Jake Mack scores four touchdowns...
Mounders continue winning streak with win over Colfax
By Marlys Kruger, Correspondent
Sunday, October 5, 2008 8:14 AM CDT
In a match up of Dunn-St.Croix football teams, Elk Mound can claim bragging rights within the county, with its win over Boyceville earlier in the season, and a big win over Colfax, 43-20, at home on Friday night.
The teams had different goals before the game started, with the Vikings (0-6) looking for an upset in hopes of earning their first win of the season. The Mounders, on the other hand, wanted to keep their winning streak going to help build some momentum as they head to Mondovi to play the conference-leading Buffalos on Thursday night.
In the end, four turnovers by the Vikings — three of which led to Mounder scores — solid running and solid defense by the Mounders helped Elk Mound pull away in the third quarter for the win, bringing its record to 4-2.
Colfax took the opening kickoff to its own 30 and moved the ball to the Mounders 45. But on third and one, the Vikings fumbled and Derek Susa recovered for Elk Mound at the 50 yard line. On first down, quarterback Dan Hayden threw a quick strike to Austin DeLong — good for 25 yards. Susa ran for another 10, and on third-and-goal from the six, Hayden hit Jake Mack for six points giving the Mounders their first points of the game. Hayden added the extra point kick, and Elk Mound had a 7-0 lead with 8:38 remaining in the quarter.
Colfax marched right back with Cory Klukas taking the kickoff to the Viking 35-yard line and, with power running by Klukas, Greg Christoffel, Jack Sampson and MJ Osterberg, an 18-yard pass to from Casey Peterson to Osterberg, and a 12 yarder to Christoffel, moved the ball to the Mounder 13. On second and three from the 13, Peterson hit Osterberg in the end zone for six. After Peterson’s extra point kick, the game was tied with 3:47 left in the first stanza.
The Mounders didn’t waste any time taking the lead back when Mack returned the kickoff to his own 35. After a 20 yard Hayden-to-Shane Grahs connection, Susa took the ball around the right side and scampered 46 yards to pay dirt. Hayden added the extra point, and the Mounders regained the lead with 2:33 on the clock.
Both defenses stiffened, and it looked like the Mounders would take their seven point lead into the half, when they were forced to punt on fourth down and 16. But the Vikings punt returner let the ball bounce off his chest and the Mounders recovered it on the Colfax 30-yard line with 1:44 on the clock. After two five-yard runs, Hayden ran the ball in from the 15, and followed with another extra-point kick, increasing the lead to 21-7 with just 56 seconds to go in the half. The Vikings couldn’t move the ball after the kickoff and Dakota Deleasky ended the half, sacking Peterson.
The start of the third quarter often dictates if a team can take charge of the game. The Vikings started it with an onside kick attempt, but the quick-reacting Mounders recovered the ball on their own 48. After two five-yard runs by Mack, Hayden fumbled the ball, and it was the Vikings turn to recover it. Running the ball seven plays in a row, including runs of 14 yards by Osterberg, 13 by Peterson and 15 by Sampson, Peterson scored on a one-yard plunge. The kick was botched, but the Vikings were down by only eight points at 21-13 with 6:51 left in the third quarter.
Nineteen seconds later, after Mack took the kickoff to the Mounder 32, he took the handoff from Hayden and burst around the right side for a 68-yard touchdown run. Hayden added his fourth extra-point kick, and the Mounders increased their lead to 28-13.
On the Vikings next possession, Peterson was intercepted by Susa who returned the ball to the Colfax 40. With Mack and Susa doing most of the damage on the ground, on a third-and-eight, Hayden connected again with Mack for a 29-yard gain to the 9-yard line. Mack gained six yards on the next play, and then took the ball in for his third score of the night with 3:09 to go in the quarter.
The Vikings’ woes continued on their next possession as they turned the ball over to Elk Mound on a fumble on first down. Starting in good field position again, Mack and Susa took turns running with Mack scoring again on a pitch from Hayden from the eight. Hayden’s perfect night of extra point kicks was halted on a bad snap, but things were going right for the home team as Ryan Grimm took the ball in for the two-point conversion, bringing the Mounders’ lead to 43-13 with 27 seconds still on the clock.
Elk Mound coach Dan Pedersen substituted frequently in the final stanza, and Colfax scored the only points of the quarter.
After recovering another Elk Mound fumble on the Mounder 28-yard line, Sampson rushed five times in a row, gaining five yards each time. Christoffel ran the ball for 18 yards to the one, and Sampson punched it in from there. Peterson kicked the extra point with 1:34 left in the game. The Vikings recovered an onside kick, and moved the ball to the Mounders 22-yard line with the big play being a 17-yard pass to Sampson. But with just four seconds left, Peterson was sacked to end the game.
Colfax coach John Dachel was pleased with the way his team moved the ball. “We had some good drives,” he said. “But we have to learn to hang on to the ball. We had too many turnovers and Elk Mound took advantage of them. They scored three times off of our turnovers. I’m proud of the team for playing hard all the way through the game.”
Pedersen thought the game would be a confidence builder for the Mounders as they head into some tough games down the road.
“Both teams ran hard tonight. We got some turnovers and turned them into points, but we had some ourselves that we need to avoid. We go to Mondovi on Thursday, and they are a big, physical team. We will need to hang onto the ball and keep working hard,” he said.
Colfax 7 0 6 7 — 20
Elk Mound 14 7 22 0 — 43
First quarter
EM - Mack — 6 pass from Hayden (Hayden kick) 8:38
COL — Osterberg 13 pass from Peterson (Peterson kick) 3:47
EM — Susa 46 run (Hayden kick) 2:33
Second quarter
EM — Hayden 15 run (Hayden kick) :56
Third quarter
COL — Peterson 1 run (kick failed) 6:51
EM — Mack 65 run (Hayden kick) 6:32
EM — Mack 2 run (Hayden kick) 3:04
EM — Mack 8 run (Grimm run) :27
Fourth quarter
COL — Sampson 1 run (Peterson kick) 1:34
Rushing
Elk Mound 33-273
Susa 12-137, Mack 8-108, Derek Krumrie 2-20, Hayden 7-8, Coobvam Lor 2-3, John Klemp (-1) Jeremie Solum 1 (-2)
Colfax-51-206
Sampson 12-81, Osterberg 14-61, Peterson 18-41, Christoffel 6-22, Klukas 1 (-1)
Passing
EM — Hayden 6-13 83
COL — Peterson 5-17 84
Receiving
EM Mack 3-35, DeLong 2-28, Gratis 1 -20
COL — Osterberg 3-54, Christoffel 1-13, Sampson 1-17 |
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