NRHEG wins first-ever section football crown
By JIM LUTGENS
Publisher
Some folks may have been concerned about the NRHEG High School football team's rematch with arch rival Waterville-Elysian-Morristown.
After all, the last time the teams met, it was the Panthers' homecoming and they fumbled early and often, fell behind big and were never in it in a 48-6 setback.
The second time around couldn't have been more different. But the Panthers didn't need turnovers. They did it the old-fashioned way, beating the Bucs at the line of scrimmage - though they did have some turnovers.
The Panthers played without question their best game of the season so far while annihilating WEM 46-6 for the Section 2AA championship at Janesville Friday, Nov. 2.
"First off, I just want to say how proud I am of these boys, and how grateful I am to be their coach," said first-year NRHEG head coach Marc Kruger. "I told them before the game how much I love them and how happy I am to be a Panther."
The Panthers, who improved their record to 9-2, will face Section 1AA champion Caldedonia Friday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at Burnsville High School. The winner of that game plays in the state semifinals against Pillager or Paynesville Area Thursday, Nov. 15 at 7 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. The Class AA state championship game is Friday, Nov. 23 at 1 p.m. at U.S. Bank Stadium. WEM finished with a 9-2 record, having only lost to the Panthers and in the season opener to a Redwood Valley team that was still undefeated as of last Friday.
At JWP High School the Panthers moved the ball seemingly at will, scoring on the second play from scrimmage and leading 20-0 after one quarter and 33-0 at halftime. And the defense also came up big again, pressuring the quarterback all night while shutting down the ground game of the Bucs, who played without three injured starters. Alex Buckmeier led the way with two sacks and two tackles for losses.
How dominant was the defense? The Panthers held the Bucs, who totaled more than 400 yards two weeks earlier, to 46 yards passing and 139 total yards. WEM converted only one of 11 third-down tries and had only seven first downs for the game.
Junior quarterback Blake Ihrke had a career night for the Panthers, throwing six touchdown passes while compiling 340 yards passing. It is not known if the six touchdown passes is a school record, but it probably is. Lonnie Wilson totaled 155 yards on four receptions while Brady Agrimson caught six balls for 123 yards. Both scored two touchdowns. The Panthers amassed 469 yards and 20 first downs while completely controlling the action.
How did the Panthers turn it around so dramatically against WEM?
"Each week I do a scouting report and like to give it a title," said Kruger. "This week's was 'Fix it.' We felt the first time we played WEM we were not one percent of the team we know we can be. We wanted to go out and prove the skill that is on this team and I think we did a good job of that. I really thought we had a chance to hurt them in the air, and our passing game never looked better. It is not often that a small-town high school quarterback throws for 340 yards and six touchdowns. Blake was so impressive. The receivers did a great job as well. Lonnie, Jacob (Schuller), Sawyer (VanMaldeghem) and Brady all deserve credit. Once we got rolling, there was really no looking back and it was easy to start hanging up the points. As always, it is such a great feeling having your JV players in the game."
The Bucs won the opening toss and deferred to the second half, a decision they would quickly regret.
Ihrke and Agrimson hooked up for 18 yards on first down, and on the next play Kordell Schlaak took the snap, cut to his right and raced 48 yards for a touchdown. The PAT kick missed but the Panthers led 6-0 just 32 seconds in.
WEM proceeded to fumble on its first play. The Bucs recovered but lost five yards. The drive ended two plays later with a punt.
After a Panther fumble, the Bucs ran three plays, totaling negative yardage, before punting.
On first down and 5, Ihrke hit Agrimson on a crossing pattern and the talented senior took it 32 yards for a score. The PAT kick was blocked.
After another three and out for the Bucs, the Panthers covered 48 yards in six plays, the last 8 coming on an Ihrke pass to Schuller. The key play in the drive was a 35-yard pass to Wilson, who came back to make the catch despite strong defense. He also ran for the PAT and NRHEG was up 20-0 after one quarter.
Yes, there was another three and out for WEM, but this time it didn't end on a punt, but with a third-down interception by Reich.
A holding penalty negated a 32-yard touchdown pass to Wilson and the Panthers punted for the first time.
The defense again shut down WEM after three plays, and the offense needed only two plays to light up the scoreboard again. This time Ihrke and Wilson connected on an 86-yard touchdown pass, Wilson turning around the defender and catching a beautifully thrown ball at about midfield before sprinting to the end zone. A two-point conversion try failed.
The Bucs finally registered their first first down of the night before being stopped on fourth and 2 inside NRHEG territory.
The Panthers' offensive onslaught continued as they covered 57 yards in six plays, the final 9 coming on an Ihrke pass to Agrimson. Ihrke and Wilson hooked up for 21 yards on the drive. Ben Schoenrock's PAT kick made it 33-0.
The Panthers knocked on the door in the waning moments of the first half but did not find the end zone.
The Bucs started the second half with their best offensive movement of the night so far but, alas, that drive ended with a fumble after only five plays as the Panthers recovered and returned it to their own 25.
Facing fourth and 14 from the WEM 36, Ihrke lofted a 16-yard pass to Schuller, providing the key play in a 75-yard drive culuminating with an 17-yard pass to Wilson, leaving it 40-0.
Nick Staloch made a big hit on the ensuing kickoff, resulting in a fumble, and the Panthers took over on their own 35.
On the seventh play of the drive and the first play of the fourth period, Ihrke hit Schuller from 21 yards out for his sixth touchdown pass of the night.
Wilson intercepted a pass to stop WEM's next drive. Ihrke then threw his second interception of the night.
Kruger put in his reserves about midway through the fourth and the Bucs finally scored with 3:40 remaining.
It was shortly after that when Kruger got his Gatorade shower, and shortly after that when the NRHEG players and fans celebrated their first ever section crown.
"Against Sibley East when I got my first career win the boys talked about doing the Gatorade bath, but they were worried as to the 'punishment' that would accompany it," said Kruger. "I promised a group of them there, that if they were getting a trophy, and only then, is a Gatorade bath acceptable. I had a feeling it was coming. I was even prepared to the extent of bringing a change of clothes. It is odd to say it feels great to have a bucket of water dumped on you in November, but it really does."
NRHEG 20 13 7 6 - 46
WEM 0 0 0 6 - 6
First Quarter
NRHEG - Schlaak 48 run (kick failed)
NRHEG - Agrimson 32 pass from Ihrke (kick blocked)
NRHEG - Schuller 8 pass from Ihrke (Wilson run)
Second Quarter
NRHEG - Wilson 86 pass from Ihrke (run failed)
NRHEG - Agrimson 9 pass from Ihrke (Schoenrock kick)
Third Quarter
NRHEG - Wilson 17 pass from Ihrke (Schoenrock kick)
Fourth Quarter
NRHEG - Schuller 21 pass from Ihrke (kick failed)
WEM - Melchert 11 run (run failed)
NRHEG WEM
First downs 20 7
Total plays 63 48
Rushing 38-129 29-104
Passing 15-25-2 8-19-3
Passing Yds. 340 46
Total yards 469 139
Fumbles-lost 1-1 3-2
Penalties 4-25 5-35
Turnovers 3 5
Third down 7-15 1-11
Fourth down 3-3 0-4
Time of poss. 24:54 23:06
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing - NRHEG: Schlaak 7-58; VanMaldeghem 8-46; Jacobson 5-38; Peterson 1-8; Wilson 3-5; Olson 1-5; Reich 2-3; Staloch 1-3; T.Wilson 1-2; Petsinger 1-1; Beauvais 1-0; Ihrke 7 -40; WEM: Melchert 20-98McBroom 7-3; Wetzel 1-3
Passing - NRHEG: Ihrke 15-24-2, 340; Schlaak 0-1-0, 0; WEM: McBroom 8-18-3, 35; Ranslow 0-1-0, 0
Receiving - NRHEG: Wilson 4-165; Agrimson 6-123; Schuller 4-58; VanMeldeghem 1-4; WEM: LeMieux 2-18; Ranslow 4-9; VanHoudt 2-7
Tackles - Jacobson 8; Buckmeier 5, 2 sacks; Staloch 5, 1 forced fumble; Agrimson 5; Reich 4, 1 interception; Tufte 4; Arndt 3, 1 sack; Wilson 3; VanMaldeghem 3; Knutson 2; Reyna 2; Buendorf 2; Gushwa 1; Schuller 1, 1 interception; Beauvais 1; Routh 1; Seltun 1; Howieson 1; Petsinger 1