What an awesome game!!!
High school football fans were certainly treated to an exciting and entertaining game at Fulda’s Alex Fisher Field last Friday evening (September 7) when the visiting Red Rock Central Falcons locked horns with the first-year pairing of Heron Lake-Okabena and Fulda.
In a competitive contest, which featured lead swings and numerous big plays, the Coyotes earned their first-ever victory by coming up with a couple of clutch defensive stops in the fourth quarter.
The first big stop came after a pass interception by RRC with 9:46 remaining in the game had put the brakes on HL-O / Fulda’s fifth sustained drive of the game. Starting near their own goal line, the Falcons were unable to move against an inspired Coyote defense. Facing fourth down and nine from the three-yard line, RRC was forced to punt from the end zone.
The game’s momentum shifted back to HL-O / Fulda when junior defensive end Brandon Hinkeldey charged through and partially blocked the punt, which spun through the air just a short distance where it was caught by senior linebacker Levi Spittle who was tackled at the six-yard line.
Three players later, on third and goal from the one, Spittle followed senior right guard Dylan Nelson across the goal line, slicing RRC’s lead to 29-28 with 6:26 showing on the scoreboard.
The Coyotes needed a two-point conversion to reclaim the lead — after being ahead by scores of 6-0, 14-7 and 22-21 earlier in the game. On a well-executed reverse, Spittle dashed into the right corner of the end zone, picking up a key block from Hinkeldey to complete the play.
HL-O / Fulda was leading again, 30-29. But more than six minutes were left and it sure seemed like whoever had the ball last was likely going to score and win.
The Falcons had not passed much all night, but they moved the ball well on their final drive. A key tip by linebacker Andrew Madsen and near interception by safety Eli Becker created a fourth-and-six for RRC at its own 38-yard line. A 14-yard completion was followed by a nine-yard completion and the Falcons were driving towards the goal line. A nifty 19-yard run by quarterback Tavion Ryker gave the visitors another first down at the Coyote 21.
RRC has an exceptional place kicker in junior Jonah Hansen and it appeared that maybe the Falcons were positioning themselves for an attempt at a game-winning field goal.
The Coyotes, however, came up with another big-time defensive stop when junior cornerback Tyler Madison intercepted a Ryker pass along the HL-O / Fulda sideline at about the 12-yard line, thrilling the home-team crowd and giving the ball back to the black-clad Coyotes after about an eight-yard return.
The Falcons were called for a personal foul on the tackle and with 1:30 to play, it was HL-O / Fulda’s ball with 1:30 to play. Three straight runs to the right by Madsen gave the Coyotes a game-clinching first down and sophomore quarterback Eli Fest — who had been spectacular most of the night — took a knee twice and HL-O / Fulda improved to 1-1 on the young season.
During a stretch of the first half, Fest completed seven consecutive passes — throwing to multiple receivers (five players finished the game with at least three receptions). On the game’s opening drive, the Coyotes were twice faced with fourth-and-three situations. Both times, Fest completed a 14-yard pass (to Hinkeldey the first time and to sophomore tight end Zach Thier the second time) to keep the drive alive.
That 13-play, 65-yard drive — which chewed up the game’s first five minutes and 37 seconds — set the tone for what became one of the best high school football games I’ve ever seen.
Last year’s game between the Heron Lake-Okabena Wildcats and Fulda Raiders — on the same field — was a highly-competitive, exciting and entertaining contest, too. There were lots of big-time plays by both squads in that game before the Raiders emerged with a 36-26 victory.
This time, the Raiders and Wildcats were playing together as the Coyotes and the newly-created bond was certainly apparent in last Friday’s game which was chock full of excitement from beginning to end.
Rebels win girls team title at Tracy
With Morgan Gehl impressively winning another individual title, a balanced performance by the next four Rebel runners yielded a team victory for the Murray County Central / Fulda varsity girls cross country team at Tracy last Thursday, September 7.
Gehl, as she usually does, ran way at the front of the huge pack of 77 finishing runners, representing 16 teams. While getting that low number (1) is really a key factor, each of a team’s other scoring runners need to come through, too. That happened at Tracy, as eighth-grade twin sisters Ashley and Amanda Overgaauw, sophomore Josie Harms and freshman Ryanna Schreier all finished within nine places and 19 seconds of each other. That closely-bunched pack entered the chute in team places 12, 14, 15 and 16, which combined with Gehl’s first-place card gave the Rebels a winning point total of 58, nine better than second-place Canby / Minneota’s score of 67.
The Rebel boys have been displaying nearly that same kind of balance — but without the one real low number up front. At Tracy, Justin Clarke finished an impressive eighth, leading the Rebels to fourth-place total of 87 points, just three behind Canby / Minneota’s third-place tally of 84.
Adrian’s Moriah Bullerman continues to be among the front runners each meet as she leads the Dragon girls. She finished fifth at Tracy after placing ninth at Mountain Lake eight days earlier.
All three area cross country squads (Adrian, HL-O and MCC / Fulda) will compete at Worthington’s 13-Team Turkey Trot Invitational at the Prairie View Course, northwest of town, on Thursday, September 13.
