Goodhue bad news for TigersSpringfield loses 13-6 in first round of state

By JEREMY BEHNKE

Journal Sports Writer

GOODHUE -- All season long, teams in the Three Rivers-North Conference beat up on each other on the gridiron.

But during the playoffs, they beat up on other teams that aren't in their conference, as evident by the fact that the conference sent four teams to the state tournament this year.

On Friday, defending state champion Goodhue trailed 6-0 to Springfield at the half, but let its running game take over and, with the help of the big play, ended Springfield's season at 10-2.

"They're a good football team, and we played our hearts out, but you gotta hand it to them, they're a good football team," Springfield quarterback Zach Sturm said. "We're a good football team too. That's why we're both here playing this game."

The Wildcats' backfield trio of Brandon Voth, Calvin Ryan, and Josh Budensiek lived up to its billing as Voth rushed for 121 yards, Ryan for 48 and a 17-yard touchdown, and Budensiek for 51 yards. Budensiek got the Goodhue scoring started when he took a pitch, ran to the left side, and got downfield to score from 42 yards out to tie the game at 6.

But it was the Tigers who struck first, and it was Sturm's ability to run the option that gave the Tiger backfield an extra weapon. Goodhue opened the game with a long drive, but a fumble thwarted it.

Sturm's first carry of the game was a fake handoff in which he tore open a run of 54 yards to put the ball inside the Wildcat 20. He later dove in for the only Tiger score with 5:22 left in the first quarter.

"It kinda seemed like the end was crashing down and it opened up the outside for me," Sturm said. "The line did a great job. They played their hearts out. It just don't fall that way sometimes."

The Tigers opened the third quarter with a fumble at midfield, and later Budensiek took the pitch from sophomore quarterback Jordan Warren and found the endzone.

Then, in the fourth quarter, Voth picked a first down on 4th-and-2. Later, with the ball on the Tiger 17, Ryan went up the middle, juked a Springfield defender, and scored to give the Wildcats a 13-6 lead after the PAT.

Springfield had a couple of other chances, but Sturm was sacked on a 4th-and-21 with 2:27 left and the Wildcats ran out the clock.

Sturm finished with 78 yards rushing and Andy Moritz had 55 yards on the ground.

"We were a great football team," Sturm said. "We all came together and we all got along and had fun playing the game."

Sturm said he hopes the trip to the state tournament becomes more frequent for the Tigers, who last appeared in 1997.

"It's a good game for our community and for our program," Sturm said. "The community really came together with our team and kinda carried us a little bit. You saw all the fans here -- we almost had as many fans here as they did."

"It's been a great ride, and I've been really impressed on how we did come together as a team," Springfield coach Paul Dunn said. "I think that's good for everyone involved. The kids gave me everything I asked for and sometimes more, and I'm really proud of them."

Jeremy Behnke can be reached at jbehnke@nujournal.com