Mounders battered by Buffaloes ground game, drop homecoming contest 35-12
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
PICK SIX — Mounder defensive back Kamron Diermeier (#5) intercepted a Mondovi pass in the third quarter of Elk Mound’s October 4th homecoming game and returned it 76 yards for the team’s first score. It wasn’t enough, however, as the Mounders lost 35-12.
—photo by Joel DeWitt
ELK MOUND — Elk Mound knew it was in for a challenge when it hosted Mondovi for its annual homecoming game last Friday, October 4.
The Mounders needed to control the line of scrimmage and the Buffaloes’ vaunted ground attacked if they were to earn their fourth straight victory.
Mondovi’s ground game, however, proved nearly unstoppable as it piled up 429 rushing yards on 43 hauls, which included 164 yards and a touchdown on 14 attempts from running back Hunter Sandberg and another 150 yards and three scores via 11 carries by quarterback Bode Falkner, en route to a 35-12 win on the Mounders’ home turf.
The win gave the Buffaloes, who lead 21-0 at the intermission, a share of third place along with the Mounders as both team are now 3-2 in Cloverbelt play with two conference games remaining. Mondovi is 6-2 overall while Elk Mound slipped to 5-3.
The first quarter nearly expired without a score, but Hunter Sandberg scored his only touchdown of the game on an eight-yard run with 28 ticks left on the clock. Sandberg was stopped short on the two-point conversion run, but Mondovi had the lead at 6-0.
In the second quarter, the Buffaloes would add two more touchdowns, both coming in the final four minutes. Mondovi’s Bode Falkner called his own number and carried in the score from nine yards out. Carter Heike ran in the two-point try for a 14-0 advantage at 3:52.
Then, with just 36 seconds on the first-half clock, Falkner scored his second rushing touchdown, this from a yard away, to extend the visiting Buffaloes lead. The extra point kick by Hunter Wik was good and Mondovi went into the halftime break with a 21-0 lead.
Elk Mound finally got on the scoreboard late in the third quarter on a defensive gem. Junior Kamron Diermeier picked off a Falkner pass and raced 76 yards to pay dirt for the Mounders first score of the game. Although the conversion pass from Parker Rhude to Rownan Soul-Stewart fell incomplete, the Mounders had closed their deficit to 21-6 with 3:50 to play in the quarter.
But, two and a half minutes later Mondovi responded with its fourth touchdown of the game, a 13-yard run by Heike. Wik tacked on the extra point for a 28-6 Buffs’ advantage.
Then in the fourth stanza, Falkner capped Mondovi’s scoring with his third rushing touchdown of the game. The nine-yard score coupled with Wik’s good extra point kick put the Buffaloes ahead 35-6 with 6:10 left in the contest.
Elk Mound mounted one final scoring drive which was capped by 21-yard pass and catch from Parker Rhude to Parker Dutzle at 2:51 of the fourth quarter. Rhude tried to run in the two-point conversion, but was stopped short of the goal line which made the final score 35-12.
The Mounders finished with 282 yards of offense, 154 through the air and the other 128 via the ground, while the Buffaloes tallied 460, the vast majority of which came on the ground.
Parker Dutzle was the top ground gainer for the Mounders as he finished with 58 yards on a dozen attempts, Logan Jerome added 46 yards on just five hauls from the quarterback positions and Parker Rhude tallied 24 yards on 14 carries. In the passing department, Jerome threw just four times, completing two for 24 yards while Parker Rhude went 4-for-10 for 130 yards and a TD, but was also intercepted twice by the Mondovi defense. Five different Mounders caught passes. Diermeier led with two receptions for 48 yards, Zeb Robinson had one for 41, Logan Jerome had a 32-yard catch, Parker Dutzle snared another for 23 yards and Rownan Soul-Stewart finished with a 10-yard catch.
Soul-Stewart led Elk Mound in tackles with ten, Ian Gerrits added seven and Diermeier and Landon KasaKaitas each netted five.
Besides the respective 164- and 150-yard rushing performances by the Buffs’ Sandberg and Falkner, Blake Williamson added 35 yards on half a dozen carries, Denton Loesel ran twice for 33 yards, Carter Heike finished with 19 yards on four attempts and Deegahn Koenitzer ran three times for 17 yards. Falkner completed just five of his 13 pass attempts for 31 yards and was intercepted three times by Elk Mound.
The Mounders play at Stanley-Boyd this Friday. The Orioles are coming off a 35-25 loss to Eau Claire Regis in a showdown for sole possession of first place in the Cloverbelt standings.