St. Peter stops NUHS

BY JIM BASTIAN

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM - Two big plays by St. Peter spelled the difference in a key South Central Conference game as the Saints used a 69-yard punt return in the first quarter and a 71-yard scoring run in the third quarter to spoil New Ulm's Homecoming with a 20-14 win over the Eagles.

Those two plays proved to be the decisive factor in the game as both teams were very even in offense and turnovers. St. Peter totaled 312 yards while New Ulm ended with 272. New Ulm had two turnovers compared with three turnovers for St. Peter.

"It was a good game; I just think that St. Peter is a good ballclub and tonight, we got beat by a good ballclub," said Eagle head coach Rick Van Roekel. "On the ground and offensively, they outplayed us. Tonight, our defense had a hard time stopping the second back through (the line)."

But for the Eagles, it was the ability to stop the Saints' running attack that led to the first Eagle score of the game and their only lead of the contest.

The Saints, using a no-huddle offense (as they would all night) gained five yards on two plays before Jon Fitch (70 yards rushing on the night) coughed up the ball and New Ulm's Matt Suess recovered on the Saints' 48-yard line.

After an 8-yard gain by fullback Andy Bernard, quarterback Bob Wellmann found wide receiver Brandon Rolloff behind the St. Peter secondary for a 42-yard touchdown pass less than two minutes into the game.

"We started the game out just the way that we wanted to," commented VanRoekel. "Our second play of the game we scored a touchdown and we are on our way. But we knew that St. Peter was going to be tough; they came right back and scored."

And scoring against the Eagle defense has been tough for opposing teams to do lately. In the last 12 quarters, New Ulm's defense had given up only seven points.

St. Peter would take the lead on their second drive as the Saints marched 69 yards in 12 plays. A 34-yard run by fullback Kurt Gostomzik moved the ball into Eagle territory as St. Peter converted two fourth downs into first downs on the drive. It ended when Jon Fitch bowled in from a yard out. Adam TeBrake's extra point kick gave St. Peter a 7-6 lead.

"The (no-huddle offense) that they used, they've it before and we were ready for it," said VanRoekel. "That was no surprise but (Fitch) the fullback was getting those quick-hitters that hurt us."

But what hurt New Ulm more than Fitch's quick-hitters was having to punt after the St. Peter score.

St. Peter's Brandon Borgstahl fielded a Matt Furth punt on his own 31-yard line, broke to his left and ran behind a well set-up wall of white-clad Saints and raced untouched 69 yards for a touchdown, just one minute and 22 seconds after their first touchdown.

"Even though it was early in the game, that (punt return) was a back-breaker for us," Van Roekel said. "That set things back for us a little bit."

St. Peter would turn the ball over twice in the second quarter on fumble recoveries by Travis Aufderheide and Dan Kitzberger but could not capitalize on them.

New Ulm would take the second half kick off and run off eight plays before stalling and being forced to punt.

One of these punts pinned the Saints on their own 29-yard line.

But on their first play, scatback Sam Schroeder took a hand-off from TeBrake and broke through the leftside of the Eagle defensive line and raced untouched 71-yards for a touchdown that put St. Peter ahead 20-6 with 7:57 left in the third quarter.

New Ulm seemed to regain their offense following the score but on the ninth play of the drive; a drive that moved from the Eagle 31-yard line to the St. Peter 26- yard line, Bob Wellmann was hit and fumbled with Fitch recovering the ball.

"We had a nice march going and Bob got hit; it was another big play that went against us," commented VanRoekel.

The Eagles would earn their second touchdown of the night following an Eagle defensive stand, Starting on their own 30-yard line, New Ulm's Matt Furth broke off a 40-yard run to the Saints' 30-yard line. Three plays later, it would be the New Ulm duo of Wellmann and Rolloff that would hook up for the Eagles' second score via the air route, this one coming from 20 yards out with 10:14 left in the game.

But that would be the Eagles' last hurrah of the night. New Ulm did have a chance to tie or win the game when they took over on ther own 44-yard line with 2:37 left in the game but three plays produced no yards and Wellman was sacked on fourth down by Matt Bell to end the game.

"We will be OK: we'll be ready to play come next Friday night,:Van Roekel said. "We had our chances and we could not take advantage of the chances."

ST. PETER 14 0 6 0 = 20

NEW ULM 6 0 0 8 =14

FIRST QUARTER

NEW ULM: Rolloff, 42 pass from Wellmann. PAT:Failed.

ST. PETER: Fitch, one run. PAT:TeBrake, kick.

ST. PETER: Borgstahl, 69 punt return. PAT: TeBrake, kick.

THIRD QUARTER

ST. PETER: Schroeder, 71 run. PAT: Failed.

FOURTH QUARTER

NEW ULM: Rolloff, 20 pass from Wellman. PAT: Furth, run.