Category: Sports

By Les Knutson Sports Reporter HL-O/Fulda scores first and last on Homecoming clash at Alex Fisher Field Competing well from start to finish, the Heron Lake-Okabena / Fulda Coyotes provided plenty of entertainment for high school football fans Friday evening (October 5) in Fulda’s Homecoming Game at Alex Fisher Field. The Coyotes scored first and last in the competitive clash, but the visiting Russell-Tyler-Ruthton Knights put up 45 points between those two HL-O / Fulda touchdowns and left the field with a 45-24 victory. “We got off to a great start, stopping them on an interception by Eli Becker and then driving the ball right down the field and punching it in on a touchdown run by Matt Madsen,” exclaimed HL-O / F co-head coach Jonathon Curry. “Unfortunately, they went on a long touchdown drive and made some good adjustments which allowed them to take the momentum back. We responded well just before halftime and started strong again in the third quarter, keeping the game competitive and the score within reach.” The Coyotes scored a touchdown in each quarter and finished with 271 yards of offense (141 on the ground and 130 through the air). HL-O / F played without all-around senior leader Levi Spittle (running back and linebacker) who was sidelined with a concussion sustained the previous week against Hills-Beaver Creek. One of the team’s captains and most valuable contributors, Spittle was not yet cleared to play in Friday’s Homecoming Game. After Becker’s pass interception, HL-O / F — for the third time this season — scored on its first offensive series. Capping the drive was sophomore running back Matt Madsen who burst across the goal line on a seven-yard run, giving the Coyotes a quick 6-0 lead. The two-point conversion try was stopped by the Knights and R-T-R tied the score at 6-6 with a 23-yard TD pass from Cooper Hansen to Payton Hess. The Knights then rattled off the next 29 points, staking themselves to a 35-6 lead before the Coyotes scored just before halftime on a three-yard touchdown run by sophomore quarterback Eli Fest, which was set up by a dazzling 58-yard halfback pass play from Fest to junior Tyler Madison to Matt Madsen. “That double pass was well-executed,” praised Curry. “We needed to make something positive happen and that play gave us a spark.” The Coyotes carried that momentum into the third quarter, sustaining another nifty drive and capped the march with another short (two yards) touchdown run from Fest, slicing R-T-R’s lead to 35-18. That was as close as HL-O / F would get, as the Knights responded with a scoring drive of their own. Cooper Hansen’s 28-yard TD strike to twin brother Carter Hansen put the finishing touches on the game-clinching march and the extra-point kick by Hess made the score 42-18 as the third quarter came to an end. Hess kicked a 21-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter, increasing the lead to 45-18. The Coyotes got on the board one last time when junior fullback Dylan Johanning rambled for an 11-yard touchdown burst. For the fourth straight time, HL-O / F was unable to make its two-point conversion attempt and the score remained 45-24 until the final horn sounded. “This was a good 9-Man game with a lot of scoring and big plays,” summed up Curry. “Unfortunately, we were never able to get within arm’s length of R-T-R and they held us off. We are looking forward to this week and the long trip to MACCRAY (at Maynard) as we seek a chance to get back in the win column.” R-T-R improved to 5-1 for the season with the win as Cooper Hansen tossed four touchdown passes (two each to Hess and Carter Hansen) and ran for two first-half TDs — the first from 49 yards out and the second from the four-yard line. Following his two rushing touchdowns, Cooper completed a six-yard TD pass to Hess and completed the first-half scoring barrage with a 79-yard pass play to Carter. Seven Coyotes credited with at least eight tackles; Madsen brothers rush for 69 yards Defensively, seven Coyotes were involved in 63 total tackles in the game, as senior linebacker Andrew Madsen (eight solo tackles) and sophomore linebacker Zach Thier (one solo) were each credited with a total of 10 stops. Linebacker Matt Madsen (four solo), junior lineman Joe Fischer (two solo) and cornerback Tyler Madison (two solo) all were in on nine tackles for the Wildcats, while senior defensive end Gabe Spittle (four solo) and junior defensive end Brandon Hinkeldey (two solo) were both credited with eight total tackles. Others making tackles included Becker (five, two solo), Ethan Koep (five, one solo), Fest (four, three solo), Brandon Clausen (three), Johanning (two, one solo), Brayden Peil (two, one solo), Dominic White (two, one solo), Drystan Freking (two), Carlos Juarez (two), Trevor King (two), Logan Erdman (one solo),Dylan Nelson (one), Christian Juarez (one) and Ryder Henning (one) as a total of 21 Coyotes had tackles in the game. Fest, who also intercepted a pass, completed nine-of-20 throws for 72 yards, while Madison was one-of-one for 58 yards. Five different players had pass receptions, including three catches each by Thier (23 yards) and Madison (20 yards). Hinkeldey caught two passes for 17 yards, while Matt Madsen had a 58-yard gain on one catch and Becker caught one pass for 12 yards, setting up the Coyotes’ third touchdown. On the ground, Fest churned out a team-leading 51 yards on 12 carries, while Matt Madsen rushed seven times for 38 yards and Andrew Madsen picked up 31 yard on nine attempts. Madison carried three times for 12 yards and Johanning had one rush for an 11-yard touchdown. White returned three kicks for a total of 50 yards, Matt Madsen had two returns for 50 yards (giving him a total of 146 all-purpose yards in the game), Becker returned one kick for 20 yards and freshman Cody Hennings had a six-yard kick return. Madison punted four times in the contest for 143 yards, averaging 35.8 yard per punt. Now sporting a 2-4 overall record, the Coyotes travel north to Maynard (located on Highway 23, northeast of Granite Falls) Friday for a game against the winless (0-6) MACCRAY Wolverines, who represent the communities of Maynard, Clara City and Raymond. MACCRAY has lost to Mountain Lake (70-14), Westbrook-Walnut Grove (50-30), Renville County West (49-12), Red Rock Central (41-26), R-T-R (34-0) and Cedar Mountain / Comfrey (55-20). There are seven seniors, but just four juniors on MACCRAY’s varsity roster. Knights 14 21 7 3 = 45 Coyotes 6 6 6 6 = 24

By Les Knutson Sports Reporter HL-O/Fulda scores first and last on Homecoming clash at Alex…