Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth junior tailback Chris Reid grabs a handful of facemask while trying to elude a Fergus Falls Hillcrest Lutheran Academy defender during Saturday's state nine-man tournament football game in Fergus Falls. Reid rushed for 101 yards and one touchdown during a season-ending 30-12 loss.
By John Rittenhouse
Some missed opportunities during the course of Minnesota State Nine-Man Football Tournament game played in Fergus Falls Saturday kept the Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth Patriots from playing a game in the Metrodome tomorrow.
Taking on unranked Fergus Falls Hillcrest Lutheran Academy on the Comets' home field, fifth-ranked H-BC-E was unable to advance out of the quarterfinal round.
The surprising Comets were able to continue their turn-around from a 1-4 start to the season by raising their record to 8-4 with a 30-12 victory over the Patriots.
FFHLA advances to tomorrow's semifinals at the Metrodome in Minneapolis, where it will take on 10-1 LeRoy-Ostrander.
H-BC-E ends the season with a 10-1 record.
For the Patriot players and fans, thoughts of what might have been will be on their minds for a while.
H-BC-E had some golden opportunities to put some additional points on the scoreboard, but a pair of drives that produced no points ended inside the FFHLA 10-yard line during the game.
Add a pair of missed tackles during a punt return for a touchdown that seemed to give the Comets the momentum for the rest of the game, and the game could have taken on a very different look.
"We had our chances," said H-BC-E coach Dan Ellingson. "We had a first-and-goal on their four-yard line when the game was still zero to zero, but we couldnÕt punch it in. If we had scored first, who knows what would have happened. We also drove the ball to their four without scoring to start the second half. ThereÕs at least 12 points we could have had, and we missed two tackles during a punt return that could have saved a touchdown. I'm not saying those things would have made the difference, but it would have been a lot tighter ball game."
An indication that things might not go H-BC-E's way came early in the contest.
After punting six plays into the contest, the Patriots received outstanding field position when linebacker Jesse Leuthold recovered a fumble on the Comet 16 two plays into FFHLA's first possession of the game.
Chris Reid turned a fourth-and-seven situation into a first down with a nine-yard run to the Comet four, but the Patriots lost four yards with their next three plays before Reid was tackled for a three-yard loss during a fourth-and-goal play from the eight.
The teams exchanged punts as the first quarter continued, and it was a punt by the Patriots that set up a nine-play, 80-yard drive that ended with Comet quarterback Steve Moline hitting Nick Hansen for a 15-yard touchdown pass on the final play of the first quarter. A Moline-to-Tom Scheid conversion pass made it an 8-0 game.
Hansen's touchdown set the tone for a wild second quarter that featured the Comets outscoring the Patriots 22-6 to take a 30-6 lead at the intermission.
FFHLA caught the first break of the second quarter when a Comet defender recovered a fumble on the Patriot 34 with 10:28 remaining in the first half.
The Comets lost the ball on downs when a fourth-and-four pass from the 28 fell incomplete, but the FFHLA defense forced a punt three plays later that was returned 65 yards for a touchdown by Luke Hansen with 6:41 left in the period. Titus Brue ran in the ensuing two-point conversion to make it a 16-0 game.
"That was a big play in the game," Ellingson said of Hansen's punt return. "When he returned that punt, it took the wind out of our sails."
The Patriots had to punt again three plays into its next possession, which set up a 10-play, 75-yard drive that ended with Luke Hansen tossing a four-yard touchdown pass from the wing back position to Julius Stender.
A successful conversion pass from Moline to Brue increased FFHLAÕs lead to 24-0 with 3:01 remaining in the second stanza.
A key play during the scoring-drive was a 40-yard pass completion during a third-and-22 situation.
H-BC-E answered the Comets' third straight touchdown with a six-point one of its own with 1:31 remaining in the first half.
Reid, who carried the ball 24 times for 101 yards in the game, scored on a 42-yard burst. A run for a two-point conversion came up short, leaving the Comets sporting a 24-6 cushion.
Any inspiration H-BC-E gained from Reid's touchdown vanished when FFHLA got the six points back before the half was complete.
The Comets marched 65 yards in seven plays with Moline scoring with 12 seconds left at the end of a five-yard run. Patriot Brad Haak intercepted a pass attempt for the two-point conversion to keep the score at 30-6.
The second half started with FFHLA fumbling on the first play from scrimmage and Haak recovering the loose ball on the Comet 49.
H-BC-E moved the ball to the Comet four, where a fourth-and-three pass fell incomplete.
FFHLA took over on its own four with 8:29 left in the third quarter and advanced the ball to the Patriot 25, where it lost the ball on downs with 1:37 remaining in the stanza.
The Patriots then went on a 75-yard scoring drive that ended with Chris Tiesler scoring from three yards away with 6:30 remaining in the fourth quarter. A pass for a two-point conversion fell incomplete, leaving the score at 30-12.
H-BC-E did get the ball back with 2:37 left to play, but the Patriots lost the ball on downs with 35 seconds remaining.
Ellingson said the Patriots were disappointed with the way things turned out Saturday, but he was proud of what they accomplished throughout the season.
"It was a good season for us. We thought we could do well this year, but I don't think the kids thought we would finish the regular season undefeated. We managed to win our conference, and a section title came along shortly after that. It was a good year," he concluded.
Team statistics
H-BC-E: 152 rushing yards, 69 passing yards, 221 total yards, 10 first downs, three penalties for 15 yards, one turnover.
FFHLA: 171 rushing yards, 159 passing yards, 330 total yards, 12 first downs, three penalties for 25 yards, three turnovers.
Individual statistics
Rushing: Reid 24-101, Lyle DeBoer 2-3, Leuthold 9-31, Kevin Van Batavia 1-2, Tiesler 2-13, David Top 2-3.
Passing: Top 7-20 for 69 yards.
Receiving: Tiesler 2-15, Darin DeBoer 2-12, Van Batavia 1-24, Leuthold 1-14, Haak 1-4.
Defense: Curt Schilling 18 tackles, Leuthold nine tackles and one fumble recovery, Van Batavia six tackles, Kyle Braun 11 tackles and one sack, Haak five tackles, one interception and one fumble recovery.