Section 1 9-Man Football Play-Offs

Lions Score Late, Take Section Opener Over ‘Canes

Spring Grove (4-seed, 4-2) did not lead Houston (5-seed, 2-4) until the final half-minute.  A 21-yard touchdown pass from Isaac Griffin to Reid Bjerke completed a 93-yard, 13-play drive for the Lions’ 20-14 win in a Section 1 9-man football quarter at Blayne Onsgard Memorial Field.  The drive remained alive, when on fourth-and-two, Griffin threw deep for 34 yards to Tysen Grinde.  With the score tied at 14-all, the winning drive began after Spring Grove’s Hunter Holland stopped a Hurricane fourth-down play by a yard at the Lion 7.  Griffin finished with a career-high 254 passing yards.  Houston’s Caiden Olson rushed for 170 yards, including both Hurricane TDs.  Holland, a running back, led Lion receivers with 94 yards.  Caden Grinde had a game-high seven receptions (84 yards), including three grabs during the game-winning drive. The senior linebacker also had 19 tackles.  Carson Gavin was in on 18 stops.  The game’s last score came on a 93-yard possession, and the first had come on Houston’s 99-yard drive.  After a Kenny Grupe interception, the ‘Canes took possession at their own one.  Eight plays later, Olson bolted 59 yards.  Isaac Heyer passed to Ethan Hargrove for the two-point conversion, and Houston led 8-0.  SG responded with a 51-yard TD toss from Griffin to Holland.  Griffin’s extra-point kick made it 8-7 about two minutes before halftime.  Heyer returned the second-half kickoff 34 yards, and a 15-yard penalty moved the Hurricanes to the Lion 40.  Olson raced 28 yards to set up his 4-yard TD run.  Tristan Hammel and Elijah Solum stopped the conversion run to keep it a one-score margin at 14-7.  The Lions would tie the score with a sudden, two-play momentum swing.  A botched Houston punt fumble (their only turnover) gave Grove the ball at the Hurricane 26. Holland carried into the end zone on the next play.  Griffin’s point-after tied the score with 3:35 on the third-quarter clock.  A Houston 16-play, all-rushing possession then consumed about 12 minutes, before coming up a yard short at the Lion seven.  Then Griffin completed 6 of 8 passes during the 13-play winning drive.  Bjerke’s 21-yard TD reception was his only grab of the game.  With their preferred, run-heavy attack, the Hurricanes went to the air only five times.  Heyer completed 3 of 5 for 25 yards while suffering two sacks.  The ‘Canes averaged 4.6 yards while rushing 51 times for 237 yards.  Meanwhile, the Lions averaged a similar 4.8 yards per carry, but they rushed only 16 times and opted for 31 Griffin passes (17 completions, 2 interceptions).  Overall, SG outgained the ‘Canes 331 yards to 262.  SG (5-2) posted its 15th straight win over the ‘Canes (2-5).  The Lions came from behind in the second half to win 33-16 in the season opener also.

Johnson’s Battle in L-O/M-C Quarterfinals Contest

The end result was convincing.  LeRoy-Ostrander (3-seed, 3-2) handled Mabel-Canton (6-seed, 2-4) in a 9-Man Section 1 quarterfinal.  The Cougars defense was unable to stop the Cardinals.  The game within a game saw a battle of Johnsons, L-O junior QB Chase Johnson versus M-C senior TB Gavin Johnson.  The first quarter was a battle.  M-C scored on its first 13-play possession, as Gavin J. rumbled in from six yards out making it 6-0.  He had 10 carries on the drive.  L-O went right back the other way, Chase J. rushing for 55 yards of the 60-yard drive.  Isaac Collier’s 4-yard TD run plus Gavin Sweeney PAT made it 7-6 Cardinals.  The Cougars then had three second quarter turnovers.  An Andrew Lohuis interception on the stanza’s first play led to a Chase J. to Brodi Nesler 20-yard TD pass and a 14-6 L-O lead.  M-C then fumbled the kick-return.  One play later, Chase J. hit Tristan Lewison on a 32-yard TD pass making it 20-6.  M-C regrouped.  Gavin J. had all eight carries and all 65 yards of their ensuing possession.  He capped the series with his second TD run, a 7-yard scamper.  M-C pulled to down 20-14.  It took L-O just three plays to reply.  Chase J. hit Sweeney for a 36-yard TD pass.  The Cougars then fumbled.  Collier scooped it up and went 56-yards to pay-dirt.  With two-point conversion, L-O took a commanding 35-14 lead.   Chase J. added a fourth second quarter TD pass, 52-yards to Lewison.  It was his fourth straight completion that went for a TD.  M-C scored before the half, another drive much on the back of Gavin J.  His 2-yard TD run in the final ticks made the score 42-20 at intermission.  At the break, Gavin J. had 27 carries for 156 yards, 3 TDs and two conversions!  Chase J. was 5 of 9 passing for 164 yards and 4 TDs while adding 80 rushing yards on nine carries!  L-O notched the win, 61-36.  Chase J. (7-13, 180 yards, 4 TDs passing, 14-167 yards, 57-yard TD run) tallied over 300 yards total offense.  Lewison (4-121 yards, 2 TDs) was his favorite target.  Sweeney (36 yards) and Nesler (20 yards) each caught a single pass for a TD.  Collier (10-99, 3 TDs rushing, 56-yard FR TD) had four total TDs including a pair of scores in each half.  Gavin J. carried a super-heavy load for M-C, racking up a ridiculous 48 carries for 258 yards and all five M-C TDs!  He added three receptions for 30 yards.  It was his third game of 40-plus carries and his fourth 200-yard rushing game.  The teams combined for over 800 yards (MC 378, LO 450).  L-O scored on eight of nine offensive possessions.  M-C’s season ends at 2-5.  L-O improved to 4-2.

Burros Overwhelm Knights a Second Time

The first time Lanesboro and Kingsland football played, James Semmen’s Burros overwhelmed the Knights 41-6 in week two.  In a play-off quarterfinal re-match, is was more of the same between the Burros (2-seed, 5-1) and Knights (7-seed, 1-4).  Lanesboro posted a 46-8 win.  The Burros scored on their first seven possessions.  Junior fullback Hayden Lawstuen (13-130, 3 TDs rushing, 14-yard TD reception) scored four times.  He had at least one score in each of the first three quarters.  Seth Semmen (8-88, 2 TDs rushing, 3-5, 29 yards, TD passing), J.T. Rein (10-64 rushing), and Jake Gathje (7-36, TD rushing) helped as Lanesboro churned out 337 rushing yards.  Ben Snyder (sack, forced fumble, fumble recovery) was key defensively.   The Knights (1-5) were held without a first down until their final possession.  Lanesboro (6-1) won its sixth straight.

Burros Top Undermanned GM to Claim 9-Man Title

It was a 9-Man Section 1 final with an asterisk, a game very much affected by COVID.  Hosting #10 Lanesboro (2-seed, 6-1), Gary Sloan’s #1-ranked Grand Meadow squad (1-seed, 6-0) took the field missing nine upperclassmen (COVID tracing).  The list included starters and one-time All-District picks Dusty Copley, Ben Kraft, and Luke Speer plus Cameron Sneed and Blake Ludemann.  From Lanesboro’s side, they played the opponent who showed up.  A good game ensued nonetheless.  The Burros took their first possession 69 yards in 14 plays.  J.T. Rein’s 2-yard TD run (plus Seth Semmen’s pass to Ben Snyder) made it 8-0.  GM got momentum per a second quarter turnover, a fumble recovery in Burro territory.  Evan Oehlke and Taylor Glynn then connected on a 17-yard gain, then an 18-yard TD pass (on 4th and 16 no less).  Glynn made an excellent diving catch in the back of the end zone.  The conversion failed, leaving Lanesboro up 8-6, which stood as the halftime score.  In the third, the Burros struck again.  Again it was Rein.  The junior tailback went around right end and up the sideline for a 43-yard TD run.  Lanesboro again converted the two-point play (Semmen to Caden Anderson).  They took a two-possession lead, 16-6, with 3:07 left in the third.  But GM struck right back.  Starting with field position near the 50, Oehlke dashed 48 yards inside the 10.  Three plays later, Daniel Smith plunged in from three-yards out.  The PAT was blocked.  With 1:33 left in the third, Lanesboro led 16-12.  The Burros next drive then made GM’s three-yard-line, but was stopped on downs.  It set field position in the Burros favor for the final quarter.  The Lanesboro defense, led by 6’2” 225-pound Bodie Mayer, did the rest.  GM’s first fourth quarter possession was nearly a safety via Burro sack (Mayer included) at the 1-yard line.  GM’s second and final fourth quarter possession, late in the stanza, yielded a pair of first downs, including via pass interference that got the Larks to their 45 (2:32).  But Mayer then had two sacks.  In combo with an intentional grounding, GM faced a 4th and 34!  A deep pass fell incomplete with 2:08 left.  Lanesboro milked the clock, Rein putting an exclamation point with one final first down run.  James Semmen’s Burros grabbed their first 9-Man Section 1 trophy since 2010 by a final of 16-12!  Rein carried the load; 31 carries, 228 yards and 2 TDs.  He had 161 rushing yards in the second half (runs of 43 and 49).  Hayden Lawstuen (13-53 rushing) had hard runs between the tackles.  Mayer was in on four sacks (two solo, two assists).  GM was led by Oehlke (4-14, 78 yards, TD passing, 18-64 rushing) and Glynn (3-45, TD receiving).  Smith (9-18, TD rushing, 33-yard reception) helped.  It was the Burros (7-1) third win in nine days.  They won seven straight after a season-opening loss to L-O.  GM (6-1) sees its perfect season end at the hands of Lanesboro and COVID.  The Larks that took the field played valiantly, competing very short-handed in a hard-fought narrow loss.

Johnson, L-O Swamp Spring Grove for Third Place, 42-16

Spring Grove (4-seed, 5-2) could not contain LeRoy-Ostrander (3-seed, 4-2) junior quarterback Chase Johnson, who accounted for 491 yards of total offense in the Cardinals’ 42-16 win in the 9-man section third place game.  Johnson scored twice while rushing for 283 yards (22 carries) and threw for another two touchdowns while completing 13 of 23 passes for 208 yards (no interceptions) plus a two-point conversion.  Spring Grove’s attack was also balanced with 166 yards passing and 107 rushing, but not nearly as productive – outgained overall 569 yards to 273.  The Lions led 7-6 after answering the first L-O touchdown. But the Cardinals scored on each of their five first-half possessions, while the Lions scored twice and punted three times.  It was 36-14 at halftime.  The second half had big plays, but less scores.  Isaac Collier returned the second-half kickoff 39 yards to the Lion 35.  L-O reached the 12-yard line before being thwarted by their only turnover. Lion linebacker Hunter Holland picked up the fumble and sped 54 yards to the Cardinal 25. But a third-down interception by Collier ended that Lion threat.  After a failed fake-punt passing attempt, the Lions got the ball back at the L-O 12.  But SG’s best field position of the night would produce no points, running out of downs at the nine.  Later, the Lions’ longest gainer of the game, a 49-yard pass play, ended with a fumble at the Cardinal 3 yard-line.  The lone Lion score of the second half came with a safety when the Cardinal punter mishandled the snap in the end zone.  All four Spring Grove turnovers came after intermission. They prevented any miraculous comeback. The scoreboard deficit resulted from an explosive L-O attack, which produced eight plays covering 20 or more yards.  Cardinal scoring possessions covered 80, 79, 89, 72, 65, and 91 yards (the later the only after halftime).  By the time the SG defense was able to stop two fourth-down plays and force a field goal attempt and a punt (second half), the ultimate outcome had long been decided.  The scoring began with an 80-yard L-O drive and Collier carrying the final seven yards. The Lions came right back with a 63-yard drive, capped by a 29-yard TD run by Mitchell Reynolds. Isaac Griffin kicked SG ahead, 7-6.  But the Cards scored twice before Griffin hit Carson Gavin with a 40-yard TD pass to cut the L-O lead down to 22-14.  That would be the last Lion reply.  Johnson scored on 53 and 8-yard runs along with a 32-yard TD toss to Tristan Lewison and a 37-yard scoring aerial to Gavin Sweeney.  Sweeney finished with 5 catches for 120 yards, Lewison three for 60 yards. Collier rushed 15 times for 78 yards, including TD runs of 7 and 5 yards.  Peyton Roe ran in a 2-point conversion.  Andrew Lohuis added both a 2-point run and reception.  For SG, Griffin completed 15 of 32 passes for 166 yards. Gavin, at tight end, had a career night with 4 catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. Caden Grinde caught 5 for 41 yards. Reynolds accounted for 90 yards (79 rushing, 11 receiving). Gavin and Holland led Lion tacklers with 14 stops apiece.  In the highly competitive series, the Cards edged ahead with 14 wins to 13 for the Lions.  The Cardinals closed with a 5-2 record with the Lions finished at 5-3.