Photo by Lee Epps
Section 3-seed Spring Grove, last year’s state runner-up, returns to the 9-man section title game after avenging a regular-season loss to Mabel-Canton in the quarters and then upending LeRoy-Ostrander 27-20 in a snowy semi-final. At home in the 32-6 win against 6-seed Mabel-Canton (4-4), the Lions (6-2) scored on its first possession in each half and its first four opportunities of the second half. Jaxon Strinmoen, SG’s leading receiver, made a sudden switch to quarterback after a second-period injury to Bryce Berns. The passing threat diminished, but Strinmoen rushed 14 times for 231 yards and two touchdowns and completed both passing attempts for 16 yards. Berns had a 21-yard touchdown pass to Braedon Solie on the Lions’ fifth play for a 6-0 lead. With the score knotted at 6-6, Strinmoen raced 83 yards on his first carry to make it 12-6. On the first scrimmage play of the second half, Strinmoen bolted 61 yards and it was 18-6. The Lions’ Jacob Solum then recovered an accidental short kickoff.
Five plays later, Spring Grove had scored twice before the Cougars had snapped the ball in the second half; a 12-6 halftime lead had ballooned to 26-6. Jacob Olerud (11-65 rushing) scored the final two touchdowns on runs of seven and four yards plus a two-point conversion. The Lions’ 37 passing yards were their fewest in 10 years (111 games), but they outgained the Cougars overall, 364 to 133. The Cougars took advantage of a fumbled punt return and went only eight yards for their lone touchdown. After a five-yard sack, Cayden Tollefsrud scored on a 13-yard run for a 6-6 tie. The Cougars’ two most successful plays were passes for 26 and 21 yards, but there were two interceptions – both by Zach Brumm (one returned 50 yards). Olerud was the tackle leader with 18. M-C 1,000-yard rusher, Cayden Tollefsrud, had 12 tackles and 123 yards of all-purpose running (15-43 rushing, 2-36 receiving, 44 in kick returns). The Cougars closed at 4-5.
The 27-20 semi-final win at state-ranked #9 LeRoy-Ostrander (2-seed, 8-1) was a duel of running quarterbacks. Out of 55 Cardinal plays, 41 were carries by Camden Hungerholt for 237 yards, including all three L-O touchdowns on runs of 2, 33 and 31. For SG, Strinmoen ran 23 times for 138 yards while Olerud added 14 runs for 89 yards. But Strinmoen, in addition to a 50-yard TD scamper, also had half of his six pass completions (6-13, 101 yards, 3 TDs, INT passing) go for touchdowns. A 33-yard TD toss to Brumm led to a 7-0 start just five plays into the game. An 18-yard TD reception by Ben Udstuen made it 14-6. The “grab of the game” was a 21-yard diving catch by Braedon Solie at the L-O 3 yard-line. After a 4-yard loss, Solie took a screen pass seven yards with a dive across the goal line. Udstuen’s third PAT kick put SG ahead again 21-20 after three quarters. After completing at least nine in every game save the season-opener, Hungerholt completed only one pass (1-9, 53 yards, 2 INTs passing). Ryder Stern’s catch and run went 53 yards to set up Hungerholt’s 31-yard TD dash to complete an 86-yard drive and break the 14-14 halftime deadlock for the Cardinals’ only lead at 20-14. After falling behind again, 21-20, L-O drove 16 plays to the Lion 8 yard-line. Two penalties and a botched field goal attempt scuttled the scoring attempt. Strinmoen then raced 50 yards to create the final 27-20 score. Brumm had another two interceptions. The Lions (8-2) moved on to face top-seed and #5 Kingsland (10-0). The Knights previously defeated SG, 38-13. L-O ended a very good season at 8-2. They were 2-7 last year and graduate just two seniors, two-way lineman Malyk Schaefer and Mason Diemer. The Cardinals beat GM 44-20 in the quarterfinals (See “Football Playoffs – 9-Man Section 1” for stats). SG and L-O did not play in the regular season.
Photo by Lee Epps
Statistics vs. M-C
YARDAGE – Team total (rush + pass): SG 364 (327+37); MC 133 (70+63)
RUSHING: att.-yards (avg.) SG 37-327 (8.8) 4 TD; MC 35-70 (2.0) TD
PASSES: comp-att-int, yds. (TD): SG 3-5-1, 37 yds (TD); MC 6-16-2, 63 yds
Sacks allowed: SG 0, MC 3
TD: SG – 4 rush, 1 pass; MC – 1 rush
PAT: SG 1-5 (kick 0-1, rush 1-3, pass 0-1); MC 0-1 (rush 0-1)
TOTAL PLAYS: SG 42, MC 51
AVG. yards per play: SG 8.7, MC 2.6
FUMBLES – LOST: SG 2-1, MC 4-1
TURNOVERS: SG 2, MC 3
PENALTIES: SG 6-40, MC 2-15
3rd downs: SG 4-8, MC 2 for 12
4th downs: SG 1-2, MC 2-4
Red zone: SG 2-3, MC 1-1
First downs: SG 13, MC 8
Plays of 20+ yards: SG 4, MC 2
INDIVIDUALS:
RUSHING 37-327: Jaxon Strinmoen 14-231, 2 TD; Jacob Olerud 11-65, 2 TD; Bryce Berns 6-31; Sylas Flatin 2-4; team knees 4-(-4)
PASSING: Bryce Berns 1-3-01, 21 yds, TD; Jaxon Strinmoen 2-2-0, 16 yds
RECEIVING: Braedon Solie 1-21, TD; Troy Reinhardt 2-16
KICKOFF RETURNS: none
PUNT RETURNS: Jaxon Strinmoen 2-(-7)
SCORING: Jacob Olerud 14, Jaxon Strinmoen 12, Braedon Solie 6
PUNTING: Ben Udstuen 1-38
INTERCEPTIONS: Zach Brumm 2-54 yds.
PASS BREAKUPS: Jaxon Strinmoen 1
FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Jacob Solum 1
FUMBLES FORCED: none
SACKS 3: Josh Newgaard 1, Ethan Crouch 1, Brandon Jahnke 1
TACKLES for LOSS (incl. sacks) 4: Ethan Crouch 2, Josh Newgaard 1, Brandon Jahnke 1, Jacob Olerud 1
TACKLES (solo + assists): Jacob Olerud 18 (9+9); Dash Ranzenberger 10 (2+8); Brandon Jahnke 7 (4+3); Ethan Crouch 6 (3+3); Zach Brumm 6 (3+3); Jaxon Strinmoen 4 (3+1); Josh Newgaard 4 (1+3); Caden Gerard 3 (2+1); Troy Reinhardt 2 (1+1); Noah Heppner 1 (0+1); Jacob Solum 1 (0+1)
M-C INDIVIDUALS: RUSHING 35-70, TD: Tyler Larson 15-47; Cayden Tollefsrud 16-43, TD; Isaac Underbakke 3-(-14); Team 1-(-6). PASSING: Isaac Underbakke 6-14-2, 63 yds.; Cayden Tollefsrud 0-2-0. RECEIVING: Cayden Tollefsrud 2-36, Darian Hershberger 2-13, Tyler Larson 1-9, Riley Snell 1-5. KICKOFF RETURNS: Cayden Tollefsrud 3-44, Tyler Larson 1-18. PUNT RETURNS: none. SCORING: Cayden Tollefsrud 6. PUNTING: Hershberger 4-115 (28.8). INTERCEPTIONS: Isaac Underbakke 1-no return. FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Isaac Underbakke 1. FUMBLES FORCED: none. SACKS: none
——————————————-
Statistics vs. L-O
YARDAGE – Team total (rush + pass): SG 324 (223+101); LO 277 (224+53)
RUSHING: att.-yards (avg.): SG 43-223, TD; LO 45-224, 3 TD
PASSES: comp-att-int, yds. (TD): SG 6-13-1, 101 yds, (3 TD); LO 1-10-3, 53 yds,
Sacks allowed: SG 1, LO 0
TD: SG – 1 rush, 3 pass; LO – 3 rush
PAT: SG 3-4 (3-4 kick); LO 1-3 (1-1 run, 0-1 pass, 0-1 kick
TOTAL PLAYS: SG 56, LO 55
AVG. yards per play: SG 5.8, LO 5.0
FUMBLES – LOST: SG 3-2, LO 1-1
TURNOVERS: SG 3, LO 4
PENALTIES: SG 4-30, LO 8-54
3rd downs: SG 3-8, LO 4-10
4th downs: SG 2-3, LO 1-3
Red zone: SG 2-3, LO 1-2
First downs: SG 17, LO 14
Plays of 20+ yards: SG 3, LO 3
INDIVIDUALS:
RUSHING: Jaxon Strinmoen 23-138, TD; Jacob Olerud 14-89; Braedon Solie 1-6; Sylas Flatin 1-1; Team knees 4-(-4)
PASSING: Jaxon Strinmoen 6-13-1, 3 TD, 101
RECEIVING 6-101: Zach Brumm 1-33, TD; Braedon Solie 2-28, TD; Jacob Olerud 2-22; Ben Udstuen 1-18, TD
SCORING 27: Ben Udstuen 9, Braedon Solie 6, Jaxon Strinmoen 6, Zach Brumm 6
XP KICKING: Ben Udstuen 3-4
PUNTING: Ben Udstuen 1-34
KICKOFF RETURNS: Braedon Solie 2-50, Jaxon Strinmoen 1-29
PUNT RETURNS: Jaxon Strinmoen 1-(-1)
INTERCEPTIONS: Zach Brumm 2-6 yards; Troy Reinhardt 1-no return
PASS BREAKUPS: Jaxon Strinmoen 2, Zach Brumm 1, Caden Gerard 1
FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Troy Reinhardt 1
FUMBLES FORCED: Zach Brumm 1
SACKS: none
TACKLES for LOSS (incl. sacks): Jaxon Strinmoen 1.0, Jacob Olerud 1.0, Dash Ranzenberger 0.5, Ethan Crouch 0.5
TACKLES (solo+assists): Zach Brumm 14 (6+8); Jacob Olerud 11 (7+4); Dash Ranzenberger 11 (2+9); Jaxon Strinmoen 10 (6+4); Troy Reinhardt 6 (4+2); Ethan Crouch 6 (2+4); Caden Gerard 3 (1+2); Brandon Jahnke 3 (0+3); Braedon Solie 1 (1+0); Noah Heppner 1 (1+0); Jacob Solum 1 (1+0); Josh Newgaard 1 (0+1)
L-O INDIVIDUALS – RUSHING: Camden Hungerholt 41-237, 3 TD; Logan Diemer 1-0; Team 1-(-20). PASSING: Camden Hungerholt 1-9-2, 53 yds; Logan Diemer 0-1-1. RECEIVING: Ryder Stern 1-53. SCORING: Camden Hungerholt 20. PUNTING: Ryder Stern 2-61 (30.5). INTERCEPTIONS: Talan Lewison 1. SACKS: Malyk Schaefer 1. KICKOFF RETURNS: Camden Hungerholt 2-32; Ryder Stern 2-2 ; Reid Hungerholt 1-7. PUNT RETURNS: none