Larks Get Revenge, Down Mountain Lake in Big Re-match

A year ago, Grand Meadow won the Section 1 9-Man football title, fulfilling the dream to go to state.  But the Larks’ aspirations of something greater were cut short in the state quarters.   GM fell roughly to Mountain Lake 42-12.  The Wolverines went on to an undefeated season (14-0) and a state 9-Man championship.   That win ended Section 1’s stranglehold on state 9-Man titles.  Between GM (2014-2017) and Spring Grove (2018, 2019), teams from the southeast corner section had won state titles six straight years.  In a stroke of interesting scheduling, GM trekked to Mountain Lake (an hour west/southwest of Mankato) for a re-match to open the 2020 season.  The roughly three hour ride home was a good one.   In a game that featured 10 punts before the first score, GM used a turnover to get on the board.  Late in the third quarter, Riley Paul recovered a fumble at the Mountain Lake 31-yard line.  A play later, Evan Oehlke hit Dustin Copley for a 31-yard TD reception (plus PAT) and GM had the lead 7-0.  After a Wolverine, three-and-out, the Larks authored the game’s key drive.  GM went 42 yards in eight plays midway through the fourth quarter.  They were at the ML four yard-line, but a sack and a delay of game put the Larks at 3rd and goal from the 15.  But Oehlke then hit Luke Speer for a 15-yard TD pass and catch.  The PAT was no good, but GM had control, up 13-0 late.   ML’s next drive ended on downs just across midfield.  GM milked the clock and came away with a big revenge victory 13-0.  Turnovers told a story.  Mountain Lake had four to GM’s zero.  GM had 163 yards offense (103 rush, 60 pass) to Mountain Lake’s 74 (34 rush, 40 pass), as the Lark defense held ML to 1.8 yards per play and just over 1.2 yards per rush.   Oehlke’s passing (6-11, 60 yards, 2 TDs passing, 18-33 rushing) was what got the Larks to pay-dirt.  Copley (2-33, TD receiving; 9-19 rushing) and Speer (15-yard TD reception) were the score recipients.  Daniel Smith (7-40 rushing) led the GM ground game.   The Larks are 0-0, 1-0.