Luverne tailback Tyler Elbers picks up some rushing yardage during Friday’s homecoming football game against Vermillion, S.D. Elbers ran for 44 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winning score in overtime, to help the Cardinals post a 13-6 victory.By John RittenhouseTyler Elbers’ second five-yard touchdown run of the night gave the Luverne Cardinals and their fans a homecoming win they will never forget.Moments after the Luverne defense pleased the faithful fans by stopping Vermillion (S.D.) without yielding any points in overtime, Elbers electrified the crowd with a five-yard scamper that gave the Cardinals a 13-6 victory Friday.The win was Luverne’s second straight and third consecutive home victory of the season.The 3-2 Cardinals will try to collect their first road win of the campaign when they travel to Marshall Friday for a Southwest Conference clash.No matter what happens in Marshall, it would be hard to match the excitement Luverne and Vermillion provided during Friday’s game at Cardinal Field.The first meeting between the teams was a classic match-up of evenly matched squads that couldn’t settle the issue in regulation play.Luverne drew first blood in the game by taking advantage of a Vermillion turnover to gain a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.Vermillion, however, kept the Cardinals out of the end zone during the final three quarters and knotted the score with a third-quarter touchdown.A big play of the game came early in the first quarter, when Vermillion’s opening possession ended with a fumble after six plays.Luverne’s Jose Saravia recovered the loose ball, setting up a nine-play, 48-yard drive capped by a five-yard dash by Elbers with 4:54 remaining in the opening stanza. Adam Kurtz added the extra point to make it 7-0.Luverne’s first drive was balanced. Quarterback Andy Stegemann completed two passes for 17 yards, and Elbers ran four times for 21 yards to highlight the advance.The Cardinals had a chance to pad their lead when Nick Heronimus picked off a pass to end Vermillion’s second possession, but LHS was unable to cash in on the mistake.Luverne moved the ball to Vermillion’s 17-yard line in six plays, but two incomplete passes ended the series on downs.Vermillion had the last scoring opportunity of the first half.The visitors advanced the ball to the LHS seven-yard line with six seconds remaining in the second quarter, but a pass for the end zone was broken up by Heronimus as time ran out.Vermillion didn’t waste any time tying the game in the second half.After forcing the Cards to punt early in the third quarter, Vermillion marched 80 yards with 11 plays during a drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown run with 3:19 remaining in the third quarter. A successful extra point tied the game at seven.Key defensive lapses by LHS kept the game-tying drive alive. Vermillion faced third-and-long situations three times during the possession, and it was able to convert all three into first downs.The momentum stayed with the visitors when a Stegemann pass was intercepted on the second play of Luverne’s next possession.Vermillion proceeded to move the ball to the LHS 10, where it faced a fourth-and-nine situation. An attempted field goal was blocked by Luverne’s Brad Herman, ending the threat with 7:51 left in the fourth quarter.The teams exchanged possessions as the fourth quarter progressed, with Luverne getting the ball on its own 40 at the 1:54 mark of the period. An eight-yard run by Elbers, two pass receptions for 18 yards by Ben Cornish and a key roughing the passer penalty on Vermillion gave the Cardinals an opportunity to attempt a long field goal with six seconds remaining, but the kick failed.Vermillion received the first possession in overtime and moved the ball to the one-yard line in three plays. The visitors tried to run again on fourth down, but Luverne’s defense stopped the attempt short of the end zone.Elbers turned into the focal point during Luverne’s opening possession in overtime.After runs of two and three yards to the left, Elbers ran a sweep to the right and ended the game with a five-yard touchdown run.The victory gave the Cardinals back-to-back wins for the first time since the 2001 season. Luverne completes non-conference play with a 1-1 record.Team statisticsLuverne: 100 rushing yards, 56 passing yards, 156 total yards, nine first downs, four penalties, one turnover.Vermillion: 142 rushing yards, 91 passing yards, 233 total yards, 13 first downs, four penalties, two turnovers.Individual statisticsRushing: Elbers 17-44, Mark Remme 3-23, Herman 4-17, Stegemann 4-18.Passing: Stegemann 6-9 for 56 yards.Receiving: Cornish 3-29, Elbers 1-11, Scott Pick 1-6, Jared Pick 1-10.Defense: Saravia one fumble recovery, Heronimus one interception, Tony Willers one sack, Herman one sack and one blocked kick.
