Sleepy Eye advances

By PAUL DUNLAP

Journal Sports Editor

NEW ULM -- It was this season's version of "The Drive."

Sleepy Eye High School marched 96 yards in 13 plays, chewing up almost six minutes of clock in the fourth quarter before scoring a touchdown that ensured a 20-6 win over New Ulm Cathedral in Section 2-1A semifinal football action at Johnson Field.

The Indians, now 8-2 on the season, will face Mankato Loyola/Minnesota Valley Lutheran Friday, 7 p.m., for the section championship.

"First and foremost, congratulations to Cathedral and their coaching staff," Indian head coach Dean Deibele said. "They have nothing to hang their heads about ... we beat a very good football team today. We did all the little things it took to win."

"Public came in with a good defensive scheme," Greyhound coach Denny Lux said. "They have good speed, did a lot of blitzing, and took some timing away in our backfield. The wind took some things away from us as well, but Sleepy Eye played an excellent game. I thought we were right with them until that last score."

The Indians opened the game with a score as well, taking the opening kickoff and marching 69 yards in 12 plays. Fullback Jose Saenz, the workhorse all day long for Sleepy Eye, capped the drive with a 2-yard plunge, and the first quarter was almost half over before Cathedral even touched the ball.

"They have a good running game," Lux said of the Indians. "Their big fullback (Saenz), he did a good job of protecting the ball, and their offensive line just pushed us off the ball. It was enough that they could sustain their drives."

Sleepy Eye wouldn't do much for the rest of the first half as penalties crippled solid drives.

"I think we're going to quit talking about it, because the more we talk about it the more penalties we have," Deibele said. "We've had to overcome those penalties and mistakes all year long, and we don't expect to have those problems this time of year."

Brandon Reinarts' interception of a Bryce Belseth pass gave the Hounds the opportunity to score their only touchdown of the game. Taking over at the Indian 41, a 10-yard run by Mitch Palmer and a 19-yard scamper by Reinarts set up quarterback Joey Schugel's 2-yard scoring strike to Jacob Mertz. Cathedral failed on the two-point pass, and went into halftime trailing 7-6.

The first break of the second half would fall Cathedral's way as Saenz, close to the goal line, fumbled into the end zone and the Hounds' Tony Moldan recovered, giving Cathedral the ball at its 20. Sleepy Eye then came right back to force a fumble on a Schugel hand-off, and Belseth cashed in as he went right 22 yards for the touchdown with :18 left in the third quarter. Jeremy Ibberson's second extra-point of the game gave the Indians a 14-6 lead heading into the final quarter.

CHS then had a 9-play drive end in a punt, and Sleepy Eye took over at its own 4 with 9:29 left on the clock.

"The bottom line is that the kids really sucked it up and played hard when they had to," Deibele said. "Coming out from our own (4), getting a couple of big gains ... that was the ballgame right there, I think."

Saenz had four straight carries -- including a 56-yarder -- that moved the ball to the Cathedral 33. He would carry the ball four more times in the drive, which culminated in a Belseth 1-yard sneak for the touchdown on fourth down. The clock read 3:30 left when the drive ended, and Cathedral wouldn't mount another serious threat.

Saenz ended with 23 carries for 187 yards and a touchdown. Belseth added 87 yards on 19 carries and two scores.

Reinarts had 88 yards on 14 carries to lead Cathedral, who ends its season with an 8-2 record.

"It's always hard to end the season, but these guys are going to look back in a month or so they're going to realize that they had an excellent season," Lux said. "This is our finest season as a coaching staff. We're awful proud of it, and we hope to build on it for the future."

SLEEPY EYE 7 0 7 6 -- 20

CATHEDRAL 0 6 0 0 -- 6

FIRST QUARTER

SE-Saenz 2 run (Ibberson kick) 6:29

SECOND QUARTER

CHS-Mertz 2 pass from Schugel (pass failed) 2:43

THIRD QUARTER

SE-Belseth 22 run (Ibberson kick) :18

FOURTH QUARTER

SE-Belseth 1 run (kick blocked) 3:30