Adrian senior tailback Dusty Henning eludes Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin defender Kody Karschnik during Friday's Section 3A championship game in Mountain Lake. The Wolverines ended Adrian's 8-3 season by saddling it with a 19-7 setback.
By John Rittenhouse
Adrian's bid to qualify for the state football tournament for the first time since 1998 came to an end Friday in Mountain Lake.
Playing Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin in the Section 3A championship game, the third-seeded Dragons were hoping to upset the No. 1-seeded Wolverines and make their first appearance in a state tournament since placing second in 1998.
But, on a cold and windy night in Mountain Lake, AHS simply couldn't get the job done.
ML-B-O controlled the line of scrimmage while compiling 300 yards of total offense, and the Dragons helped the host's cause by turning the ball over five times. When the game’s final gun sounded, ML-B-O came out on the better end of a 19-7 decision.
The Wolverines advance to the state quarterfinals Friday night in Brownton, where it takes on Section 2A champion McLeod West. Adrian ends an 8-3 campaign.
When the game was over, all Adrian coach Randy Strand could do was tip his hat to the 11-0 Wolverines.
“They are a good football team,” he said. “The difference was ML-B-O handled us at the line of scrimmage. That was the big key - that and the fact that we just couldn't catch a break. While we would drop a possible interception, they ran for 12 yards on fourth down to pick up a first down. It just wasn't our night.”
With a couple of breaks, Adrian could have won the game.
The Dragons led 7-3 after scoring the game's first touchdown 2:29 into the second quarter. ML-B-O, however, moved in front 10-7 by halftime before outscoring AHS 9-0 in the second half to win by 12 points.
Each team's defense dictated play in the early stages of the game, and an AHS punt from deep inside its own territory into a strong wind is what set up the first tally of the game.
ML-B-O began its second offensive possession on the AHS 44-yard line and advanced the ball inside the 10 before the Adrian defense stiffened. On fourth down, Wolverine exchange student Sonny Skaaning booted a 28-yard field goal to give the hosts a 3-0 edge at the 5:22 mark of the first quarter.
The score remained the same through the remainder of the first as Adrian's next possession ended with the team's first of four interceptions, and ML-B-O’s next series stalled on downs inside AHS territory.
The Dragons took over on their own 17 at that point, where they produced their biggest play of the game. A first-down pass from Levi Bullerman to Dusty Spieker turned into an 83-yard touchdown pass and run. When Bullerman added the extra point, Adrian had a 7-3 advantage with 9:31 remaining in the second quarter.
ML-B-O countered Adrian's quick strike with a long scoring march in its next possession.
The Wolverines advanced the ball 72 yards in 12 plays before running back Kody Karschnik scored on a six-yard run with 4:06 left to play in the first half. Skaaning added the extra point to make the difference 10-7.
Adrian's inability to contain Karschnik proved to be costly in the game. The ML-B-O workhorse carried the ball 51 times for 258 yards, accounting for all but seven of his team’s 265 rushing yards.
Two more turnovers by the Dragons allowed the Wolverines to put the game away in the second half.
After Wolverine Adam Meyers picked off a pass to end Adrian's second possession of the third quarter, the ML-B-O offense mounted a 12-play, 60-yard drive.
The march ended with Karschnik scoring on a one-yard plunge with 59 seconds left in the third quarter. An incomplete two-point conversion pass attempt left the Wolverines sporting a 16-7 lead.
Another interception by the Wolverines set up an 11-play drive that ended with Skaaning kicking a 20-yard field goal to cap the scoring with 8:34 remaining in the game.
Skaaning actually received two chances to boot the final field goal.
His first attempt was blocked by the Dragons, but a ML-B-O player picked up the ball and ran toward the end zone. When Adrian was flagged for a face-masking penalty during the run, the officials awarded Skaaning another shot at booting the field goal he eventually made.
Team statistics
Adrian: 82 rushing yards, 96 passing yards, 178 total yards, five first downs, five penalties for 38 yards, five turnovers.
ML-B-O: 265 rushing yards, 35 passing yards, 300 total yards, 14 first downs, four penalties for 35 yards, zero turnovers.
Individual statistics
Rushing: Dusty Henning 13-55, Bullerman 8-25, Joe Kruger 2-2.
Passing: Bullerman 4-16 for 96 yards, Pete Hohn 0-1 for zero yards.
Receiving: Henning 2-84, Hohn 2-12.
Defense: Kruger 26 tackles, Brandon Schettler 18 tackles, Spieker 12 tackles.