H-M-S grounds out win in district opener
Rushing attack outlasts Jays' air assault to prevail, 44-33
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MIKE PETERSEN/SENTINEL-NEWS
Defensive back Mason Brinkman prepares to bring down the Jays' Ryan Livermore during H-M-S's 44-33 win on Friday.
Friday night's game between Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and Gehlen Catholic appeared to be one of those where the last team with the football would win. But the Hawks' rushing attack took over in the second half to secure a 44-33 win at Peterson Field.
The first quarter belonged to H-M-S, which scored twice to build a 16-0 lead. Connor Dodd's touchdown came on a 10-yard run and Mason Brinkman reached the end zone on a 13-yard reverse. Kooper Ebel ran both conversions.
Gehlen Catholic answered with scoring passes of 55 and 51 yards in the second quarter, cutting H-M-S's lead to 16-14.
That was the score heading into halftime, which gave H-M-S a chance to regroup and focus on what was needed to maintain the lead.
"I thought we did a lot of good things early in the first quarter," said Hawk coach Jay Eilers. "We got up 16 and just kind of felt like, 'Hey, we can cruise here.' But there were things we needed to fix. It was nice to see the film and talk to our kids and adjust two things."
Adjustments in the running game paid quick dividends, as Dodd broke off a big gainer and Ebel scored on an 8-yard run. But the Jays had an answer, scoring on 50-yard pass to make the score 24-21.
The Hawks' next possession was just two plays, as Ebel scored on an 89-yard run. Gehlen Catholic then drove to the Hawk 9 before being forced to kick a field goal. Ebel blocked the 26-yard attempt to preserve the 30-21 advantage.
The Jays couldn't keep Ebel out of the end zone, as he next scored on a 46-yard run. But the 36-21 lead was not safe, as Gehlen Catholic capitalized on a 65-yard kickoff return. Another blocked kick kept the margin at nine to end the third quarter.
After forcing the Jays to turn the ball over on downs in their territory, Dodd's 11-yard run and Ebel's conversion upped the score to 44-27.
Gehlen Catholic would cap the scoring with an 8-yard pass with 19 seconds left, but the Hawks prevailed, 44-33, to successfully open Class A District 1 play.
Eilers said that offensive line play was crucial to H-M-S rushing for 460 yards on 48 attempts. Ebel ran for 235 yards and Dodd finished with 202.
"I feel like our O-line stepped up," he said. "Those kids – Lance Berends, Nick Bronstad, Adam Schierholz, Wyatt Borden, Jesse Garcia and Keevyn Jacobsma – don't get their names called but those young men, they brought it."
Ebel also passed for 104 yards on four completions. Ryan Borden's 48-yard reception was the longest.
Eilers was concerned that H-M-S could not put more pressure on the Jays' quarterback, who threw for 300 yards.
"We've got to get pressure on quarterbacks if they're going to be throwing the ball like they were," he said. "I felt later in the game our D-line stepped up and was playing at the level that we're going to ask them to play consistently."
MIKE PETERSEN/SENTINEL-NEWS
Lineman Lance Berends puts a block on Gehlen Catholic defender Ryan Livermore, creating a path for quarterback Kooper Ebel.
Defensive leaders were Ebel, 7.0 tackles and an interception; Travis Kamradt, 5.5; Berends, 4.0; Keaton Graves, Dodd and Jacobsma, 3.5 and James Gellerman, 3.0.
• Next up: at South O'Brien
H-M-S will face another tough test on Friday night at South O'Brien. Because of the scheduling format in Class A, it will be the Wolverines' first district game while the Hawks will be seeking their second district win.
Although Eilers' film study of the Wolverines was limited, he said both teams will have to be efficient when they have the ball.
"I think we're similar, but I think we try to throw the ball and do some things," he noted. "We're both going to be pounding the rock and that's going to make the clock go extremely fast, which is going to shorten the game."
