Football (9/8)

Football/Volleyball: Gridiron Battle Highlights R-P/Caledonia Series

It has been a while since multiple Caledonia and Rushford-Peterson teams did battle in the fall. Since football turned to districts, the teams’ gridiron squads have not played. But to open the first full week of the 2025 season, Warrior and Trojan volleyball and football squads did battle the same week. 

As it pertains to the gridiron, the Trojans winningly welcomed themselves to Class AA and head coach Robbie Strand was winningly welcomed to Rushford and Peterson. The game’s winning points were decided with the first possession of the second half. R-P’s drive went 78 yards in eight plays, the biggest a 46-yard right side scamper by senior tailback Jaxson Meldahl. Carson Johnson capped the series with a 4-yard TD run. With PAT, it put the Trojans ahead 21-14. The teams each scored twice in the first half. Caledonia did it the routine football way, methodically running the ball down the field. Jack Schmitz had both scores, a 1-yard plunge to open the scoring in the first quarter, and a 17-yard run with 2:55 left in the second quarter to tie the game 14-14. In between, R-P scored in a more razzle-dazzle or funky-fortuitous fashion. On the Trojans possession after Cal’s opening score, R-P faced a 4th and 8 from the 37, but got a 37-yard half-back pass TD from Creighton Hoiness to Cole Thompson. Directly preceding Caledonia’s second quarter score, Trojan senior Will LaFleur jumped a route and intercepted a Grant King pass deep in the Warrior end, returning it to about the 1-yard-line before getting crunched and fumbling into the end zone. But Meldahl fell on it for the score for the touchdown, a wild bang-bang-bang sequence. Each team had other opportunities. One Trojans series later, Johnson broke off a 62-yard run to the Warrior four, only for R-P to give the ball back its next play via fumble. Each team saw a drive end in the red zone early in the fourth. Caledonia, meanwhile, battled two issues. King, a sophomore QB, whose legs were most valuable in the first half (8-98 rushing), did not play in the second half per an injury. The Warriors also had five total turnovers to R-P’s one. They had at least one miscue per quarter. Yet, with 4:29 left, they got the ball down 21-14, and drove as deep as the Trojan 24. But back-to-back penalties preceded basically the game’s clinching play. On 2nd and 14 from the 35, Warrior back-up QB Will Allen was sacked by Trojan Zach Baker for a huge 17-yard loss. The Warriors could not recover from third-and-Yucatan. Caledonia got the ball once more in the final minute with 68 yards to go, but only got to near midfield. R-P faithful got treated to a season-opening treat, a 21-14 victory. Wing Hoiness (2-2, 77 yards, TD passing) was R-P’s leading passer. Quarterback Carson Johnson (13-94, TD rushing) had a singular completion, a 39-yard to Hoiness, plus a fumble recovery on defense. Meldahl (12-92 rushing) also approached 100 yards on the ground while recovering the key fumble TD. LaFleur had the big interception and 40-yard reception from Hoiness. Baker recovered a pair of fumbles to go with his big sack. Caledonia’s run game in the first half with King rolled up around 175 yards, but without him they had less than 50 in the second half. Schmitz (13-83, 2 TDs rushing; 2-43 receiving) topped 100 yards total offense. Allen (7-16, INT) tallied 100 of Cal’s 103 yards passing. R-P’s offense was feast or famine, with six plays of 25 yards or more but 11 rushes for negative yardage. It was the first game between the two schools since a 7-6 Warrior win in Caledonia in 2014, where the PAT after a 75-yard Sam Stemper interception return, and the block of the Trojans PAT, were the differences. This 2025 Trojans win over Caledonia is the first since a 30-27 triple overtime win in 2006 (albeit the teams did not play from 2015 to 2024). R-P is now 1-0 in the Southeast Central ‘Yellow’ and 1-0 overall. Caledonia is 0-1, 0-1. 

Inside and on the court in Caledonia, the AA #6-ranked Warriors (2-0) were too powerful for the Trojans (1-0). R-P twice tried to steal a set though. The Trojans led game two 17-15 and game three 17-16, only for Dan Reinhart’s Warriors to end each set on a run. Finishing game two 10-3, Caledonia prevailed 25-20. Finishing game three 9-3, the Warriors also prevailed 25-20. The home team took game one convincingly, 25-8, getting a nine-point mid-match service run from junior setter Avery Augedahl. The Warriors thus won by 3-0 sweep (25-8, 25-20, 25-20). Freshman Ashlyn Reinhart (5 kills, 14 digs, 5 aces) had a good all-around effort. Elsa Blum (9 kills), Kensey King (7 kills, 5 total blocks), and Adrienne Lange (8 kills) keyed the Warrior offensive attack. Avery Augedahl (3 kills, 29 assists, 8 digs) set the table while Aubrie Klug (22 digs) platooned the libero position. Undersized a bit, R-P was led by Torryn Schneider (7 kills, 12 digs, 11-11 serving). Kayla Magin (7 assists, 11 digs), Ava Helgemoe (7 kills), Addison Drinkall (7 digs), and Brielle Schneider (3 kills, 5 digs) helped. Caledonia out-aced R-P 13 to 3 and out-blocked them six to two. The Warriors then took down St. Charles 3-0 (25-9, 25-23, 25-20). Augedahl (27 assists, 6 digs) spread the offensive wealth around to King (10 kills), Reinhart (8 kills, 9 digs, 3 aces), Blum (7 kills, 5 aces), and A-Lange (5 kills). It was Reinhart’s third straight match with at least three three aces (14 total). Klug added 16 digs. The Warriors (2-0, 4-0) are perfect thru four matches. R-P rallied with tight rivalry win over Lewiston-Altura, 3-1 (25-20, 25-16, 26-28, 25-23). T-Schneider had a big double-double (11 kills, 28 digs, 20-20 serving) to lead the way. Drinkall added 20 digs. Helgemoe led the offense (14 kills on .353 hitting, 7 digs), also helped by B-Schneider (9 kills, 10 digs). Magin (30 assists, 12 digs, 19-19 serving) led the two-setter attack with help from Avree Connaughty (13 assists). Ariana Bettinger (9 digs) and Grace Ekern (7 digs) chipped in some defensive work. R-P was 97 of 100 serving and they had 99 total digs. The Trojans are 1-1 in the TRC, 2-1 overall.

Football: Gophers Top Eagles on Late Score and Stop 

With 4:12 left in the fourth quarter of a 7-7 game, Chatfield’s Carter Ask hit Kaisen Johnson for a 16-yard pitch and catch. Hunter Polikowsky then followed that play by running 22-yard to paydirt. The two-play, 41-second drive, put the Gophers ahead 14-7 with 3:31 left. Lourdes then threatened, reaching just outside the red zone in the final minute, but Chatfield senior Keyan Danninger iced the game with an interception of a long pass just outside the goal-line. Chatfield, last year’s 1AA champion, toughed out a season-opening sub-district win by 14-7 final. Jeff Johnson’s crew never trailed in the game, getting 26-yard TD pass from Ask to Owen Collett to open the scoring in the second quarter. Lourdes tied it 7-7 early in the fourth quarter courtesy of an Abraham Lovely 1-yard TD run. Lourdes had more offense, 254 yards to 217 yards, and ran more offensive plays, 60 to 45. But they also had four turnovers to Chatfield’s two including a trio of interceptions. The Gophers notably played without would-be starting tailback D’Andre Williams. But Ask (8 of 13, 102 yards, TD, INT passing), Johnson (10-49 rushing; 3-37 receiving), Polikowsky (11-65, TD rushing), and Collett (2-41, TD receiving) helped pick up the slack. Danninger had two picks, and Johnson the third of Lourdes QB Chase Carroll (12 of 25, 102 yards, 0 TDs, 3 INTs passing; 10-49 rushing). Lovely (14-40 rushing; 2-30 receiving) and Caleb Akinbolu (6-22 rushing; 4-31 receiving) were also active for the Eagles. The Gophers are 1-0 in the Southeast Central “Yellow,” 1-0 overall. 

Football: Lions Control Cards in Key 9-Player Clash

Spring Grove pulled away late to conquer visiting LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle/Pacelli, 37-12. The teams did not play last year while sharing the sub-district title with 7-0 records. L-O/L/P won the section and advanced to the state semifinals. Graduation claimed all 10 all-district stars, including both quarterbacks. But both squads expect to contend for the crown again. The amazing feat was the three-interception defense by SG safety Caden Gerard. Neither offense scored before halftime. In the first quarter, SG scored with a safety one play after a Ricardo Reynolds punt down to the one-yard line. In the second period, SG’s Devon Williams blocked an end-zone punt with Travis Fisch recovering for a TD. That 8-0 score held until midway into the third quarter when both offenses came alive to trade TDs – twice. Lion QB Dylan Halverson ran three yards to cap a 65-yard drive to make it 14-0. Cardinal QB Reid Hungerholt capped a 70-yard drive with a two-yard TD run, and it was 14-6. Grove drove 58 yards with Halverson hitting Gerard with a 13-yard TD toss for a 22-6 lead. Hungerholt replied with a 66-yard TD pass to Talan Lewison to make it 22-12, still in the third quarter. The fourth period was all Lions. Halverson threw a 20-yard TD pass to Williams to make it 30-12, and Reynolds bolted 14 yards for the final TD. Halverson (7 of 15, 96 yards, 0 INTs) passed for two TDs plus a PAT and ran for a TD as the leading rusher (10-125 yards), averaging over 10 yards per carry. Reynolds had 12 tackles, including five for losses and a safety plus kicked an extra point. Jacob Solum had a PAT run, Dash Ranzenberger a PAT reception. Of 30 Cardinal runs, 13 went for zero or negative yardage. Rushing, the Lions outgained L-O/L/P 180 yards to 52 yards. Hungerholt (10 of 25, 193 yards, TD, 3 INT passing; 23-52, TD rushing) and the Cardinals prevailed in the air, 193-96. Lewison (6-164, TD receiving) was the main target. Carson Roe had 15 total tackles to lead L-O/L/P. Overall, it was a slim 276-to-246 yardage margin for the Lions, who had no turnovers and made both key plays in the kicking game. SG is 1-0 in the South-East, 1-0 overall. L-O/L/P is 0-1, 0-1.

Football: Big Third Quarter Propels M-C Past GM

Mabel-Canton led Grand Meadow 12-10 at intermission, but scored 22-unanswered third quarter points to pull away and post a victory over the Larks by 34-18 tally. Isaac Underbakke hit Kale Tollefsrud on two first half touchdown passes (27 yards and 23 yards), neither with a PAT, while the Larks answered with a safety and a 2-yard Carter Glynn TD run for the close halftime score. But M-C scored thrice in the third quarter with GM having just one offensive series. M-C sandwiched two scoring drives (including right out of intermission) around one GM series, then the Larks muffed a kickoff return, and the Cougars capitalized, scoring again. Paul Tollefsrud’s Cougars built a 34-10 lead. GM then added the final touchdown late. K-Tollefsrud, a senior, found paydirt thrice (14-68, TD rushing; 4-66, 2 TDs receiving). Quarterback Isaac Underbakke (6 of 10, 78 yards, 2 TDs passing; 9-45, TD rushing) also accounted for three scores. Kale Eiken (12-108, TD rushing) topped 100 yards on the ground to give M-C a three-faceted offensive attack. Carter Glynn (3 of 8, 45 yards, INT passing; 15-105, 2 TDs rushing), Parker Armagost (18-58 rushing), and Blake Hubbard (3-45 receiving) led GM, which tallied more yards passing than in any game a year ago. M-C out-gained GM 359 to 211 including 281 to 166 on the ground. The Cougars also had zero turnovers while GM had three. M-C is 1-0 in the South-East, 1-0 overall. GM is 0-1, 0-1. 

Nine Man South (East) Football (8/29) 

Houston 42, Lanesboro 20 (H: L. Klunder 22-128, 3 TDs rushing; Hector Steinfeldt 3 of 9, 107 yards, TD, INT passing, 10-82, TD rushing; A. Vix 3-107, TD receiving; Lucas Burt 51-yard TD run. L: Mason Gilbertson 12-22, 99 yards, 2 INTs passing, 16-52, TD rushing; David Harvey 5-87, TD rushing; Reid Olson 4-49 receiving; Teague Tessum TD run. Houston led 14-6 at halftime, but scored four of the first five second half TDs to lead 42-12. Hurricanes > 1-0, 1-0. Burros 0-1, 0-1)

Kingsland 48, Faribault B.A. 0 (K: K. Reiland 12-140, 4 TDs rushing; 6 of 12, 102 yards passing; B. Wiersma 11-157, 2 TDs rushing, team-high 13 tackles; Michael Johnson 3-73 receiving. Kingsland built a 28-0 lead at halftime. It was B.A.’s inaugural game moving down from 11-man football, where they went 0-9 last year (but were 1A runner-up in 2023). Knights > 1-0, 1-0) 

Mid-South Football (8/28) 

Fillmore Central 50, Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton 18 (FC: K. Larson 23-167, 4 TDs rushing; Cody Serfling 8-76, TD rushing; Bridon Bahl 7 of 9, 128 yards, TD passing; Quinci Kaase 11-yard TD reception; Davis Penhollow 4-65 receiving; Rylan Ristau 42-yard reception. The Falcons scored late in the first half to lead 28-12 at intermission, then bolstered the lead to 36-12 in the third quarter. FC scored TDs on seven of 10 drives (one punt) with two of the exceptions being the end of the first half and the end of the game. The Falcons ran for 290 yards and 6 TDs with just one negative-yard carry. FC > 1-0, 1-0)