R-P, Chatfield, and Houston football teams each won in week seven, moving to 5-2 on the season.
Red Zone Efficiency, Wieser Propel R-P Over FC
The final tally was and 18-point R-P win over FC. But it could’ve been a closer contest between two county rivals on a cold, windy, and even snowy October night. Red zone efficiency was the stat of the game. The Trojans were 4 of 5 in the red zone, the Falcons 0 of 3. FC ran 12 plays with it first and goal, yielding one total yard. And R-P got a huge play from a rather huge individual, which swung momentum. In the second quarter, with the guest Trojans leading 12-7 and the Falcons trying to keep pace (ball on the R-P 29-yardline), a Zach Haugerud screen pass was intercepted by Ben Wieser. The 6’4” 275-pound DT promptly returned it 67 yards for a TD, giving R-P the 18-7 lead. The edge then never made single digits. FC missed a third quarter field goal that would’ve made it 18-10. R-P scored twice early in the fourth to stoke a 32-7 lead. The Trojans prevailed 32-14. Senior Triton Meldahl carried a huge load (36 carries, 239 yards, 2 TDs rushing). Sophomore QB Malachi Bunke authored two scores (7-10, 92 yards, 10-yard TD pass to Vinnie Mason; 2-yard TD run). Peyton Morrison (4-62) was R-P’s leading receiver. Meldahl’s topped 100 yards six weeks straight and is over 1,100 for the season. Bunke now has 15 TD passes versus just two interceptions. Junior speedster Carson Kiehne (4-168, 2 TDs receiving, 3-52 rushing) was huge for FC, accounting for both scores including TD catches of 41 and 87 yards. Four of his seven touches went for 29 or more yards. His six receiving TD’s this year have averaged 50.2 yards. Haugerud was 7 of 15 for 232 yards, 2 TDs, and 2 INTs. Total offense was close; RP 335 yards, FC 313 yards. R-P could run the ball though (248 yards to FC’s 77). R-P improves to 3-1, 5-2. FC falls to 2-2, 2-5.
Ben There, Scored That
Five TD games aren’t the most prevalent thing in the world. In 9-man football, where points can sometimes pile up, it happens from time-to-time. In a cross-district match-up with Madelia, Houston’s Ben Walters replicated a feat he performed earlier this season. His big effort helped Cody Hungerholt’s ‘Canes to another victory. Each team scored in every quarter. Houston led 16-8 after one, 24-14 at halftime, and 32-20 after three. They posted a 38-28 victory. Walters, who scored five TDs versus against L/P in September, did so again (23-178, 5 TDs rushing), scoring from 16, 20, 2, 14, and 20 yards. Wyatt Walters (14-103 rushing) also topped 100 yards on the ground. Mikkel Schutte (10-12, 154 passing) was efficient passing, Alex Van Gundy (6-94) and Caiden Olson (2-52) his favorite targets. Houston also registered a defensive safety. Madelia was led by dual threat QB Ethan Arndt (13-28, 186 yards, 3 TDs, INT passing, 22-95, TD rushing). Ja-Sean Glover (5-102, TD receiving) was his favorite target. Houston (4-2, 5-2) is amidst a muddled South-East race, where L-O (6-0, 7-0), GM (5-1, 6-1), Southland (5-1, 6-1), and SG (4-2, 5-2) also have 5-plus wins. It’s GM/Houston and SG/Southland in week 8.
Gophers Pitch Third Shut-out
It’s an odd juxtaposition. A year ago, Gopher senior defensive back Seth Allen had four interceptions versus St. Charles in a key Southeast-White contest game, won by Chatfield 22-6. The 2019 meeting between the two teams saw just seven total points scored. Reid Johnson’s second quarter 5-yard TD pass to Masyn Remme proved the rivalry’s only score, as Chatfield won its third straight 7-0. Jeff Johnson’s crew played without standout frosh tailback Sam Backer. Ben Roline (22-148 rushing) carried the load on the ground. Logan Wendt (19-106 rushing) topped 100 yard rushing for SC. The team’s combined for nearly as many punts (12) as first downs (14). Chatfield amassed 211 yards total offense while St. Charles was held to 123 yards. SC completed just one pass for -1 yards. It’s the third shut-out Chatfield’s defense has posted this season. It was a key win for 1AA seeding. The Gophers (3-2, 5-2), SC (4-2, 4-3), and Triton (3-2, 4-3) trail Caledonia (5-0, 7-0) in the Southeast-White.
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