Football: Spring Grove Scores Late, Upends #2 Kingsland
Kaaleem Reiland thundered 78 yards on Kingsland’s first play from scrimmage and then passed to Carter Strobel for the two-point conversion. The #2 state-ranked team had an early 8-0 lead on Spring Grove, which held for 38 and a half minutes. The turning point was a botched, fourth-period Kingsland punt that gave SG the ball on the Knight 27. Five plays later, Lion QB Dylan Halverson slipped up the middle for both a 4-yard TD and a PAT for an 8-8 tie with 7:35 to play. The Kingsland offense, after three three-and-outs, came alive but ran out of downs at the SG 36 with 3:41 remaining. With its longest drive of the night, the Lions went 64 yards in seven plays, highlighted by a 31-yard pass from Halverson to Devon Williams (2-51 receiving). Ricardo Reynolds (8-44 rushing) barged into the end zone from eight yards out, and SG led for the first time, 14-8, with only 54 seconds to play! After Reiland had bolted 78 yards for Kingsland’s only score, the teams traded promising but scoreless threats. The Knights drove 70 yards to the SG 19 before a fourth-and-14 pass was intercepted by Halverson at the goal line. The Lions had 27- and 45-yard drives, both ending at the KHS 11. Running out of time at the KHS 28, Halverson had a desperation pass intercepted at the five by Reiland on the final play of the first half. Averaging 35 points per game, Kingsland managed only six first downs versus the SG defense which received 12 tackles from Sam Klug and 11 from Noah Heppner. Reynolds had two sacks. The Lion “D” pitched a shutout for the final three-and-a-half quarters. Averaging 34 points per game, Grove went scoreless for the first three-and-a-half quarters. The total 20-point output was the lowest scoring game for SG in two years and for Kingsland the fewest total points in five seasons. SG outgained KHS overall by 21 yards (257 to 236). Halverson (14-67, TD rushing) completed 8 of 22 passes for 130 yards. Reiland (22-147, TD rushing) completed 2 of 6 passes for 56 yards including a 54-yarder to brother KD. The latter got hurt in the game and the Knights were already offensively down tailback Bently Wiersma. A key stat was Reynolds averaging 35.7 yards per punt. It was the second straight week in which the Lions trailed until the final few minutes. SG (4-1, 4-1) and Knights (4-1, 4-1) now are tied for second in the South-East behind Mabel-Canton (5-0, 5-0).
Football: #9 Cougars Rip Cards 61-34, Lead South-East
It has been a while since Mabel-Canton football led their conference past the mid way mark of the season. It has been a while since the Cougars started the year 5-0 (2005 to be exact). Versus LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle/Pacelli (2-2) in week five, the #9 in 9-Man Cougars (4-0, 4-0) led 8-0 with less than 30 seconds to go in the first quarter. With less than a minute to go in the first half, Paul Tollefsrud’s Cougars led 46-6! A pair of Cardinals’ turnovers led to two quick Cougars scores in the second quarter. M-C’s running game ripped off chunks of yards. In the half, M-C was quick strike. They had three, one-play scoring drives, and two, two-play excursions. The Cougars also converted two on each of their first five touchdowns. Speedy and elusive Kale Tollefsrud was M-C’s most precise lightning bolt, as the senior ran for six touchdowns (15-187 yards rushing) and three conversions. Kale Eiken (15-111 yards rushing) and Isaac Underbakke (44-yard TD run) also found paydirt while combining for three conversions. M-C completed just one pass. The opposite was true for L-O/L/P. which passed a lot while trailing. Junior Reid Hungerholt (22 of 43, 220 yards, 2 TDs, INT passing; 20-160 rushing) put up numbers, mostly in recovery mode. He attempted 30 first half passes. Carson Roe (15-54 rushing) had three short touchdown runs for the Cards. Logan Diemer (3-57 receiving) and Hunter Wollenberg (3-yard TD reception) caught scoring passes while Talan Lewison (7-70 receiving) led the Cards in receptions. L-O/L/P had more total offense (423 yards to 341) and more first downs (22 to 13). M-C (5-0, 5-0), by virtue of SG (4-1, 4-1) beating #2 in 9 Man Kingsland 14-8, sits in sole possession of first place in the South-East (one week ahead of a match-up with the Lions). L-O/L/P is 2-3, 2-3.
Football: #2 Gophers Blank Trojans 35-0 to Improve to 5-0
The last time the two teams met, as a part of the Southern Football Alliance in 2014, Rushford-Peterson topped Chatfield 29-12 in a game played at Winona State. Renewing a rivalry, the #2 in Class AA Gophers blanked the Trojans 35-0 for their first shutout win this year. Jeff Johnson’s crew scored 14 first quarter and 14 second quarter points to lead 28-0 at the half. Carter Ask accounted for the two first quarter scores, plowing in for a 1-yard TD run, then hitting Kaisen Johson on a 29-yard TD pass. Hunter Polikowsky scored twice in the second quarter on 12-yard and 5-yard scoring runs. D’Andre Williams had the most explosive play, a 75-yard TD run early in the fourth quarter to cap the game’s scoring. Williams (20-189, TD rushing) and Polikowsky (6-94, 2 TDs rushing) helped Chatfield surpass 300 yards on the ground. They had nearly 400 yards total offense. Ask was 7 of 11 for 86 yards and the strike to Johnson, who caught three passes for 47 yards. R-P had just 108 yards total offense. Jaxson Meldahl (9-47 rushing) and Zach Baker (4-36 receiving) were their top yardage guys. Quarterback Creigton Hoiness completed 8 of 10 passes but for just 43 yards. Chatfield (4-0, 5-0) leads the Southeast-Central Yellow over Triton (3-1, 3-2), Caledonia (3-2, 3-2), Lourdes (2-2, 3-2), D-E (1-3, 2-3), the Trojans (1-3, 2-3), and St. Charles (1-4, 1-4).
Football: Falcon Passing Burns (Hay)Field to Improve to 5-0
There were no fields on fire around Harmony on September 26. But that smell in the air at Del Elston Field was Fillmore Central’s passing game burning Hayfield’s coverage to the tone of a big week five victory. FC offensive play-callers, Falcon junior quarterback Bridon Bahl, and a trio of FC receivers pulled the rare feat. Bahl completed five passes. All five went for scores. Bahl finished 5 of 7 passing for 203 yards and five scores. He hit senior Cody Serfling thrice for six (3-100 receiving), scoring plays of 60, 10, and 30 yards sequentially. Bahl also hit Quinci Kaase for a 69-yard scoring strike and Davis Penhollow for a 34-yard pass play. Bahl, who threw for 25 touchdowns last year, has eight TD passes the last two weeks (12 on the year). When the offensive attack was not throwing bullseye darts, senior tailback Kane Larson ripped off the yardage. His first carry was a 72-yard TD gallop. In the second quarter, he broke seven tackles on his way to a 41-yard yard TD run. He finished with 156 yards rushing on just four carries. Serfling also added a long TD run, 45 yards. The reserves then notably held Hayfield in the red zone in the final seconds to preserve a 53-0 shut-out win. Larson and Grant Daniels led FC with eight total tackles. Rylan Ristau and Penhollow had interceptions. Reserve Dillon Vreeman had two tackles, both sacks. The #4 in Class A Falcons (3-0, 5-0) are a half-game up on Lewiston-Altura (2-0, 3-2) in the win column atop the Mid-South Green.
Football: Caledonia Downs Lourdes for Fruechte’s 200th Win
In a tight and notable Southeast-Yellow matchup, Caledonia scored three of the four fourth quarter touchdowns to down Rochester-Lourdes 32-15. The halftime score had the Eagles leading 7-6 but Caledonia led 12-7 after three and 18-7 early in the fourth. An Eagle score plus two-point conversion cut the margin to 18-15. But Carl Fruechte’s group then answered. Noah Schroeder capped a drive with a 6-yard TD run to make it 25-15. Senior Will Allen then intercepted an Eagle pass and returned it 27-yard to paydirt. Allen (8 of 19, 192 yards passing) also threw a pair of touchdowns, including hitting Grant King (3-102 receiving) for a 76-yard score in the first quarter. Jacob Klug (2-35 receiving) caught the other scoring pass, a 21-yarder to open the fourth quarter scoring. Schroeder (19-107 yards, 2 TDs rushing) led Caledonia on the ground. Zeke Gengler (2-32 receiving) added a couple lengthy receptions, a pair of interceptions on defense. Caledonia won turnovers 3 to 0, all interceptions. The win was the 200th of Coach Fruechte’s career, as he has been one of the most successful in state football history. Caledonia has 10 state titles, all since 2007. Fourteen of the school’s 16 state appearances in football have come since 2006, or during his tenure as either head or assistant coach. He was inducted into the Minnesota Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame just last year (2024). The Warriors (3-2, 3-2) are now in third place in their sub-district behind #2 in AA Chatfield (4-0, 5-0) and Triton (3-1, 3-2) ahead of Lourdes (2-2, 3-2).
Football: Burros Down B.A. 33-27 for First Win in Over a Year
Trailing 27-20 late in the fourth quarter, on fourth and 1, Faribault B.A. fumbled, thus losing possession. Four plays later, Mason Gilbertson scampered in from five yards out to put the Burros ahead 33-20 with 2:14 left. They then recovered an onside kick in the final seconds to preserve a 33-27 win, Lanesboro’s first of the year, and a win that ended a 16-game losing streak. B.A. ran 67 offensive plays to Lanesboro’s 43, and won first downs 20 to 9, but lost turnovers four to zero. Lanesboro had two fumble recoveries and two interceptions, none more impressive than Liam Miller in the third quarter. The junior defensive end tipped and snared a swing pass and returned it 24-yards for a score to put Lanesboro up 27-14. The Burros never trailed in the game, leading 7-0, 7-6, 13-6, 19-6 (at the half), 19-14, 27-14, 27-20, 33-20, and finally 33-27. Big plays also helped James Semmen’s crew. Teague Tessum took the game’s first offensive play 83 yards to the house. In the second quarter, Tessum hit Levi Rogers on an 86-yard pass play (his only catch). B.A. relied a lot on quarterback Thomas Kunze (23 of 32, 220 yards, 2 TD, INT passing; 17-66, 2 TDs rushing), as he accounted for all his team’s scores. Brecken Kaderlik (7-85 receiving) caught both scores while Hayden Dillon (7-74 receiving) was also active in the passing game. Gilbertson (4 of 9, 55 yards passing; 18-76, TD rushing) was the busiest Burro. Tessum (2 of 4, 98 yards, TD passing; 83-yard TD run) made two big plays. David Harvey added a 3-yard TD run in the second quarter. Quadyn Kettner caught two passes for 49 yards. Boone Moen forced and recovered a fumble, Henry Semmen recovered a fumble, and Preston Clarke had an interception for the Burros’ other turnovers. Lanesboro improved to 1-4 in the South-East/overall.
South-East Football (9/26)
Houston 8, Wabasha-Kellogg 46 (H: Axel Vix 11-99, TD rushing. Houston played without starting RB Lee Klunder. They trailed 26-8 heading to the fourth quarter where the Falcons added 20 more points. Hurricanes > 3-2 in the South-East/overall)
Grand Meadow 6, Alden-Conger/Glenville-Emmons 42 (GM: Carter Glynn 14-74 rushing; Parker Armagost 15-45 rushing; Jackson Soltau 85-yard kickoff return TD. ACGE’s Jacob Dulitz (12 of 19, 311 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT passing, 11-92, 2 TDs rushing) accounted for all six Knight scores. Superlarks > 1-4, in the South-East and overall)
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