Second Half Efficiency Powers Burro Football Over GM

Lanesboro had the ball four times in the second half of their 9-Man South-East battle with Grand Meadow.  Three of those possessions resulted in the touchdowns while the last ran out the clock.  That second half efficiency propelled the Burros to a win over the Superlarks.  The first half saw the teams play each other to a 6-6 tie.  Grand Meadow scored first early in the second quarter, taking advantage of a Burro fumble at their own 10-yardline (one of three first half Lanes miscues). A Corbin Ludemann 1-yard TD plunge made it 6-0.  Lanesboro responded just before intermission.  A 10-play 52-yard drive was capped by a Mason Howard’s one-yard plow for the tie at intermission.  But Lanesboro’s run game wasn’t stopped after halftime, save for by lightening (which pre-empted the Friday night contest, leading it to be completed Saturday).  Orion Sass’s 41-yard TD run on Lanesboro’s first second half possession made it 14-6.  The game was then suspended.   A day later, the Burros forced a three-and-out.  They then went 89-yards in nine plays, the biggest a 47-yard pass from Howard to Luke Ruen.  Sass capped the drive with his second TD run, a 14-yarder.  After converting the two-pointer, Lanesboro built a 22-6 lead.   GM hung-around.  Their ensuing drive went 60 yards in 10 plays.  Cael Gilbert’s 7-yard TD run, and conversion run, kept it a one-score game at 22-14.  But Lanesboro again went right down the field.  With 4:16 left, Howard hit Stephan Schultz for a 9-yard TD pitch-and-catch.  Sass added the conversion.  Lanesboro was again up two scores, 30-14.  Ludemann returned the ensuing kick-off 77-yards to pay-dirt, cracking the door on GM’s hopes.   But their conversion failed.  Up 30-20 with 4:01 left, the Burros took possession and ran out the clock.  For the second straight season, James Semmen’s group opened with a win over the Larks.  The senior Sass had a big day in his first lead roll (25-201, 2 TDs rushing, three conversions).  Howard (2-3, 56 yards, TD, INT passing; 13-69, TD rushing) also scored twice.   His two completions to Ruen and Schultz were big.  Ludemann paced GM (20-91, TD rushing, 77-KOR TD).  Gilbert (8-25, TD rushing) had the Larks’ other score.  Isaac Harmening (fumble recovery), Tyler Reid (fumble recovery), and Connor Munson (interception) sniped turnovers for GM.  Parker Storhoff (fumble recovery) grabbed Lanesboro’s only turnover.   The Burros are 1-0, 1-0.   GM is 0-1, 0-1.