Photo by Leif Erickson
After a 53-3 drubbing to #1 in Class AA Caledonia in week seven, Chatfield football rallied in a big way in their regular season finale. Versus unbeaten Class AAA #4 Pine Island (7-0), the Gophers both wiped away the week seven game, and got revenge for a 30-0 (injury-depleted) loss in their season finale with the Panthers last year. Chatfield controlled the trenches, rushing for 234 yards while holding Pine Island to just 48. The Gophers scored on five of their first six (full) possessions, going 77 yards in 12 plays on their first series. Nolan Happel’s 2-yard TD run capped it (Ross Stoehr PAT). A Layne Schmaltz interception set up a short field and a 23-yard drive on their second possession. A Hunter Polikowsky 11-yard TD run capped it (Stoehr PAT). After their only punt of the game, a Sean Kirchner 66-yarder to the Panther four, the Gophers again got good field position on the ensuing PI punt. It took one play to score, a 25-yard Carter Ask to Sam Carrier TD-pass (Stoehr PAT). Chatfield led 21-0 at the half, then went 60 yards in nine plays to start the second half. Happel scored from 2-yards out to make it 27-0. The previously unbeaten Panthers were overmatched, as the Gophers prevailed 34-7. Polikowsky (17-104, TD rushing) and Happel (11-72, 3 TDs rushing) combined for four rushing TDs. Ask (2 of 3, 50 yards, TD passing; 4-32 rushing) added a little passing and rushing. Pine Island’s only score was a Marshall Skierka to Cooper Rutten 78-yard TD pass in the third quarter. Rutten caught three for 113. By way of its wins over PI (7-1) and Cannon Falls (7-1), the Gophers (3-3 Southeast-Yellow, 5-3 overall) get the 3-seed ahead of 4-seed Rushford-Peterson (6-2). R-P won the head-to-head meeting 28-14. Chatfield will host 6-seed Rochester-Lourdes (3-5) in the 1AA quarterfinals.
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