MVL stifles Jayhawks

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

NEW ULM -- After watching Tuesday's Section 3AA quarterfinal game between Minnesota Valley Lutheran and Madelia-Truman, MVL head coach Dave Buboltz may have found a new home for Nathan Nass.

Nass' transition from linebacker to cornerback was a success as the senior picked off two passes and finished with nine tackles in a 25-6 win over the Jayhawks.

Nass joked that if the opposing quarterback kept throwing his way, he wouldn't mind staying at cornerback.

"It was the first time I ever played cornerback in my life, so I just tried to cover my guy and grab the ball when it came through. If they keep throwing me the ball I'd stay here."

MVL finished with six interceptions and only allowed 28 yards of total offense.

"We had a lot of defensive pressure on [Madelia-Truman quarterback Mark Jacobs] him," MVL coach Jim Buboltz said. "I would like to see how many more we had our hands on today."

The Jayhawks came out with a variety of trick plays, but nothing seemed to work to their advantage.

On the opening kickoff, the Jayhawks decided to go with the onside kick and it was one of the the times their tricks would succeed.

However, five plays into the drive, Tyler Morgan picked off Jacobs' pass. The Chargers brought the ball down to the Jayhawk 19, but a fumble gave Madelia-Truman the ball back.

After a Jayhawks fumble, Ryan Timm scored from five yards out to give the Chargers a 6-0 after the PAT was blocked. Timm finished with 15 carries and 135 yards and two touchdowns.

"We saw the middle was pretty weak, and once they started crashing the middle, we took it outside," Timm said.

On the second play from scrimmage in the second quarter, Timm again found an opening in the Jayhawk defense and broke away on a 40-yard run to make it 13-0 after the PAT.

"It was just a simple dive play and I got away from their safety," Timm said. "The linebackers might have blitzed and we had some good blocks down the field. The line really helped out, not with the first block, but with the second block when they're 20 yards down the field. That helped a lot."

Later in the same quarter, Grant Holzhueter took a pitch and scored from 10 yards out to give the Chargers a 19-0 lead with 6:54 remaining.

The Chargers got great field position in the beginning of the third quarter, but were unable to find the end zone and they settled on a 27-yard field goal by Mark Thiesfeldt to give the Chargers a 22-0 lead at the end of three quarters.

Thiesfeldt kicked a 28-yarder in the fourth quarter to put the Chargers up 25-0, and the Jayhawks got their lone score when Jacobs picked up a fumble and scored from 42 yards out to make it 25-6.

Kyle Compart and Morgan each had 10 tackles. Dustin Lange had eight tackles and a sack. Holzhueter finished with 42 yards rushing on nine carries. The MVL offensive line paved the way for 229 yards on the ground.

MVL (9-0) hosts Windom Area at 4 p.m. Saturday at Johnson Field.

Scoring

M-T 0 0 0 6 -- 6

MVL 6 13 3 3 -- 25

1st quarter

MVL -- Timm 5 yard rush, PAT failed 6-0

2nd quarter

MVL -- Timm 40 yard TD rush, PAT kick by Theisfeldt 13-0

MVL -- Holzhueter 10 yard rush, PAT failed 19-0

3rd quarter

MVL -- 27 yard FG by Thiesfeldt 22-0

4th quarter

MVL -- 28 yard FG by Thiesfeldt 25-0

MT -- Jacobs 42 yard fumble recovery, PAT failed 25-6