There was plenty of excitement in the crisp late-summer air last Thursday evening (August 29) as the first high school football game of the 2019 season unfolded at Fulda’s Alex Fisher Field.
The visiting Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots, widely regarded as one of the better 9-Man teams in Minnesota, displayed a variety of speed and strength in powering their way to a 58-22 victory over the Coyotes, who represent the second-year pairing arrangement of Heron Lake-Okabena and Fulda.
The Coyotes had their share of highlights, including a dazzling 89-yard kickoff return for a touchdown by fleet-footed junior running back Matt Madsen, who entered the end zone with 1:27 remaining in the first quarter. Madsen fielded the kick at the Coyote 11-yard line — following H-BC’s second scoring drive of the game — streaked down the right sideline, cutback to his left and outraced all of the Patriot defenders the rest of the way, scoring HL-O / Fulda’s first six points of the season.
The passing combination of junior quarterback Eli Fest to senior wide receiver Tyler Madison connected on a slant play for the two-point conversion and the score was 14-8 as the Coyotes had received a huge momentum boost.
Those two plays were followed by the successful execution of an onside kick — booted by junior kicker / two-way starting lineman Brandon Clausen and recovered by sophomore back Dominic White. That play gave the football right back to the Coyotes at the Patriot 45-yard line.
The Patriots, however, held tough on defense and soon, after the first quarter ended, had the ball back. H-BC claimed a 22-8 lead when quarterback Gavin Wysong hooked up with a wide-open Zander Wysong for the Patriots third touchdown of the night with 9:07 to play in the first half.
H-BC scored its first touchdown early in the game (10:17 left in the opening quarter) when Tyson Bork capped a two-play drive with a 17-yard scoring burst. The Patriots had stopped the Coyotes on a fourth-and-four situation in HL-O / Fulda territory and started their initial offensive series in great field position.
H-BC’s second touchdown came on their third possession when Gavin Wysong’s eight-yard run completed a hard-running drive by the Patriots, who also tacked on a two-point conversion and posted a 14-0 lead before Madsen’s kickoff return sparked a brief Coyote rally.
“We had our moments, several bright spots,” summed up HL-O / Fulda co-head coach and offensive coordinator Jonathon Curry. “I think that this game was a really good measuring stick for us a team. We showed marked improvement compared to past years, but the result still showed the growth we need to compete with a team as quality as H-BC.”
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