The NRHEG High School football team opened postseason play on a positive note, defeating visiting Medford 42-20 Tuesday, Oct. 23.
The Panthers, seeded No. 2 in Section 2AA, advanced to the section semifinals Saturday, Oct. 27 at 2 p.m., when they’ll host No. 6 seed LeSueur-Henderson (4-4), which upset third-seeded Maple River 19-14 in the opening round. The section title game is Friday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. at JWP High School.
As they have done so many times this season, the Panthers manhandled their opponent Tuesday, holding Medford to 126 total yards and giving up only one third-down conversion in 14 tries. NRHEG improved its record to 7-2.
The game did not go exactly as planned for the Panthers, however. They overcame four turnovers.
"It is not often that a team turns the ball over four times and can come away with a win, so credit the boys with that," said Panthers coach Marc Kruger. "As the game went on we did a good job of adjusting and figuring Medford out. Ending 42-20 makes it feel like a bigger when than it was. The Tigers played a good game. This is something we will need to expect the rest of the year too as now every game we play will be someone's last."
The Panthers took a 13-0 lead as Kordell Schlaak scored on a 7-yard run and Brady Agrimson caught a 15-yard pass from Blake Ihrke in the first quarter, but Medford pulled within 21-14 at halftime.
The Tigers took a brief lead with a third-quarter score, but the Tigers put it away as Sawyer VanMaldeghem ran 83 yards for a touchdown and Lonnie Wilson caught a 60-yard scoring pass from Ihrke. VanMeldeghem, who finished with 204 yards rushing on 14 carries, added a 30-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Ihrke finished 4-for-14 passing for 163 yards with one interception. Agrimson caught two passes for 64 yards
Alex Buckmeier was the Panthers' leading tackler with seven.
M 8 6 6 0 - 20
NRHEG 13 8 15 6 - 42
Scoring
First Quarter
NRHEG – Schlaak 7 run (Schoenrock kick)
NRHEG – Agrimson 15 pass from Ihrke (kick blocked)
M – VonRoden 2 run (Hermanstorfer pass from VonRuden)
Second Quarter
M – VonRuden 18 run (pass failed)
Third Quarter
M – Federly 14 pass from VonRuden (Barbeau pass from VonRuden)
NRHEG – VanMaldeghem 83 run (Schlaak run)
NRHEG – Wilson 60 pass from Ihrke (Schoenrock kick)
Fourth Quarter
NRHEG – VanMaldeghem 30 run (kick failed)
M NRHEG
First downs 23 16
Total plays 63 49
Rushing 44-106 35-265
Passing 8-19-1 4-14-1
Passing Yds. 20 163
Total yards 126 428
Fumbles-lost 1-1 3-3
Penalties 1-15 4-35
Turnovers 2 4
Third down 1-14 2-7
Fourth down 1-1 0-1
Time of poss. 27:06 20:54
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing - NRHEG: VanMaldeghem 13-204; Jacobson 7-46; Schlaak 3-31; Peterson 2-7; Wilson 2-4; Petsinger 2-3; Beauvais 2 -3; Ihrke 4 -27; M: VonRoden 31-99; Federly 4-11; Chavis 3-1; Hermanstorfer 2-2; List 4 -3
Passing - NRHEG: Ihrke 4-14-1, 163; M: VonRuden 8-18-1, 20; Hermanstorfer 0-1-1, 0
Receiving - Agrimson 2-64; Wilson 1-60; Schuller 1-39; M: Federly 4-17; List 2-4; Barbeau 1-0; Chavis 1 -1
Tackles - NRHEG: Buckmeier 7, 1 assisted sack; VanMaldeghem 7; Reich 6; Arndt 5, 1 assisted sack; Staloch 5, 1 assisted sack; Knutson 5; Wilson 3, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery; Schlaak 3; Buendorf 3; Tufte 3; Schuller 2, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception; Jacobson 2; Agrimson 2; Schoenrock 1; Routh 1