Posted: 11/6/07
Warriors top D-E 22-16, move
on to state quarterfinals Friday
 The Warrior defensive line made a big stand late in the third period when D-E had a third and one from the six and did not score. Photo by Reed Welch. |
By Charlie Warner
Argus News Editor
There are only eight Class AA teams still playing football in Minnesota and the Caledonia Warriors are one of the eight. By virtue of a nail-biting 22-16 win over Dover-Eyota Friday night, the local gridders are Section 1AA champs and move on to the state quarterfinals against Norwood-Young America. The quarterfinal game will be played at Park High School in Cottage Grove this Friday at 7 p.m.
The six-point win over the D-E Eagles was anything but easy for the home-standing Warriors.
CHS got on the scoreboard first when junior Ryan Goetzinger picked off an Eagle pass at mid-field six minutes into the opening period. Kody Moore found Andy Bauer open for a 36-yard TD strike. Goetzingerís kick was good, and the Warriors had a 7-0 lead with 5:38 remaining in quarter number one.
D-E took over control of the game, when they scored 16 unanswered points on two long drives. The first D-E score came shortly after the second period got underway when QB Matt Biehl hit Jared Franzen on a 24-yard pass play. Bill Martini bullied in for the two-point conversion and the Eagles had an 8-7 lead.
The visitors took the ball back on a Warrior turnover and again marched down the field. Martini scored from 20 yards out, and a pass from Biehl to Franzen made it 16-7, as the first half came to a close.
The Warriors shot themselves in the foot several times in the first half, as they had several turnovers and were flagged six times. The Eagles racked up 81 yards from the line of scrimmage in the second verse, while holding the Warriors to 18 yards.
A fired up Warrior team started out with good field position at the beginning of the third period, when Andy Bauer had a 32-yard kick-off return. CHS appeared to be moving the ball down the field, when Cody Peterson fumbled the ball and D-E took over at the 37.
The Eagles worked their way down the field and had a first and 10 from the 16. Two plays later, D-E had a third and a foot from the six yard line. The Warrior defense rose to the occasion, as they nailed the D-E ball carrier behind the line of scrimmage for a five-yard loss. A delay of game penalty pushed the Eagles back even farther. They decided to go for the first down on fourth and 11. But Tyler Stemper made an excellent defensive play, knocking the ball away from an Eagle receiver, who was in the endzone.
That defensive stand fired up the Warriors and the massive contingency of Caledonia fans. After several long runs by Petersen, Moore found Andy Bauer open for their second TD connection of the night. This time, from 15 yards out. The kick failed, and the Warriors trailed 16-13 with five seconds remaining in the third period.
Following another good defensive stop, the Warriors took over at their own 23, trailing by three points, with eight minutes left in the game. They moved the ball down the field, and it appeared as if they were going to move in for the go-ahead TD. But the D-E defense stiffened and the Warriors faced a fourth and six from the 10 yard line.
Coach Carl Fruechte decided to go for three points and the tie, and Goetzinger responded with a 27 yard field goal to tie the game at 16-16 with 3:18 left.
The Eagles took the kick-off and used their big running back Martini to run some time off the clock. With third and 11 from the 37 yard line, the Eagle quarterback dropped back to pass. Warriors defenders Eddie Hodges and Kevin Voight sacked the D-E quarterback on the D-E 21 and forced the punt.
The Warriors almost blocked the punt, which was a short kick, and took over at the 49 yardline with 1:25 left in the game.
On the first play from scrimmage, with two split wide on each side, Petersen took the ball off tackle, broke outside and scampered 51 yards for the winning TD. The extra point kick was no good, and the Warriors had a 22-16 lead with 1:15 left.
The Eagles went to the air, trying to score the winning TD. But a big rush by the CHS defense forced another D-E turnover, as Goetzinger picked off his second interception of the night.
Petersen led the offensive attack, rushing 22 times for 220 yards and one TD. Moore rushed three times for 15 yards.
Moore completed 7 of 20 passes for 78 yards and two TDs. He was intercepted twice.
Andy Bauer had four catches for 63 yards and two scores. Voight had one catch for eight yards, Isaac Fruechte had one catch for four yards, and Dustin King had one catch for three yards.
Goetzinger scored four points on a field goal and one extra point.
The CHS offense had 233 yards on the ground and 78 passing for a 311 total, while D-E rushed for 222 yards and passed for 62 for a 284 yard total. Caledonia turned the ball over four times, while D-E had three turnovers.
Defensively, Goetzinger had two interceptions and Casey Bauer had one sack.
The win improves the Warriorsí record to 10-1, while D-E finished the season at 8-3.
The Warrior Touchdown Club with have section championship T-shirts for sale at the high school on Friday.
Caledonia Argus
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E-Mail: editor.argus@ecm-inc.com