Falcons drop Hounds

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM - Colby Pack carried the ball 22 times for 117 yards and latched onto two passes for 89 yards and scored four touchdowns to lead Red Rock Central to a 35-7 thrashing of New Ulm Cathedral in Southern Minnesota Conference football.

Pack, a 205-pound running back, scored on runs of 2, 29, 3 and 2 yards as Red Rock Central improved to 2-0 on the year.

"We just had too many missed opportunities tonight," said Cathedral coach Denny Lux who saw his young team drop to 0-2 on the season. "We do not have to look at anything except our own execution down in the red zone (four turnovers in the game, three of them in Falcon territory). We were down there five times and came away with one touchdown."

That score would come after Red Rock Central took the opening kick-off and used only three plays and less than a minute to eat up 67 yards for the score. After a 5-yard run by Tim Johnson, quarterback Corey Fishel (5 for 11; 121 yards) found Colby Pack running free down the right sidelines for a 59-yard strike to the Hounds' 2-yard line. One play later, Pack bowled in from two yards out at the 11:03 mark.

Cathedral would respond by mounting a drive that took them from their own 29-yard line deep into Falcon territory before the drive stalled and then died when a fourth down pass by quarterback Tony Moldan from the RRC 5-yard line fell incomplete.

But that drive would be a stepping stone for the Hounds first and only score on their next possesion. Taking over after the Hounds' defense held RRC to three downs and out, Cathedral would march only 31 yards for their score when Moldan rolled to his left and found Jacob Mertz behind Falcon defenders in the end zone for the fouchdown. Following a Mitch Palmer conversion kick, Cathedral held a 7-6 lead with 1:17 left in the first quarter.

But Red Rock Central would build a scoring drive that started at the end of the first quarter and ended on the first play of the second quarter when Pack took a hand-off from Fischel, broke through the line and three Cathedral tacklers and raced 29 yards for the score and a 12-7 lead.

Pack's third score of the game came midway through the second quarter and was set up by an earlier failed drive by the Falcons.

Giving the ball up on downs deep in Cathedral territory, RRC's defense held the Hounds to give the Falcons good field position after a Hound punt.

Taking over on the Cathedral 26-yard line, Red Rock used five plays and a Hounds' off-side penalty to hit paydirt as Pack rambled into the end zone from three yards out for a 20-7 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the first half.

Down by that 20-7 margin, Cathedral looked like they had regained some momentum when linebacker Mitch Palmer jumped on a Pack fumble on RRC's first offensive play of the third quarter. Cathedral marched to the Falcons' 14-yard line and set up the biggest play of the game. On third down at the RRC 14-yard line, Moldan lofted a screen pass that was picked off by defensive lineman Shawn Huls who rambled 78 yards to the Greyhound 3-yard line. Pack scored from two yards out and added the two-point conversion for a 28-7 lead.

"The guy (Huls) made a nice play, " commented Lux. "The ball was in the air; six inches higher (on the pass) and we would have probably been in the end zone."

Instead of being down 20-15, the Hounds were down by 21.

"Again, it was that execution that we need to have."

But outside of the only Hound scoring drive, Cathedral was frustrated by the Falcon defense.

"They have some good defensive players in (Colby) Pack and Schaffran; they played some good defense. You have to give them credit; they came over here and played a strong physical game."

RED ROCK CENTRAL 6-14-8-7=35

CATHEDRAL 7- 0- 0-0= 7

RED ROCK: Pack, 2 run. PAT; Failed

CATHEDRAL:Mertz, 6 pass from Moldan. PAT; Palmer, kick.

RED ROCK: Pack, 29 run. PAT; Failed.

RED ROCK CENTRAL: Pack, 3 run. PAT:Johnson, run.

RED ROCK CENTRAL: Pack, 2 run. PAT:Pack,run.

RED ROCK CENTRAL: Fishel, 5 run. PAT:Engen, kick.