Late Score Lifts Chatfield Past L-A

For a fifth time in six weeks, Chatfield football had to battle, this time at Lewiston-Altura.  The Gophers rebounded from their first loss (Caledonia) with a late game win.  L-A came out with two big pass plays, then an Evan Daley 2-run TD run for a 7-0 lead.  Chatfield had an 11-play second quarter drive.  Carson Larrabee’s 1-yard TD run (on 4th and goal) made it 7-6 L-A at halftime.  The Gophers recovered a pooch/onside kick to start the third.  Larrabee’s second TD run (16 yards) made it 12-7 Gophers.  In the fourth, L-A QB Marcus Weaver hit Hunter Gerdes on around a 30-yard pass play.  Gerdes fumbled.  Teammate Kolton Riser picked it up and carried it the final 12 yards to pay dirt.  With 4:37 left, L-A held its second one-point lead, 13-12.  But Chatfield rallied in crunch time.  Gage Tuohy, Chatfield’s work-horse, authored a trio of 10-plus-yard runs.  Larrabee then scored on a 20-yard TD dash (2:45).  The Gophers again went ahead, 18-13.  L-A got two cracks from there.  A Ben Brogan interception dashed the first.  Chance Backer (who hits hard and often) recorded a game-ending sack to preserve the 18-13 win.  Tuohy (career-highs 38 carries, 216 yards, ten first downs) didn’t put the furniture exactly where it needed to be, but he lugged it up and down the stairs.  The 5’11” 195-pound senior had a minimum eight carries and 46 yards every quarter.  Backfield mate Larrabee (12-58, 3 TDs) did all the scoring.  Nathan Goldsmith had a sack and a fumble recovery, Brogan and Seth Allen interceptions.   The Gopher defense held L-A to 76 rushing yards.  The Cardinals threw for 180 yards behind Weaver (11-22, 184 yards, INT).  Chatfield had just 33 passing yards, but 317 on the ground.  The #12 Gophers (4-1, 5-1) trail #1 Caledonia (5-0, 6-0) and #6 SC (5-0, 6-0) in the Southeast-White.