On the scoreboard, the difference was a two-point conversion; Spring Grove converted twice, Mabel-Canton once. On the statistics sheet, it was just as close. Neither team had a turnover; each team punted twice and was held on downs twice. Each scored four touchdowns. Each team had five big plays that covered 20 yards or more. Spring Grove had 285 yards of total offense, Mabel-Canton 284.
Although most Cougar yardage came on the ground (221), they had one passing touchdown. While the Lions gained most yardage through the air (211), they had one rushing TD. The teams traded scores all night. M-C scored first; SG answered. Then the Cougars punted; so did the Lions. Mabel-Canton then scored on three straight possessions; Spring Grove answered each time. After the early 6-6 tie score, the lead changed hands on each of the final six touchdowns.
Most memorable was Grove scoring on the last play before halftime. M-C had just taken an 18-14 lead 68 seconds before intermission. But Grove’s Elijah Solum replied with three passes gaining 92 yards. The sophomore signal-caller hit Carson Gerard with a 34-yard toss in between 32 and 26-yarders to sophomore Jaxon Strinmoen, the latter out-leaping two defenders in the end zone as the first-half clock went to zeroes. Hunter Holland ran in the two-extra points, and the Lions led 22-18 at the break.
Strinmoen finished with six grabs for 124 yards and two touchdowns (16 and 26 yards). Tysen Grinde had opened SG scoring with a 9-yard catch and later with an extra-points reception, gave the Lions their first lead (14-12). Solum completed 12 of 20 tosses for three touchdowns plus a two-point conversion with no sacks or interceptions. He also raced 56 yards for the final TD of the game in the third quarter (28-26).
All of the aerial splendor had to overcome Mabel-Canton’s Cayden Tollefsrud rushing for 171 yards, three touchdowns (22, 16, 1 yards) and an extra-points run. The sophomore scored all of the Cougars’ 26 points, including a 36-yard TD toss from Jordan Larson. Larson completed 3 of 7 passes, including a 20-yarder to James Arneson on the way to an 18-14 lead.
After all the scoring in the first three quarters, the defenses pitched shutouts in the final 18 minutes. The Lions’ most time-consuming drive (11 plays) failed to put the game away when stopped on downs at the Cougar nine yard-line with a pass break-up by Jaymeson Tollefsrud. After SG had beaten the clock to end the first half, Mabel-Canton then raced against the clock at the finish – for 61 yards before a fourth down pass came up two yards short at the Lion 30 with a tackle by Solum and freshman Zach Brumm just 25 seconds remaining.
Tysen Grinde led all tacklers with 12 stops with 10 each from Solum and Noah Blackburn. SG junior Caleb Griffin had the game’s only sack. Alex Arneson and Robert Michels each had 8 tackles for the Cougars. James Arneson led the game in tackles-for-loss with 3.
Spring Grove was playing for the first time in two weeks after COVID issues canceled the game versus Lyle/Pacelli. The Lions were still missing a few starters, and several played with little or no recent practice time. Junior lineman Noah Blackburn had already earned a starting nod on defense, but junior linemen Cooper Olson and Logan Brumm stepped up on offense. Freshman back/receiver Bryce Berns drew starting assignments on both sides of the ball. Freshmen Brandon Jahnke and Zach Brumm both saw significant playing time.
It was the third straight nail-biter between the two neighbors but the 17th consecutive win for the Lions in the series that the Cougars still lead 36 wins to 26 (since 1949). Spring Grove improved to 2-0 while Mabel-Canton slipped to 1-2.
SG 6—16—6—0 = 28
MC 6 –12–8—0 = 26
Team totals
YARDAGE (rush + pass): SG 285 (74+211) 4 TD; MC 284 (221+63) 4 TD
RUSHING: att.-yards (avg.): SG 24-74 (3.1) 1 TD; MC 46-221 (4.8) 3 TD
PASSES: comp-att-int, yds. (TD): SG 12-21-0, 211 yds. 3 TD; MC 3-7-0, 63 yds. 1 TD
Sacks allowed: SG 0, MC 1
TD: SG 1 run, 3 pass: MC: 3 run, 1 pass
PAT: SG 2-4 (0-1 kick, 1-1 run, 1-2 pass); MC 1-4 (1-3 run, 0-1 pass)
TOTAL PLAYS: SG 45, MC 53
AVG. yards per play: SG 6.3, MC 5.4
FUMBLES – LOST: SG 5-0, MC 1-0
TURNOVERS: SG 0, MC 0
PENALTIES: SG 4-37, MC 3-15
3rd downs: SG 6-10, MC 6-12
4th downs: SG 0-2, MC 2-4
Red zone: SG 3-4, MC 2-2
First downs: SG 12, MC 16
Plays of 20+ yards: SG 5, MC 5,
LION INDIVIDUALS
RUSHING 24-74: Elijah Solum 6-64, TD; Hunter Holland 13-43; Caleb Griffin 2-(-1); team 3-(-22)
PASSING 12-21-0: Elijah Solum 12-20-0, 211 yds, 3TD; Tysen Grinde 0-1-0
RECEIVING 12-211: Jaxon Strinmoen 6-124, 2TD; Carson Gerard 2-48; Tysen Grinde 3-29, TD +PAT; Caleb Griffin 1-10
XP KICKING: Hunter Holland 0-for-1
SCORING 28: Jaxon Strinmoen 12, Tysen Grinde 8, Elijah Solum 6, Hunter Holland 2
PUNTING: Tysen Grinde 2-58 (29.0 avg.)
SACKS 1: Caleb Griffin 1
TACKLES for LOSS (incl. sacks) 2: Caleb Griffin 1, Jaxon Strinmoen 1
TACKLES (solo + assists): Tysen Grinde 12 (4+8), Noah Blackburn 10 (4+6), Elijah Solum 10 (0+10), Hunter Holland 9 (6+3), Logan Brumm 6 (3+3), Caleb Griffin 6 (2+4), Jaxon Strinmoen 6 (2+4), Carson Gerard 4 (2+2), Bryce Berns 4 (1+3), Ty Cleven 3 (0+3), Zach Brumm 3 (0+3)
KICK OFF RETURNS: Tysen Grinde 4-100 (25.0 avg.)
PUNT RETURNS: none