Mounders make it three in a row

SPRING VALLEY — After another slow start, the Elk Mound football team turned a 6-0 halftime lead into a 42-7 rout over the Spring Valley Cardinals, bringing their record to 3-0 on the Cardinals home field Sept. 7.

For the second week in a row the Mounders waited until the second quarter to start their scoring while shutting down the opposition in the meantime. With the running game going nowhere, quarterback Nick Heit took to the air, which seemed to work out fine as he connected with Adam Gottchalk for a 31 yard scoring pass midway through the quarter. The kick failed but the Mounders held the lead at the intermission.

“We were really getting handled on the front line the first quarter,” Elk Mound coach Dan Pedersen said. “We started controlling things better midway through the second one.”

Scoring in the air and on the ground, Elk Mound added 22 points in the third quarter to break things open as Heit connected with Dakota Tarnow for a 30 yard score and a two point conversion pass.

Jordan Klemp then broke off a 50 yard run to the endzone and Heit found Nate Mack for a 14 yard TD pass. With another two point pass conversion to Tarnow, the Mounders were in control 28-7.

Keeping the ball on the ground for most of the final quarter, Klemp broke off a pair of long runs, reaching pay dirt on a 55 yard scamper and on a 60 yard run. Ryan Mueller booted both extra points for good measure.

“The success of the passing game opened up our running game the second half,” Pedersen said. “We had pretty good pass protection for Heit and Gottchalk picked things up for us on the receiving end as the Cardinals double teamed Tarnow most of the game. It was another good conference win for us,” he added.

Klemp ended his evening with 217 yards rushing on 17 carries while Heit passed for 227 yards with a 16 for 29 performance and no interceptions. Tarnow collected six passes for 96 yards. The Cardinals were held to 190 total yards, 98 on the ground.

The Mounders will host the conference’s only other undefeated team, Glenwood City, this Friday, September 14.