Football: Cardinals Slip Past Rival Superlarks

LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle/Pacelli (2-0 South-East/overall) downed Grand Meadow (2-0 Southeast/overall) in a key sub-district battle by literally slipping past their rivals. In the series’ biggest game since 2021 (when the likes of Chase Johnson, Tanner Olson, Dusty Copley and Taylor Glynn battled), the Cardinals took down the Larks on a soggy field. With L-O/L/P up 14-6, one big play was GM having Cardinal QB Reid Hungerholt seemingly curtailed, only for the senior to break five tackles on the way to a 49-yard TD run. It was his longest run of the day, and (with conversion), it put the Cardinals up 22-6 late in the second quarter. A second crusher was a Hunter Wollenburg to Hungerholt 30-yard TD pass on 4th and 14 with 3:59 left in the third, making it 28-6. GM got a couple late scores, but L-O/L/P prevailed 34-18. Hungerholt worked hard for his yards on the ground (29-175, 3 TDs, two conversions rushing), averaging 6.0 per carry, but only 4.5 yards minus the 49-yard TD run. But Trevor Carrier’s group got chunk plays in the passing game, connections of 41 and 36 yards to Jaxon Learn and Wollenburg to set up their opening score, a Hungerholt 8-yard TD run. Hungerholt (6 of 12, 137 yards, TD, INT passing) and Wollenburg (2 of 5, 59 yards, TD passing; 3-69 receiving) each threw scores. Hungerholt hit Mason Janssen on a 22-yard connection early in the second quarter to make it 14-6. And Wollenburg had his 30-yard TD pass to Hungerholt in the third quarter, plus a 29-yard completion to Grayson Moritz to set up L-O/L/P’s fourth score, a Hungerholt 1-yard TD run. Meanwhile, GM had seven yards passing. Blake Hubbard (9-64, TD rushing), Parker Armagost (19-39, TD rushing), and Logan Grafe (3-32, TD rushing) led their effort. GM rushed 38 times for 171 yards (4.5 yards per). L-O/L/P won total yardage 374 to 178, first downs 20 to 8. The win keeps L-O/L/P (3-0, 3-0 overall) tied for first place with Alden-Conger/G-E (3-0, 3-0) atop the South-East. GM (2-1, 2-1), Lanesboro (2-1, 2-1), and SG (2-1, 2-1) are tied for third.