Gophers Bounce Back, Backer a Big Effort

Chatfield football started the year with two wins, freshman tailback Sam Backer making a big early splash.  The Gophers then dropped back-to-back contests to Triton (16-14) and Caledonia (41-8).  In week five, Jeff Johnson’s group got back on track behind their big o-line and young running back.   The frosh did non-frosh things, rushing 24 times for 273 yards and 4 TDs (including an asterisked, go-left, get bottled-up, reverse ground, re-treat, recover, head way around to the right, 66-yard TD run).  The Gopher rolled up 309 yards on the ground and pitched a shut-out in beating Zumbrota-Mazeppa 34-0.  Ben Roline added Chatfield’s other TD, a 2-yard run.  Z-M was held to under 100 yards total offense (20 passing, 64 rushing).  The Gophers improved to 2-2, 3-2.