Chargers hold off Madelia/Truman

By JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- Minnesota Valley Lutheran's Andy Beilke knows that, as a cornerback, you cannot fret over things that have happened in a game.

And for the most part, Beilke had a lot on his mind defensively late in the Chargers' game with Madelia-Truman. He had been flagged for two consecutive pass interference calls late in the first half that eventually led to a Jayhawk touchdown.

And after MVL had ran off two touchdowns in a span of less than a minute and a half that gave the Chargers a 21-7 lead, he got beat for a 36-yard touchdown pass.

But Beilke gained a lot of redemption late in the game when he intercepted two passes -- the later coming with 1:27 left in the game and lifted MVL to their fourth straight Gopher/Valley Conference win with a 21-14 triumph over Madelia-Truman.

"I was really down after those plays," said Beilke who also added three, one yard touchdown runs and carried the ball 29 times for 149 yards. "I let a guy get behind me (Madelia-Truman's Mychal Johnson), which should never happen. But then coming back and making those interceptions -- our front line put pressure on (Jayhawk quarterback Mike Hintz), and he made bad decisions. He threw the ball up one-on-one and I went up and got it."

"A win is a win," Charger coach Jim Buboltz said. "It doesn't always have to be pretty. We had a lot of mistakes (a clipping call that erased a 74 yard touchdown run by Beilke, two facemask penalties and two pass interference calls). But they are a good, hard hitting team -- they keep coming at you."

The Chargers (4-1), who will host LCWM next Friday for homecoming, took the opening kickoff and marched 64 yards in just seven plays ignited by a 38-yard gallop by Beilke on the game's first play from scrimmage. Beilke ended the drive with the first of his three one-yard scores at the 9:04 mark and, with Beilke's kick, the Chargers had a 7-0 lead.

It was a drive that seemed to easy and Buboltz felt that his offense felt that way also.

"We marched right down and our offense thought that they were going to give the game to us," Buboltz said. "(But) they made some good defensive adjustments (after the initial drive) and they really hit hard. If you are not ready to hit, they will hit you."

That opening scoring drive by the Chargers was their only trek into the Jayhawk end zone in the first half and their three other possessions stalled with the final drive ending in a Jayhawk score.

After a 24-yard punt, Madelia took over with 1:55 left in the first half and went 73 yards, aided by a facemask penalty and two consecutive pass interference flags before senior Matt Trullinger scored from one yard out with only four seconds left in the first half. Cody Toothaker's kick knotted the game at 7-7.

Two of four Madelia-Truman turnovers came within a matter of six seconds in the third quarter and resulted in two Charger scores and a 21-7 lead.

First, the Chargers recovered a fumble and it took MVL eight plays to go 38-yards for Beilke's second touchdown of the day at the 8:14 mark.

On the Jayhawks' first offensive play following the MVL score, sophomore Mike Hintz' pass was intercepted by Nate Nass on the Madelia-Truman 27-yard line. An 18-yard pass completion from quarterback Karl Struck (who would leave late in the game for stitches in his chin) to tight end Jake Firle brought the ball to the nine yard line. Three plays later, it was Beilke again who scored.

"We have had trouble with turnovers this year, ":said Jayhawk coach Jeff Tietje who saw his team fall to 2-3 in conference play. "We have had some problems getting back into the groove - our starting quarterback John Bentele was hurt in our first game ( a torn ACL that ended his season). Mike is doing an excellent job - he is doing the best job that he can but he is only a sophomore. He competed some nice passes - this is only his third game at quarterback."

But Hintz and his Jayhawks came back to slice the lead to 21-14 when Mychal Johnson beat Beilke deep and Hintz hit him in stride from 36 yards out.

"He (Johnson) is a speedster and there are not a lot of players who can stay with him - he is our big -play guy," said Tietje.

That score would be the final time that Madelia-Truman hit the Charger end zone thanks to two picks by Beilke.

"He (Beilke) got a little upset that he got beat on that (touchdown) pass - he thought that he was closer to the sideline (but) he didn't give the sideline as much. But he showed his skills here on the last two (Madelia) drives. Those were the game-savers."

MADELIA-TRUMAN 0-7-7-0=14

MVL 7-0-14-0=21

FIRST QUARTER

MVL: Beilke, one run. PAT: Beilke, kick.

SECOND QUARTER

MADELIA-TRUMAN: Trullinger, one run.PAT: Toothaker, kick.

THIRD QUARTER

MVL: Beilke, one run. PAT: Beilke, kick.

MVL: Beilke, one run. PAT: Beilke, kick.

MADELIA-TRUMAN: Johnson, 36 pass from Hintz. PAT: Toothaker, kick.