by Les Knutson – Sports Reporter
Playing on the home field on Friday, the 13th, the Fulda High School varsity football team made things exciting for Raider fans with a gallant fourth-quarter comeback against the visiting MACCRAY Wolverines.
Trailing 37-8 when the final 12 minutes began, Fulda responded with four touchdown drives, including a pair of successful two-point conversions, but came up a mere point short in a 37-36 loss.
MACCRAY, which is an acronym for the three communities, along Highway 23 (between Granites Falls and Willmar) which it serves — Maynard, Clara City and Raymond —- built its lead by scoring 24 points in the second quarter.
The Wolverines scored first in the game on a 10-yard run and extra-point kick.
Fulda countered with an 11-yard touchdown pass from Levi Spittle to Christian Goedtke and took an 8-7 first-quarter lead with a two-point conversion pass from Spittle to Noah Salentiny.
MACCRAY, however, dominated the second quarter and the visitors held a 31-8 advantage at the half.
A defensive-oriented third quarter followed, in which the Wolverines scored one touchdown, but the Raiders stopped the two-point try and the score was at 37-8 as the fourth quarter began.
Spittle, Gehl spark fourth-quarter fireworks
Fulda began the fourth quarter by completing a nice drive, capped by an eight-yard touchdown pass from Spittle to Salentiny, slicing the gap to 37-14.
On Fulda’s next offensive series, Leighton Gehl ripped off a 74-yard touchdown run and Spittle ran for two, which made the score 37-22.
The Raiders comeback continued with a 46-yard TD run by Spittle, who finished the game with 276 yards of total offense — 104 rushing on 20 carries and 172 yards passing on 10 completions (20 throws). Spittle ran for two touchdowns, passed for two touchdowns, passed for a pair of two-point conversions and ran for a two-pointer as he was involved in the scoring on 30 of Fulda’s 36 points.
Still trailing 37-28, Fulda scored again — this time on Spittle’s five-yard run followed by a two-point conversion pass from Spittle to Dalton Slinger.
Time ran out, however, on the Raiders as the Wolverines (2-5) won their second consecutive game.
“It was a great comeback,” summed up FHS head football coach Jonathon Curry. “I was extremely proud of our players for the way they battled their tails off to the very end. I have to give them a ton of credit for never giving up.”
Thier, Slinger
lead Raiders on defense
While Spittle and the offense were racking up fourth-quarter points, several defensive stands by the Raiders made it possible for Fulda to keep getting the ball back.
