Above: Jack Anderson forces a fumble while Harry Fuller goes in for a tackle. Also in the neighborhood are Garrett Heldberg (left) and Miles Tomaszewski (right).
Junior high Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity vs host Cleveland on Monday came down to which team had the most big plays.
The Bulldogs came up with a couple more to defeat the Clippers 34-22.
“There were about three long runs that they had and a couple of big plays on the outside,” said head coach Rich Kern. “Take away those, and we had a pretty good ball game.”
During the Clippers’ second possession, Garrett Heldberg pulled down a 26-yard Sam Ternes toss that took the Clippers to the Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity 15. Two plays later the Clippers picked up five yards on the ground but could not punch it in.
Taking over from there, the Bulldogs, in their first big play of the night, ran 85 yards to the house. The Clippers stopped the PAT run but trailed 6-0 late in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs didn’t wait long to score again. On the ensuing possession, they ran the Clipper punt in for a touchdown for big play number two. Once again, the Clippers stopped the PAT run.
Adding insult to injury, the Bulldogs recovered a Clipper fumble at the Cleveland 31 during the ensuing kickoff return. From there, they ran up the middle for a score and an 18-0 advantage after the Clippers stopped the PAT run.
But the Clippers never threw in the towel. Taking over on their 35 after the kickoff, Heldberg grabbed a 9-yard pass. On a big play for the Clippers, Ternes hooked up with Chase Bock, who, with a stiff-arm at the midway point, scored on a 56-yard catch and run. Heldberg caught Terne’s point-after pass, and the Clippers trimmed their deficit to 10.
The Clippers kept their momentum going after the second-half kickoff. Ternes ran a keeper for 16 yards and then threw to Bock for a 35-yard catch and run across the goal line. Their PAT pass fell incomplete, but the Clippers were within striking distance, 18-14.
But the Bulldogs didn’t waste time extending their lead. After the kickoff, they rattled off 13 runs before scoring early in the fourth quarter on a three-yard plunge. With the PAT run, they led 26-14.
After the kickoff, the Clippers, started on their 43. With a Zayden Linder catch for a dozen yards, and Ternes keepers for 22 and then 20 yards, they took it all the way to the LP/HT four but coughed the ball up at the one.
Once again rubbing in a Clipper error, the Bulldogs came up with another huge play when they scored on a 95-yard touchdown run that, with the PAT run after, put them in front 34-14.
“I think it’s back to fundamentals tomorrow,” Kern said. “Work on ball handling and holding the ball and tackling.”
After the kickoff, the Clippers had another big play when Ternes scored on a 75-yard run and then kept the ball on the point after for the 34-22 final.
The Clippers fell hard to Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop in Winthrop the Monday before. This week, they host USC on Tuesday and Le Sueur-Henderson on Thursday.
Garrett Heldberg turns up field after a catch.
Zayden Linder on the run.
Clipper defenders take down a Bulldog runner. In the center is Sam Ternes. At right is Jackson Shouler.
Jack Anderson extends an arm while on the run.
Sam Ternes gets set to push off a Bulldog defender.
Jack Shouler carries the ball up the middle.
With the Clippers scoring three touchdowns, Miles Tomaszewski’s leg got a little more workout than the week before.