Hounds cruise past FBA

By PAUL DUNLAP

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- It's the way homecoming games are supposed to go ... as long as you're the home team.

New Ulm Cathedral scored two touchdowns before the Faribault Bethlehem Academy offense took the field Friday night, cruising to a 32-18 Southern Minnesota Conference win at Johnson Field.

"I have to take my hat off to these kids -- it's our sixth win in a row," Greyhound head coach Denny Lux said. "You know that homecoming is a very busy week for the kids, and I think as a coaching staff you're always concerned. But one thing that these seniors have shown all year is they're mature, they know what their focus is and they're able to keep it.

"Tonight was a good ballgame for us. We got up on (BA) early and were able to keep the momentum."

The Greyhounds took the opening kickoff and marched 65 yards in five plays for the first score of the game. Quarterback Joey Schugel hit Billy Schreiber for a key 34-yard gain in the drive, but capped it off with his feet as he went around left end for a 20-yard scoring run.

Matt Furth would then kick off, and his high, short kick was recovered by Cathedral's Pat Johnson at the Cardinal 24.

"It (kick) wasn't planned but we knew, on (BA's) kickoff return, that if we got some height on the kick we could maybe get down (the field) and have a chance at it."

The Hounds would survive two holding penalties as Furth busted in from three yards out for the 12-0 CHS advantage.

"It was important for us to start off the game the way we did," Lux said. "It gave us some confidence."

Neither team would mount any threats until the Hounds scored twice in the final 3:16 of the half. After a Tony Moldan interception, Furth capped off a five-play, 28-yard drive with a 12-yard scamper off left tackle. Cathedral's defense would then hold on the ensuing possession, and Schugel and Co. took over with 1:39 left on the clock -- 64 yards from paydirt.

"My thought was that this (time management) is going to happen in the playoffs," Lux said. "We have to be able to use the clock, and I thought the kids handled that really well."

Furth would rip off runs on 23 and 18 yards during the drive, which ended when Schugel found Hans Biebl on a 4-yard scoring pass with :12 left for a 26-0 lead at the half.

"That was an important score at the end of the first half," Lux said. "It gave us more of a cushion as well as more confidence."

The third quarter elapsed scoreless, with the Greyhound defense holding BA to three-and-out on two straight drives.

"We challenged our kids to play to their abilities," defensive coach Larry Wellmann said. "Take care of the attitude, come out with intensity, and we'll be fine. We came off of a big win (over then Class 1A, No. 1 McLeod West) and we wanted to continue it. They understood the importance of keeping the intensity at this level."

Schugel scored his second rushing touchdown of the game -- on a 7-yard keeper with 9:55 left -- before Lux started to empty his bench. The Cardinals responded against the Greyhound reserves with three scores -- a 2-yard run by Nick Navarro, a 3-yard run by Nate Schema, and a 25-yard strike from reserve quarterback Tim Skluzacek to Justin DeGrood with :05 left on the clock.

Cathedral, now 6-1 on the season, will play its final regular season game Wednesday at Wabasso.

FARIBAULT BA 0 0 0 18 -- 18

CATHEDRAL 12 14 0 6 -- 32

FIRST QUARTER

CHS-Schugel 20 run (kick failed) 10:02

CHS-Furth 3 run (pass failed) 8:54

SECOND QUARTER

CHS-Furth 12 run (Biebl pass from Schugel) 3:16

CHS-Biebl 4 pass from Schugel (kick failed) :12

THIRD QUARTER

No scoring.

FOURTH QUARTER

CHS-Schugel 7 run (kick failed) 9:55

FBA-Navarro 2 run (pass failed) 6:46

FBA-Schema 3 run (pass failed) 2:38

FBA-J.DeGrood 25 pass from Skluzacek (kick failed) :05