New Ulm High gets second consecutive shutout, 26-0

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM - New Ulm High turned two St. James' turnovers into touchdowns and the Eagle defense registered their second straight shutout by blanking St. James 26-0 Friday night in the opening of the Eagles South Central Conference season.

New Ulm shutout St. Louis Park last week in getting their first win.

"I thought that the first quarter we played real well," said coach Rick VanRoekel. "We came right out of the gates and scored, but in the second quarter we did not play well. Their line was better than I thought that it was going to be but I thought that we came out (after halftime) and played a better second half."

The Eagles, who will travel to Blue Earth Area next week, got on the board in the first quarter thanks to one of four St. James' turnovers.

On the Saints' second offensive play of the game, linebacker Eric Stock latched onto a tipped Derek Lanoue pass and New Ulm took over deep in St. James' territory at the 31-yard line.

After an Andy Bernard 8-yard run, quarterback Charles Ganske (who would leave the game shortly after with a pulled quad muscle) hit a wide open Brandon Rolloff on a play-action pass for a 23-yard scoring strike at the 10:58 mark.

"I don't care what you say, when you get a pass like that picked off and then you score right away, that really hurts," commented Van Roekel.

The Eagles would mount their second touchdown drive of the evening following an Eagle defensive stand deep in their own territory.

After haulting the Saints on the 21-yard line, New Ulm would trek 79 yards to paydirt in 10 plays.

Jacobs and Andy Bernard cracked off runs of nine and six yards to begin the drive before Bobby Wellmann, who took over for Ganske at quarterback, hooked up with Danny Kitzberger for a 12-yard gain and a first down. The same duo connected again,this time for 17 yards and another first down in Saints' territory. Wellmann, who passed for 194 yards and a touchdown in the game, added a 39-yard pass completion to tight end Dusty Fleck to put the ball on the 4-yard line where one play later, Andy Bernard rolled in from a yard out.

''Bobby did a nice job for us and did some positive things at quarterback," commented Van Roekel.

And it would be the Eagle defense that once again rose up and used a big play to set up what probably was a back-breaking score.

St. James took over with :30 seconds left in the first half and moved to their own 41-yard line where, on third down, linebacker Matt Furth picked off a Lanoue pass at midfield and raced 44-yards to the 6- yard line with only one second left in the half.

From there, Josh Jacobs used some determined running to get the ball into the end zone as time ran out for New Ulm's third score of the first half and an 18-0 halftime lead.

"Our defense made big plays all night," Van Roekel said. "That (interception) was the little jump that we needed at halftime because I thought that we were kind of flat the second quarter. That really took the air out of their bubble."

While Furth's interception took the air of the bubble, New Ulm broke the bubble in the third quarter two plays into it.

After a 7-yard run by Furth to open the second half, Wellmann hit a speeding Matt Suess behind the St. James' defense for a 56-yard touchdown pass less than a minute into the quarter.

"Coach (Rob) Bute had said that he had some speed on the JV and he just needed some experience. He has that quickness getting off the ball and did a nice job for us.

"Anytime that you can get a shutout that is great," said VanRoekel. "We'll just build from there and see what happens."

ST. JAMES 0-0-0-0=0

NEW ULM 12-6-8-0=26

FIRST QUARTER

NEW ULM: Rolloff, 23 pass from Ganske. PAT:Failed

NEW ULM: Bernard, one run. PAT; Failed.

SECOND QUARTER

NEW ULM: Jacobs, six run. PAT:Failed.

THIRD QUARTER

NEW ULM : Suess, 56 pass from Wellmann, PAT:Furth, run.