Football: Late Interception Helps Seal Knights’ Date to Prep Bowl

Kingsland senior defensive back Ayden Howard intercepted Fertile-Beltrami quarterback Caiden Swenby with under two minutes to go in the fourth quarter, helping put one nail in the Falcons’ coffin. “It all happened so fast, I didn’t have time to think about it,” said Howard in the post-game press conference. Sophomore QB Kaaleem Reiland then powered his way for four yards on 4th and two a few plays later to put the final dagger, as the #5 Knights (Section 1 Champion, 12-0) topped #2 Fertile-Beltrami (Section 6 Champion, 12-0) 36-28 in a state semifinal game at U.S. Bank Stadium. It was a game where Kingsland never trailed, and at one point, were one drive away from really putting F-B up against it. But the Falcons battled and battled to the end, leaving Knight fans with a couple tense moments late in a back-and-forth football game between undefeated teams.
Kingsland opened the scoring on their first series, as Beau Wiersma took a pitch left, and housed it from 64-yards out. F-B got a 64-yard pass play their next series from Swenby to Isaiah Wright. The speedy Howard notched a touchdown saving tackle, which proved critical. Kingsland withstood the red zone threat when Kaaleem Reiland sacked Swenby on 4th and goal from the two. The Knights then marched 14 plays and covered 88 yards. Reiland had

a drive preserving five-yard run on fourth and four from the eight. Wiersma then scored (3-yard TD). With Reiland to Courtland Drury-DeBoer conversion pass, the Knights were ahead 14-0 early in the second quarter. The Falcons then again got a long pass play, a 78-yarder from Swenby to Bryer Strem. They were not denied in the red zone this time, as Wright scored from two-yards out. Their conversion failed, leaving the Knights up 14-6. Kingsland then replied quickly, going 65 yards in just four plays. A 39-yard Wiersma run set up a 12-yard Wiersma TD run. Reiland punched in the conversion, as the Knight built a 22-6 lead. Kingsland again made the red zone later in the quarter, but an interception on 2nd and 26 ended the threat. They took their 22-6 lead to halftime.
Out of the intermission, Fertile-Beltrami got a defensive stop, and Wright, on their second offensive play, sped 55 yards to paydirt. A Swenby to Strem conversion made it a 22-14 game. It commenced a back-and-and-forth second half. Kingsland then replied in just three plays, as Wiersma ripped off a 47-yard TD run. He added the conversion for a 30-14 Knight lead. An Ayden Howard interception then gave the Knights the chance to really put pressure on F-B with a scoring series, but they went four-and-out, failing on 4th and 2 from the 47. F-B then covered 53 yards in just four plays, as Wright scored his third TD on a 13-yard run. Swenby hit Strem for the conversion and the Knight lead was cut to 30-22. Kingsland then came back with a 12-play series. A 4th and one conversion near midfield kept it alive. On second and eight from the 10, Reiland hit Parker Johnson for a 10-yard TD reception. The ball was dislodged upon impact at the goal-line, Falcon recovery. But all but the F-B tackler’s feet were in the end zone, and thus, upon further-review, the play stood as called; a touchdown. The conversion failed, leaving the Knights with a 36-22 lead early in the fourth. F-B came back with a 12-play series. On third and goal, Wright found paydirt for his fourth score. Knight Sam Howard stopped the conversion run to keep it an eight-point game, 36-28 with 4:12 left. Kingsland’s Michael Johnson then recovered F-B’s onside kick. The Knights got two first downs, but Wiersma uncharacteristically fumbled after getting the second, and Swenby got the recovery. With 2:41 left, the

Falcons had life again starting a drive at their 29-yard line. But three plays in, Howard notched his big interception, and Reiland’s ensuing first down iced the game. By a final of 36-28, Matt Kolling’s football guys moved on to the Prep Bowl, running the school’s state semifinal record to 4-0!
Wiersma (29-296, 4 TDs) was a beast with scores of 64, 3, 12, and 47 yards behind the line of Ira Schmidt, Noah House, and Drury-DeBoer, plus tight ends S-Howard and Johnson “It’s absolutely amazing (playing behind his offensive line),” said Wiersma. “They work real hard. We got a great offensive line coach, Isaiah Minnich, shout out to him. He’s an awesome person… …I wouldn’t be able to rush for four TDs like I did this game without them.” Reiland (21-112 rushing, 4-9, 51 yards, TD, INT passing) also topped 100 yards rushing. Wright (22-187, 4 TDs rushing, 3-89 receiving) was F-B’s stud. After just 19 yards rushing in the first half, he had 168 yards and 3 TDs in the second half. Swenby (7 of 18, 187 yards, 2 INTs) passed for 184 of his yards in the first half, though a lot of that was R.A.C. (run after catch). Both his interceptions, both by Ayden Howard, came in the second half. Kingsland amassed 414 of its 465 total yards on the ground. F-B put up 430 yards total offense in a more balanced fashion, 243 rushing and 187 passing. The teams combined for 39 first downs (K 21, F-B 18). And thus, just four years removed from going 1-8, and after going 4-5 and losing in the first round of the playoffs last year (albeit in Section 1A), the Knights are 12-0 and playing for a state title! Coach Kolling on the Falcons, “…they were everything we thought they were and more… very impressed by Fertile-Beltrami, very impressed by their coaches. They had a heck of a team.” On the rise of Kingsland’s program: “These kids were freshman when the new staff took over. Before that there was not a lot of pride, excitement, or wins in the Kingsland program in about the 20 years prior to that. These guys have done everything. It’s all these guys (his players), the work they put in…the time they’ve put in… the passion and love for the game… it has been so fun to see them get the reward… because this is the reward and it’s been so worth it.” Kingsland will take on #3 Nevis (Section 5 Champ, 11-0) for all the 9-man marbles.