Greyhounds rebound with CM/C win

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- It was New Ulm Cathedral's version of Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside.

Tom Hazuka scored on three short scoring runs and Mitch Palmer rushed for a career-high 120 yards and scored twice as New Ulm Cathedral rebounded from a tough loss to MLBO with a 33-6 win over Cedar Mountain/Comfrey Friday night in Southern Minnesota Conference football.

Hazuka hit the end zone on runs of 4,3 and 1 yard while Palmer scored on a 13-yard run and a 42-yard gallop.

Cedar Mountain's only score came with only 34 seconds left in the game when reserve quarterback Cameron Maurer scored from two yards out.

While the tandem of Hazuka and Palmer combined for 172 yards on the ground, it was the Greyhounds' defense that put a smile on the face of Hound coach Denny Lux.

"Defensively, it was just another excellent effort by the whole team," he said as the Greyhounds' defense forced five Cougar turnovers in the game. "(Cedar Mountain) was knocking down on the goal line in the second quarter and early in the third quarter -- there is a lot of pride there and they really stepped up again tonight."

And while the defense did their job, the offensive line did their job setting the stage for Palmer's big night -- a fact that he brought up immediately following the game.

"My offensive line was awesome this week," said the senior wingback. "I could not have done any of this without the line -- hopefully they keep doing their job and the backs can keep doing there job."

But the win will be costly for Cathedral as they probably lost sophomore wide receiver Eric Schugel for the remainder of the football season with a dislocated right elbow. Schugel injured the elbow on a punt return late in the first quarter and left the field in an ambulance.

Cathedral, who will trek to McLeod West next Friday, recovered Erik Braeglemann's opening kickoff when it bounced off a Cedar Mountain player and Doug Franta fell on it on the CM/C 40-yard line.

Dusty Wilfahrt broke off a 10 yard run before latching onto 16-yard pass from Adam Neubauer. Tom Hazuka'a 10-yard run plus a facemask penalty moved the ball to the four-yard line where Hazuka ended the five play drive with a four yard run. His extra point kick made it 7-0 at the 11:11 mark.

Cathedral's defense held CM/C to three downs and out (one of six times in the first half when the Cougars had three plays or less) and took over just into Cougar country at the 42 yard line.

From there, it took Cathedral and Palmer one play to make it 13-0 when he ran right, cut back towards the middle and outran the Cougar secondary for a 42-yard run only two minutes after their first score.

"This was a game that I really did think that Mitch was going to break out," commented Lux. "His speed and shiftiness really was an asset for him tonight."

Cathedral's defense set up the third Hound's score of the evening when Jimmy Vancura stepped in front of a Darren Tighe pass on the Cougar 36-yard line. After runs of 14 and 12 respectively by Hauzka and Palmer, Palmer hit the end zone for his second score on a 13-yard run and a 20-0 cushion with 9:27 left in the first half.

It was a lead the Greyhounds carried into halftime after allowing the Cougars only 88 yards in offense, forced three turnovers and allowed the Cougars to reach Hound territory for the first time with less than two minutes left in the half,

"We have some defensive players who are playing with instinct," said Lux. "We got good play from our defensive ends and I thought that that was important in this game. Danny Schreiber, Brady Gulden and Andy Klingler did a good job."

The Hounds made it 26-0 in the third quarter when Hazuka scored one of his two third quarter touchdowns on a three yard run before scoring on the Greyhounds' next possession on a one yard run for a 33-0 lead with 3:17 left in the third quarter.

CM/C 0-0-0-6=6

CATHEDRAL 13-7-13-0=33

FIRST QUARTER

CATHEDRAL: Hazuka, four run. PAT:Hazuka, kick.

CATHEDRAL:Palmer, 42 run. PAT: Failed.

SECOND QUARTER

CATHEDRAL: Palmer, 13 run. PAT: Hazuka, kick.

THIRD QUARTER

CATHEDRAL: Hazuka, three run. PT: Failed.

CATHEDRAL: Hazuka, one run. PAT: Hazuka, kick.

FOURTH QUARTER

CEDAR MOUNTAIN/COMFREY: Maurer, one run. PAT:Failed.