ginther (3-50, TD receiving; 12-yard run) also provided big meaningful offense. Lange, a 5’8” 150-pound senior, running between the tackles behind a big offensive line, did R-P’s best work (23-149, 2 TDs rushing). He had 149 of R-P’s 155 yards rushing. The Warrior defensive speed allowed nothing to the outside. Hoiness (3 of 10, 68 yards, TD, two INTs passing) had a couple 30-plus-yard completions. Caledonia is 1-0 in the Southeast-Yellow, 1-0 overall. R-P is 0-1, 0-1.
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