Football (9/16)

Football: Warriors Post Second Shutout in 1AA Title Game Rematch

In a rematch of last year’s 1AA title game, Caledonia (1-0) progressively but convincingly subdued Dover-Eyota (0-1) in a Southeast White affair. For a second straight week, the Warrior defense was stout. The Eagles were held to 121 yards offense and they never found the end zone, though D-E played enough ball control in the first half to stay in the game. The contest’s first score came in the second quarter. A 41-yard Ethan Stendel to Fischer Wait pass helped set up an 8-yard Noah Schroeder TD run for a 7-0 Cal lead. One series later, Caledonia extended its edge. A 34-yard Stendel to Wait pass was the biggest in an eight-play, 79-yard sequence. Schroeder again got the glory with a 15-yard TD run. The Warriors tried for another score in the waning seconds of the first half, but a hurried drive ran out of time just outside the red zone. Caledonia went to half up 14-0. Schroeder added a third TD run in the third quarter (11 yards) and Ben Stemper notched his third second half TD run of the season in the fourth (8 yards). D-E’s first and last drives of the game were the only two that threatened. The Warrior first string defense held the Eagles at the 18 yard-line to start the game. The reserves kept the shut-out intact by halting the final drive; Warrior Max Schmitz ended the game with a sack. Caledonia posted the 27-0 victory. Schroeder (11-100, 3 TDs rushing) got the glory on the ground to lead the way. Stemper (6-56, TD rushing) gained all his yards after halftime. Stendel (9 of 18, 118 yards; 6-66 rushing) tossed an interception, but also had an interception on defense. Wait (7-113 receiving) caught most of his completions. The Eagles threw for just three yards and Mason King had a second Cal interception. The Warriors improved to 1-0 in the White, 2-0 overall.

Football: SG Handles Houston at Homecoming

Spring Grove collared the Hurricanes, 35-14, as quarterback Bryce Berns accounted for all five Lion touchdowns with scoring runs of 4, 49, 67 and 87 yards plus passing (10 for 16) for a TD and a point-after conversion. With 245 yards rushing (20 yards per carry) and 122 passing, he had 367 yards of total offense while defending with seven tackles and a fumble recovery. Homecoming king Ben Udstuen (5-78 receiving) had two high-quality receptions plus a two-point catch. He was 3 for 3 on point-after kicks. Zach Brumm spearheaded the Lion defense with a leaping interception, a team-high 17 tackles and a forced fumble. The Lion “D” three times stopped Houston in the red zone and came away with three turnovers in Hurricane territory. Spring Grove devastated the visitors by scoring two touchdowns within 75 seconds shortly before halftime. Houston drove down to the Lion 10-yard-line, threatening to cut into a 13-0 deficit before a fourth-down sack at the Lion 13 by Jacob Solum and Brandon Jahnke. On the next play, Berns bolted 87 yards, and SG led 21-0. Two plays from scrimmage later, Berns recovered a fumble at the Houston 33. Four plays later, Berns passed to Jahnke for a 5-yard TD. The Hurricanes, who had been on the verge of closing within a touchdown two minutes before halftime, went into intermission instead down, 28-0. The ‘Canes achieved nine of their 11 total first downs during the second half along with drives of 68, 66 and 65 yards. But the Lion defense stopped two of those lengthy possessions at the SG 14 and 1-yard-lines. SG only outgained Houston, 396 yards to 342, and that does not include Zach Olson’s 63-yard kickoff return to the Lion 24 that opened the second half and set up the Hurricanes’ first touchdown. With Houston QB Morgan Rohweder out injured, three different ‘Canes threw passes, primarily Maddox Rodriguez (5 for 6, 124 yards). Rodriguez also rushed 21 times for 124 yards. Aden Kulas (14-45) scored both Houston TDs on 1 and 3-yard plunges. The ’Canes attempted only 8 passes but three of Houston’s four longest plays (29, 34, 46 yards) came through the air. Olson caught four passes for 95 yards, including Rodriguez’s two longest completions. Olson scored on a two-point conversion. SG improved to 2-0 in the South-East and overall while Houston fell to 0-2.

Football: Gophers Run Past Saints, Improve to 2-0

It was close for a quarter-plus, but Chatfield used a strong second quarter to jump all over St. Charles, leading to the Gophers second win in as many weeks. Visiting Chatfield led just 12-7 after one quarter. And St. Charles had two drives stall in the red zone, plus a kickoff return touchdown was called back per penalty. But Chatfield authored a 21-0 second quarter including scoring twice in the final 2:19. Both scores were by Carson Rowland. The second with 0:24 remaining was set up per an aborted Saint punt deep in their own end. The Gopher lead was then 33-7 at halftime and they cruised to a 46-7 victory. Down a couple running backs, usual flanker Ben Carrier shined out of the backfield (12-182, 2 TDs rushing). Quarterback Carson Rowland (10-110, 2 TDs rushing; 7-10, 109 yards, TD, INT passing) also topped the century mark. Cole Ramaker (4-30, TD rushing; 2-2, 20 yards, TD passing) accounted for two scores. Kaisen Johnson caught both Gopher TDs. Ethan Eickhoff (4-60) was Chatfield’s leading receiver. Chatfield rushed for 347 yards on 34 carries, or 10-plus yards per carry behind the line of Ethan Cole, Jackson Bernard, Westin Nolte, Mitchel Hinckley and Jacob Stevens. St. Charles opened the scoring with a Christopher Hilton 21-yard interception return for a TD. The Gophers then rattled off 46 unanswered points. Chatfield improved to 1-0 in the White, 2-0 overall.

Football: Tollefsrud’s Big Day Leads M-C Past Lanesboro

In a rivalry game, Mabel-Canton (1-0) and Lanesboro (0-1) alternated scoring the first seven touchdowns of the contest. But M-C scored four of the seven and the Cougars were better at conversions for the game by an 8-2 margin. Their fourth score put them ahead 30-20 in the third quarter. The Burros subsequent drive made the red zone, had a touchdown nullified by penalty, and an interception followed. M-C then bucked the alternating trend. Kale Tollefsrud’s fourth TD, the second straight Cougar score, made it a 36-20 game late in the third quarter. Paul Tollefsrud’s Cougs went on to the 44-26 win. Kale T. had a huge game (25-289, 4 TDs rushing) with the Burros keying on three-time All-SEC running back Tyler Larson (11-42, TD rushing). The junior was also credited with a team-high 17 total tackles. And thus M-C went from one Tollefsrud, Cayden, making plays in the backfield, to another, Kale (though they are not related). Isaac Underbakke (7-12, 66 yards passing) also ran for a score. Darian Hershberger (4-41 receiving) led M-C through the air. Two Burros backs topped 100 yards on the ground, Cole Sass (10-142, TD rushing) and David Harvey (22-109, TD rushing). Quarterback Mason Gilbertson (8-45, TD rushing; 6-12, 72 yards, TD, INT passing) accounted for two scores, hitting Levi Rogers for a 13-yard TD pass. Reid Olson (5-58) was the Burros’ top receiver. M-C improved 2-0, 2-0. Lanesboro fell to 0-1, 0-2.

Football: Falcons Fall in Overtime at Blooming Prairie

On 4th and goal from the one, with 0:06 left in regulation, 6’4” 238-pound Lukas Loverlink leapt into the end zone to bring Blooming Prairie even with Fillmore Central at 34-34. Said run came after the Falcons had stopped three previous goal-to-goal plays from inside the three. FC stopped BP’s go-ahead two-point play, sending the game to overtime. But there, Blossom quarterback Drew Kittleson scored on a 10-yard gallop on the first play. And FC gained just two yards. The Blossom thus handed FC its first regular season defeat since 2021 via a 42-34 overtime final. Chris Mensink’s group statistically dominated the first half, procuring 14 first downs to BP’s three. The Blossoms had two big plays, a Kittleson 58-yard run on the game’s first play, and a 44-yard Kittleson TD pass to Bradley Boyd in the second quarter. FC also scored with big plays. Josh Haugerud had a 51-yard first quarter TD run, and a 65-yard second quarter TD catch from Bridon Bahl. Davis Penhollow added a 55-yard TD reception from Bahl. Kane Larson also scored on a 2-yard TD run. Out-scoring BP 19-6 in the second quarter, the Falcons led 26-12 at the half. They were on the verge of making it a three-score game, taking their first second half possession into the red zone. But a first-and-goal gaining reception was called back by a penalty. An interception on fourth and eight from the 18 ended the drive. The call was one of a few against FC in key spots. In the first half, a Bahl-to-Kennedy long TD pass was annulled, as was a long Kennedy punt return inside the Blossom 10. BP grabbed the momentum late in the third quarter. A Kittleson to Loverlink 23-yard TD pass capped a six-play 68-yard drive. With conversion, BP pulled to down 26-20. Three plays into FC’s next series, Loverlink deflected a pass and Cole Wangen intercepted it at FC’s 36. Seven plays later, Kittelson scored via a two-yard run in the opening moments of the fourth. A two-point conversion gave BP its only lead of the second half, 28-26. The Falcons nearly immediately replied with a perfectly thrown Bahl to Kennedy 67-yard TD strike. FC also converted two for a 34-28 lead, leading to the dramatic ending. Kittleson had five total scores to lead the Blossoms (9 of 17, 140 yards, 2 TDs, three conversions passing; 12-150, 3 TDs rushing). Loverlink (3-58, TD receiving, rushing TD) had two scores. Bahl, FC’s sophomore QB, threw for over 300 yards in defeat (20 of 31, 322 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs passing). Kennedy (7-123, TD receiving) and Haugerud (2-106, TD receiving, 51-yard TD run) each topped 100 yards receiving. Penhollow (3-60, TD receiving) got more than halfway there. Larson (19-74, TD rushing) led FC on the ground. The Falcons finished with 513 yards offense and 19 first downs, BP 323 total yards and 12 first downs. FC lost the turnover battle 3 to 1. The Falcons are 1-1 in the MSE-Blue and overall. BP (2-0) beat R-P a week earlier on the game’s final play.

Mid-Southeast Blue District Football (9/7)

Rushford-Peterson 47, Faribault B.A. 6 (R-P: C. Johnson 8-10, 150 yards, 2 TDs passing, 4-42, TD rushing; Jonah Bunke 7-71, TD rushing, 18-yard reception; Domanick Corcoran 3-81, 2 TDs receiving; Jaxson Meldahl 10-yard TD run, 27-yard reception; Cayden Lea 8-68 rushing. R-P led 41-0 at halftime. The Trojan defense harvested three turnovers, including two interceptions by Carson Johnson, Cole Thompson blocked a punt for a safety, and B.A. was held without a first down until the third quarter. The Cardinals’ only score was a 76-yard blocked field goal return TD. R-P is 1-1 in the MSE-Blue, 1-1 overall)