Panthers nip Mounders in Cloverbelt football contest
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DURAND — Elk Mound was looking for its second straight win over another winless Cloverbelt Conference opponent when it headed to Durand last Friday.
After blanking hapless Osseo-Fairchild 47-0 the previous week, the Mounders were hoping to do the same when it visited Bauer Built Sports Complex September 15 to take on the Panthers of Durand-Arkansaw.
The Panthers, however, pulled off the upset and earned their first win of the season as they edged the visiting Mounders 16-15 after scoring an early fourth-quarter touchdown and converting the two-point try.
The surprising outcome left both Elk Mound and Durand-Arkansaw with 1-2 records in Cloverbelt play. The Mounders are 2-3 overall with four games, all in conference, remaining on their regular-season slate including a home-field showdown against Fall Creek this Friday, September 22. The Crickets, also 2-3, are coming off a heartbreaking 16-14 home loss to Regis.
Things looked very promising early on for Elk Mound.
The Mounders took an 8-0 advantage less than four minutes into last Friday’s road contest when junior running back Parker Dutzle scored six points on a four-yard run at the 8:57 mark of the first quarter. Junior signal caller Logan Jerome then slung a pass to senior Kaden Russo for the two-point conversion.
Elk Mound held that eight-point lead through halftime.
Durand-Arkansaw was able to deadlock the contest early in the third quarter when Ryan Mason broke loose for a 44-yard touchdown run at 8:41 which was followed by a two-point pass from Ethan Hurlburt to Brady Weber.
Less than six minutes later, Elk Mound found the end zone for a second time in the contest when senior back Carter Vieth scored from five yards out. Russo’s extra point boot went through the uprights for a 15-8 Mounders’ lead with 2:58 remaining in the third quarter.
Then with 10:09 left in regulation play, Hurlburt connected with Jaxson Weiss for a 41-yard touchdown pass that pulled the Panthers to within a point. On the all important conversion attempt, Durand-Arkansaw opted to go for two and got it when Joey Baker hauled in Hurlburt’s pass on the untimed down to give the Panthers their first lead at 16-15.
That’s how it would end as neither team was able to put any more points on the scoreboard.
The two teams were fairly even in the yardage department. Elk Mound tallied 230 to Durand-Arkansaw’s 203.
Jerome passed for 129 of those yards on a 10-for-16 performance. Vieth had 59 yards rushing on 21 carries including a touchdown. Dutzle finished with 58 yards and a score on 15 hauls and added three receptions for 23 yards. Sam Wenzel had a pair of catches for 52 yards and Kamron Diermeier added 28 yards on two catches.
Splitting time at the quarterback position for Durand-Arkansaw, Ethan Hurlburt throw the ball just five times but completed three for 50 yards and a touchdown. Ryan Mason rushed for 125 of the Panthers’ 153 ground yards and had a score.