Football: Gophers Rally in Week Three, Top Bombers

A week two 20-0 loss at Dover-Eyota was not what Chatfield football fans have become accustomed to under Coach Jeff Johnson. But in week three, Chatfield rallied the wagons versus Cannon Falls. After losing the turnover battle 4-0 versus D-E, Chatfield won turnovers versus the Bombers 4-0. The Gophers led 21-6 at halftime. Twice after, CF made it interesting. Both times, Chatfield responded. A 62-yard TD run by Will Montgomery early in the third quarter narrowed the Gopher lead to 21-12, but the conversion failed, leaving it a two-score game. Chatfield seemingly grabbed firm control again early in the fourth. Sophomore QB Nolan Happel ran for 71 yards on Chatfield’s 10-play, 82-yard drive. His 8-yard TD run made it 27-12. But CF answered just two offensive plays later. Montgomery ripped a 70-yard TD run. A Jack Shepersky two-point run made it a one-score contest, 27-20, with 5:36 left. But the Gophers again answered, going 53 yards in eight plays. Happel iced the game with a 5-yard TD scamper. It made the score 34-20, which stood as the final. Offensively, Hunter Polikowsky (23-125, TD rushing) topped the century mark for the Gophers. Happel (11-90, 2 TDs rushing; 27-yard completion) did all his damage in the final stanza. Each recovered fumbles. Logan Pearson (3-69, TD receiving, 6-yard TD run) added a pair of scores, catching a 25-yard TD from Carter Ask. Sean Kirchner recovered a fumble and partially blocked a punt defensively, authored a 55-yard punt and put down another boot at the five-yard line on special teams, and a lot of Chatfield’s running came to the left behind guard Corbin Horsman, center Kane Larson and him. Kaiden Brenna had an interception. CF lost three fumbles and threw the pick, but put the ball on the ground seven times total, including thrice in four plays on the drive that ended at the Gopher 11 late in the third. Montgomery (7-156, 2 TDs rushing), Griffin Peterson (14-84 rushing), Shepersky (6-52 rushing), and T.J. Kyrra (7-48, TD rushing) helped the Bombers run for 324 yards. They passed for just eight. Chatfield ran for 230, passing for 77. The Gophers (1-1, 2-1) and Lourdes (1-1, (1-2) trail Caledonia (3-0, 3-0), D-E (2-1, 2-1), and R-P (2-1, 2-1) in the Southeast-Yellow.