NRHEG to host Medford in section opener
TWO-TOUCHDOWN NIGHT — The Panthers’ Kordell Schlaak (1) braces for contact with Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial defender Evan Mann at Lake Crystal on Wednesday, Oct. 17. Schlaak scored two touchdowns. (Star Eagle photo by Chris Schlaak)
By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher
If anyone wanted to see the NRHEG Panthers play a perfect football game, they should have been at Lake Crystal last week.
The Panthers performed to near perfection, according to first-year head coach Marc Kruger, building a 43-0 halftime lead on their way to a 63-7 victory over Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Wednesday, Oct. 17. It ended NRHEG's regular season at a more than respectable 6-2 overall and 6-1 in the South Central District Blue Division, good for second place. LCWM fell to 3-5 and 3-4. The playoffs start Tuesday.
The Panthers dominated in every aspect, intercepting three passes and taking one for a touchdown, and holding the Knights to negative yardage rushing. They outgained the home team 381-105 in total yards, averaging 7.5 yards per play to the Knights' 2.1. NRHEG had only one penalty and two turnovers.
"This was as close to a perfect game as we could play," said Kruger.
The Panthers scored early and often.
Sawyer VanMaldeghem got them off and running, literally, rushing for 50 yards for NRHEG's first touchdown. Ben Schoenrock kicked the PAT.
They then turned to the pass, with Blake Ihrke throwing for touchdowns of 15 and 37 yards to Lonnie Wilson. Schoenrock's kicks left it 21-0 after one quarter.
Jacob Schuller took over in the second. First, he intercepted a pass and returned it 8 yards for a touchdown. Then he scored on an 8-yard reception from fellow receiver Brady Agrimson.
Kordell Schlaak scored from 10 yards out and added a two-point conversion to make it 43-0 at intermission.
The Panthers picked up where they left off in the third quarter, Tyler Jacobson scoring on a 5-yard run.
LCWM got on the scoreboard with a 10-yard pass from Ben Graupman to Logan Bode, but the Panthers scored again in the third on a 63-yard pass from Ihrke to Schuller.
NRHEG's final score came early in the fourth quarter on a 10-yard run by Schlaak. Reserves played the rest of the way.
Ihrke finished 7-for-12 passing for 166 yards and one interception.
"Blake was phenomenal moving the ball," said Kruger.
Agrimson caught two passes for 79 yards, Schuller two for 71 and Wilson three for 56.
Sawyer VanMeldeghem was the leading rusher with 90 yards on nine carries. Jacobson ran six times for 33 yards.
"Brady, Jacob, Lonnie and Sawyer all had a great game," said Kruger.
The Panthers were stifling on defense, according to Kruger, with interceptions, sacks, quarterback pressures and blocked punts. Alex Buckmeier, Quentin Arndt and Hunter Knutson led the way.
"They had no answer for those guys," said Kruger. "They were in the backfield all night. Brady has put together a great string of games on the defensive side of the ball. It is always nice to end a game by putting in the younger players because of a big lead."
The Panthers drew the No. 2 seed in Section 2AA, behind WEM, which hosted No. 8 Blue Earth Area on Tuesday. The Panthers play No. 7 seed Medford (4-4) and if they win, they host No. 3 Maple River or No. 6 LeSueur-Henderson Saturday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m. The section title game is Friday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. at Janesville.
NRHEG 21 22 14 6 - 63
LCWM 0 0 7 0 - 7
First Quarter
NRHEG - VanMaldeghem 50 run (Schoenrock kick)
NRHEG - Wilson 15 pass from Ihrke (Schoenrock kick)
NRHEG - Wilson 37 pass from Ihrke (Schoenrock kick)
Second Quarter
NRHEG - Schuller 8 interception return (Schoenrock kick)
NRHEG - Schuller 8 pass from Agrimson (Schoenrock kick)
NRHEG - Schlaak 10 run (Schlaak run)
Third Quarter
NRHEG - Jacobson 5 run (Schoenrock kick)
LCWM - Bode 10 pass from Graupman (Shelton kick)
NRHEG - Schuller 63 pass from Ihrke (Schoenrock kick)
Fourth Quarter
NRHEG - Schlaak 10 run (kick failed)
NRHEG LCWM
First downs 18 8
Total plays 51 51
Rushing 31-156 28 -12
Passing 11-20-0 12-23-3
Passing Yds. 225 117
Total yards 381 105
Fumbles-lost 2-1 0-0
Penalties 1-10 2-10
Turnovers 3 1
Third down 1-10 2-10
Fourth down 9-14 3-14
Time of poss. 22:59 24:14
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing - NRHEG: VanMaldeghem 9-90; Jacobson 6-33; Schlaak 5-16; Staloch 2-11; Reich 2-8; Ihrke 2-6; Petsinger 1-1; Reyna 1 -1; Beauvais 2 -3; Wilson 1 -5; LCWM Mann 2-13; Ludeman 3-9; Pitts 5-5; Hohenstein 3-3; Jones 2-0; Graupman 13 -42
Passing - NRHEG: Ihrke 7-12-1, 166; Schlaak 2-4-0, 37; Peterson 1-2-0, 14; Agrimson 1-2-0, 8; LCWM: Graupman 11-20-3, 115; Mann 1-3-0, 2
Receiving - Agrimson 2-79; Schuller 2-71; Wilson 3-56; Rerber 1-14; Gushwa 1-14; Jacobson 1 -4; Reich 1 -5; LCWM: Pitts 6-76; Bode 2-21; Lantz 2-17; Johnson 1-2; Graham 1-1
Tackles - Jacobson 8; Buckmeier 7, 1 sack; Agrimson 6; Reich 6, 1 forced fumble; Wilson 5; Hogstad 5; Arndt 5, 2 sacks; Schuller 4, 1 interception; VanMaldeghem 3, 1 interception; Schoenrock 2; Staloch 2; Routh 2; Seltun 2; Knutson 2, 2 blocked punts, 1 sack; Reyna 1; Gushwa 1; Schlaak 1, 1 sack; Beauvais 1
South Central Blue District
2018 Final Standings
Conf. Ov.
WEM 7-0 7-1
NRHEG 6-1 6-2
Maple River 5-2 6-
LeSueur-Henderson 3-4 4-4
Lake Crystal-WM 3-4 3-5
GFW 3-4 4-4
Norwood-YA 1-6 1-7
Sibley East 0-7 0-8
Wed. Oct. 17 results
NRHEG 63, LCWM 7
WEM 61, Sibley East 6
Maple River 50, LeSueur-Henderson 14
GFW 36, Norwood-Young America 28
End regular season
Tuesday, Oct. 23
Playoffs begin