Spud Football
Tech Defeats Spuds In Section 8 Playoffs 24-7
The first play of the game set the tone for the entire game as St Cloud Tech's Tyler Wieber ran back the opening kickoff 83 yards for a touchdown. Moorhead struggled on offense throughout the game unable to generate any sustained drives. Tech then scored on their final drive of the first half to make it 14-0 at halftime. The Spuds were still in striking distance to make it a game but Tech held tough on defense causing 5 fumbles (Tech recovered three) and one interception for the game. Tech then scored twice in the fourth quarter sealing the victory on a 22 yard field goal by Dan Stoterau followed by a 36 yard touchdown run by Ryan Heaton making it 24-0 in the fourth quarter. The Spuds put together one last drive of the season with a march down the field capped by a 1 yard touchdown run by Ben Gaughn with 13 seconds remaining on the clock. The Spuds wrap up the 2009 season with a 3-6 record.
Levi Tompkins #21 and St Cloud Tech defender Nolan Lortz #40 battle for a lose ball Tuesday night at Jim Gotta Stadium.
| St Cloud Tech | 7 |
7 |
0 |
10 |
24 |
|
| Moorhead | 0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
7 |
SCT: Wieber 84 kick return (Stoterau kick)
SCT: Heaton 1 run (Stoterau kick)
SCT: Stoterau 22 field goal
SCT: Heaton 36 run (Stoterau kick)
M: Gaughan 1 run (Julin kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: SCT, Heaton 20-152, Rios-Dominguez 3-8, Amundson 2-8, Nystrom 1-4, Hanks 1-0, Team 1-(minus 2). M, Shipman 9-38, Gaughan 3-22, Tompkins 10-19, Gotta 10-6, Johnson 1-3, Rahman 1-(minus 3).
PASSING: SCT, Nystrom 3-13-0, 52 yards. M, Gotta 8-14-1 130 yards; Rahman 0-1-0, 0 yards.
RECEIVING: SCT, Hanks 2-54, Euerle 1-(minus 2). M, Gaughan 4-99, Stetz 1-16, Burns 1-7, Holtan 1-6, Rahman 1-2.
Read the Fargo Forum Story on the game > click here
Read the Fargo Forum Feature Story on Matt Duginski and the game > click here
Latest Minnesota Overall Football Rankings > click here
Latest Minnesota 5A Football Rankings > click here
Dylan Deavy #28 and Jacob Trudel #55 zero in for the tackle on St Cloud's Ryan Heaton #8.
Football Team Defeats St. Cloud Tech In OT
The Spuds pulled off an upset over St Cloud Tech Wednesday with a 20-19 victory in OT. Moorhead scoring was started by Matt Duginski with a 83 yard interception for a touchdown in the first quarter. Braden Rahman caught a touchdown pass from Luke Gotta in the second quarter giving the Spuds a 13-7 lead going into halftime. Tech tied the game and forced overtime on a touchdown reception from Scott Nystrom but Tech missed the extra point making it 13-13 an causing OT. In OT Gotta threw a touchdown pass to Dylan Shipman and Matt Duginski made the extra point to give Moorhead the win. The Spuds end the regular season 3-5.
| Moorhead | 6 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
20 |
| St Cloud Tech | 7 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
19 |
SCT — Kellan Euerle fumble recovery (Dan Stoterau kick)
M — Matt Duginski 83 interception return (kick failed)
M — Braden Rahman 9 pass from Luke Gotta (Duginski kick)
SCT — Alex Hanks 21 pass from Trevor Nystrom (kick failed)
SCT — Scott Nystrom 5 pass from T. Nystrom (kick failed)
M — Dylan Shipman 4 pass from Gotta (Duginski kick)
Individual statistics
Rushing: M — Duginski 17-105, Levi Tompkins 7-45, Gotta 6-25, Calvin Cullom 1-2, Shipman 1-6; SCT — Heaton 20-54, Tyler Wieber 5-30, Hanks 1-2, T. Nystrom 3-2.
Passing: M — Gotta 9-17-2 133; SCT — T. Nystrom 17-30-4 226.
Receiving: M — Rahman 2-26, Duginski 2-7, Shipman 2-33, Michael Holtan 2-53, Tompkins 1-14; SCT — unavailable.
Spuds Fall 14-6 To Lumberjacks On Cold Wet Night
| Bemidji | 0 |
14 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
|
| Moorhead | 0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
B–Nelson 1 run (Rees kick)
B–Woods 2 run (Rees kick)
M–Gotta 13 run (run failed)
Spud Football Defeats St. Cloud Apollo 34-21
| Moorhead | 7 |
14 |
7 |
6 |
34 |
|
| St. Cloud Apollo | 0 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
21 |
M–Gotta 27 run (Julin kick)
A–Taylor 45 run (Theisman kick)
M–Gotta 1 run (Julin kick)
M–Duginski 26 run (Julin kick)
A–Badiracki 1 run (Theisman kick)
M–Tomkins 45 run (Julin kick)
M–Tomkins 9 run (kick blocked)
A–Badiracki 4 run (Theisman kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: M, Gotta 8-28, Duginski 20-132, Tompkins 9-73, Shipman 2-12, Oian 1-5, Cullom 2-5. Badiracki 17-25, Rocheleau 12-39, Taylor 8-74.
PASSING: M, Gotta 3-8-0 73 yards. SCA, Badiracki 0-7-1 82.
RECEIVING: M, Tompkins 1-51, Burns 1-18, Duginski 1-4.
Sauk Rapids Spoils Last Minute Comeback by Spuds
Moorhead quarterback Luke Gotta lead the offense to its first touchdown of the game on a 75-yard drive, scoring with only 34 seconds left on the clock. Trailing 7-6 at home, the Spuds tried to end it by going for a two-point conversion, coming up just short. The loss pushes the Spuds to a record of 1-4, with four straight losses on the year.
A big factor in the loss was the lack of time of possession in the second half. Although the defense held strong, Sauk Rapids soaked up majority of the clock, limiting Moorhead's offensive chances. "That's a killer," said Gotta. "That's what the game came down to, not enough time left on the clock. But our defense played really well. Sauk is a good team, and our defense only allowed one touchdown. We can't ask for much more." Senior defensive lineman Adam Brewer agreed, stating that the defense played tough, but started to show some fatigue late in the game. "We had a lot of kids playing both ways because of injuries," said Brewer. "I'd say holding their offense to only seven points is pretty remarkable."
The offensive side of the ball, although limited, struggled to produce on the few chances they had. "Missed opportunities," said Gotta. "It's just the little things. There were a couple times we were in the redzone and just couldn't capatalize."
And it isn't the first time the Spuds have fallen by a single point. Moorhead's homecoming was ruined by Little Falls just two weeks ago, when they beat the Spuds 34-33 in double overtime. That game was also decided on a missed two-point conversion.
"It's hard," said Brewer. "We fought hard out there. We made a really close comeback at the end. To top it off with a two-point conversion would've been nice."
| Sauk Rapids | 0 |
7 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
|
| Moorhead | 0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
6 |
SR–Meyer 52 pass from Kroger (Schueller kick)
M–Gotta 12 run (pass failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: SR–Statz 16-68, Meyer 7-22, Kroger 6-15. M–Duginski 17-53, Gotta 1-38.
PASSING: SR–Kroger 7-14-0, 133 yards. M–Gotta 6-16-0, 65 yards; Miller 4-7-1, 56 yards.
RECEIVING: SR–Statz 2-40, Cagle 1-12, Neeser 1-6, Meyer 1-52, Johnson 1-12, Hendrickson 1-11. M–Burns 4-43, Cullom 2-26, Rahman 3-34, Stetz 1-7.
Spud Football Falls To Brainerd 26-7
The Spuds fell into a 26-0 hole at halftime and were unable to muster a comeback against Brainerd Friday night in Section 8 play in MN 5A football. Moorhead now stands at 1-3 on the season and will take on Sauk Rapids Friday, Oct. 2 at Jim Gotta Stadium.
Moorhead 0 0 0 7 – 7
Brainerd 12 14 0 0 – 26
B–Nelson 2 run (kick failed)
B–Peterson 21 pass from Mimmack (run failed)
B–Main 12 pass from Mimmack (Cadwell kick)
B–Crocker 65 punt return (Cadwell kick)
M–Stetz 12 run (Noah Julin kick)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: B, Nelson 18-55, Jordan Hayes 10-33. M, Matt Duginski 13-57, Sam Stetz 6-13.
PASSING: B, Reid Mimmack 4-10-0 55. M, Luke Gotta 8-17-0 124, Miller 2-4-0 13.
RECEIVING: B, Peterson 1-22, Wheeler 1-26, Main 1-9, Nelson 1-(-2). M, Stetz 4-59, Backlund 2-42, Rahman 2-24, Duginski 2-16.
Spuds Fall In Double OT Thriller 34-33 To Little Falls
See the video highlights of Little Falls vs. Moorhead on Larry Knutson' page > Click Here
Little Falls 7 0 0 13 7 7–34
Moorhead 0 6 7 7 7 6–33
LF–Scott 10 run (Klinker kick)
M–Holten 5 pass from Gotta (kick blocked)
M–Tompkins 4 run (Julin kick)
M–Rahman 1 run (Julin kick)
LF–Hanowski 8 pass from Scott (Klinker kick)
LF–Horejsi 1 run (kick failed)
M–Burns 8 pass from Gotta (Julin kick)
LF–Horejsi 10 run (Klinker kick)
LF–Horejsi 2 run (Klinker kick)
M–Gotta 2 run (pass failed)
INDIVIDUAL LEADERS RUSHING:
LF, Horejsi 11-76. M, Duginski 20-151.
PASSING: LF, Scott 13-21-0 164 yards. M, Gotta 7-16-0 99.
Alexandria Downs Spuds 32-21, Spuds Sam Stetz Scores Three Touchdowns On Big Plays
Sam Stetz picked up a loose ball on a 89 yard Spud kickoff return and ran it in for a touchdown as the first half was almost over bringing the Spuds back into the game after trailing 12-0. In the third quarter Stetz broke a 62 yard touchdown run to bring the Spuds closer to the Cardinals 18-14. After the ensuing kickoff on the first play the Cardinals botched a handoff and the Spuds recover a fumble on the 32 yard line of Alexandria. Then the next play Stetz again broke free and rushed in on a 32 yard score. The Cradinals answered back with two more scores and went on to defeat Moorhead 32-21. Larry Knutson & Corey Delorme selected Mark Whitting as the player of the game for Alexandria. The Moorhead player of the game was Sam Stetz with his four receptions, 145 yards rushing and three touchdowns on the night. Both teams are now 1-1 on the season. The Spuds will play at home next week against Little Falls at Jim Gotta Stadium.
Moorhead 0 7 14 0 – 21
Alexandria 0 12 6 14 – 32
A–Giroux 5 run (kick failed)A–Ickstrom 35 pass from Erickson (pass failed)
M–50 fumble Stetz (Julin kick)
A–Joerder 40 run (run failed)M– Stetz 62 run (Julin kick)
M–Stetz 32 pass from Gotta (Julin kick)
A–Hurlbut 14 pass from Erickson (Schmidt kick)
A–Whiting 83 pass from Erickson (Schmidt kick)
Spud Football Defeats Fergus Falls 13-6
The Moorhead Football started strong in their first game of the 2009 season. Behind four turnovers and seven sacks the Spuds held Fergus Falls to just 37 rushing yards on 32 carries and 185 total yards on the night. Dylan Deavy had two interceptions for the Spuds and Sophomore Camden Boschee had a strong game on both defense and offense with three sacks and a forced fumble plus a catch for 16 yards on a fourth down and eight to go on the Spuds first scoring drive. Moorhead is now 1-0 on the seasn and will travel to Alexandria next Friday night.
Click here to see all the game photos of Fergus Falls vs. Moorhead
Fergus Falls 0 0 0 6– 6
Moorhead 0 7 0 6–13
M–Stetz 1 run (Julin kick)
M–Duginski 17 run (kick blocked)
FF–Risbrudt 15 pass from Rengel (kick blocked)
Rushing: FF, Lee 6-21, Ronnevik 9-12, Rader 1-4, Rengel 16-0. M, Duginski 17-76, Gotta 4-25, Gaughan 4-21, Stetz 5-17, Rahman 1-2, Team 1-(minus 2).
Passing: FF, Rengel 12-19-2, 148 yards, Ronnevik 0-1-1, 0 yards. M, Gotta 7-17-0, 64 yards.
Receiving: FF, Risbrudt 7-96, Lee 2-12, Ronnevik 1-17, Wahlgren 1-14, Rader 1-9. M, Stetz 2-17, Boschee 1-16, Duginski 1-12, Holtan 1-8, Burns 1-6, Johnson 1-5.
Black and Orange Night will be held at Jim Gotta Stadium on Thursday, August 27 at 6:00. Admission is free, we hope to see you there.
Q & A with Moorhead Football
Head Coach Rick Eidsness
Q: Could you recap some of the highs and lows of last season?
A: "We had a good bunch of seniors, a good group of kids. We started off at Fergus Falls, and this year, we have the exact same schedule as we had last year but flip-flopped. We played some really good competition last year. We ended up having a pretty good year, ended up being 4-6. We had a couple of games we could've won, and we look forward to this year."
Q: With that senior class leaving, what are some of the aspects that you hope carry over to this season with the new senior class?
A: "Well every year our team is senior dominant. In 5A football in Minnesota, your seniors got to be your leaders. And this year I've been really impressed. We got some real leaders. Guys who've been working hard, doing a good job."
Q: Are there some improvements that you think need to be made before the season starts?
A: "We've had a really good off-seaso;, I've been very pleased. We have a winter lifting program, and we're fortunate to have a lot of our guys be in more than one sport, so they're in shape. And those that weren't in different sports, they were in our lifting program. This summer we had a couple of little mini camps that we got a lot of things accomplished. We got a lot of our offense and defense in; we got a good look at some of the younger guys, so we're really excited."
Q: Are there certain expectations you have for the 2010 senior class?
A: "Oh, absolutely. Every year for the seniors, it's their team. Their leadership, their team. It takes on their persona, their personality. And we are expecting good things, we're expecting big things."
Q: Have you set any team goals for this season?
A: "We don't really get into specific game goals. But, in that first week of camp, August 17, we'll sit down and talk with people and say 'all right, what are some of your personal goals that you want to accomplish this year, both on and off the field?' And then also as a team. We're striving to win the section first. Win the section and get into the state tournament - that's our number one overall goal."
Q: Are there certain games that you've highlighted or circled on the schedule?
A: "Well last year, we ran into a lot of teams that had very good records. And so we're playing all those guys again. It's going to be a challenge, but it's also exciting. Because some of those teams like Sauk Rapids and Little Falls we haven't played as often. We've played them once now, so we'll have a little better feel for those guys. But two highlight games will definitely be at Brainerd and at St. Cloud Tech. They've been very, very good the last several years, and they're going to be the same this year. They will be a real challenge for us."
Q: Do you see any specific strengths on either offense or defense with this year's roster?
A: "On offense, it's always a strength to have your quarterback back. Last year we started Luke Gotta as a junior. As a senior, the game slows down a little bit for you. You have a little bit more confidence in where people are, and what you can and can't do. So I think he's going to be a real strength. On the defensive side, I think our biggest strength will be our defensive line. We've got a lot of guys who have been working hard and doing a great job. I think our defensive line may be as good as we've ever had since I've been coaching."
Q: Are there any new wrinkles you're looking to put into the offense this year?
A: "With a senior quarterback, you're able to do a little bit more than you could before. We are really hoping to use our speed and spread the ball out. Make the defense defend the whole field. So our goal is to spread it out a little bit more and use our quickness."
Q: Do you have a specific focus going into two-a-days?
A: "Our focus is, number one, we want to get ourselves ready so that we can be in that section championship game, and win that game to get into the state tournament."
Q: Do you have any advice for the younger athletes in Moorhead?
A: "My biggest advice to all kids is play as many sports as you can. Get out there, enjoy it, be active, and do what you want to do. Don't let someone limit you, if you want to play two or three sports, and you have the ability, go for it."
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