Playoff win costly to Vikes
The Kript Squad was nearly depleted and Coach Chad Johnston, “Thought we were close to being healthy.”
Then the roof feel in during a 55-15 playoff opening win over Yellow Medicine East.
Landon Rolbiecki, the courageous senior who has played after a broken leg last year had to be helped off the field.
The same leg was injured. Johnston thought it might be a muscle issue, not a bone issue.
The Vikings 1,000-yard rusher Cole Sanow was pulled out of the game early because he felt some problems in his shoulder.
He played a little defense but never carried the ball again.
And running back LaShad Smith, nearly health from an ankle injury, and after a good game against the Sting, was also limping, and this time it was the other ankle.
Johnston was feeling the “Sting,” knowing there were just three days and only a couple of practices before the team played Dawson-Boyd, the arch-rival and winner over Canby, 48-7.
“We know one thing. Dawson-Boyd will be pumped up and ready to go,” said the Minneota coach.
Saturday’s game looms large in the light of uncertainty over who will be able to play and who won’t.
The coach pointed to Sanow and said,”We need that one.”
Minneota has built it’s season around the sturdy junior runner who ran the ball for just over nine yards ever time he put his hands on the ball.
And Rolbiecki has become a key part of the defense and the receiving core for the Vikings.
Smith, plagued by the injury for weeks, has been a reliable starter and backup.
“This team walked away banged up again,” said the coach.
Quarterback Jacob Hennen has returned from the injury list (Kript Squad) and Tanner Sterzinger is back on the field.
But this latest string of injuries is indeed costly.
It means the coaching staff may have to, again, make arrangements with or without those players. The positive side is not of the injuries appeared to be long-term.
Tuesday night Minneota’s offense ran through Yellow Medicine like butter, no matter if Jacob or Thomas Hennen was the quarterback. But this time it was mostly Jacob Hennen at the helm and he threw for 216 yards, completing 11 of 15 passes.
Their first drive ended in a three-yard touchdown run by Rolbiecki, the second drive was a two-yard pass to Logan Sussner and they were off and running.
In the second quarter Thomas Hennen ran the ball over from the five and Sussner caught a 34-yard touchdown pass for a 27-0 lead.
When Yellow Medicine East did score, it was on Minneota’s reserves.
With Sebastiano Beraldo nailing all his kicks in the first half, the Vikings had a comfortable 28-0 lead.
Minneota’s first touchdown came right after YME fumbled the first play of the game. The third scame after Jacob Hennen and brother Thomas teammed up on a 40-yard pass. In the second half Minneota gave its second team a chance to play and YME scored twice.
Highlights included a Beraldo kick that hit the bar and bounced over for a point and a 29-yard interception TD by Grady Moorse.
Defensively, Shawn Buysse was all over the field with 10 tackles as he held his own personal tackling clinic against the Sting.
Tackle Beau Banish pitched in with seven tackles and Cole VanOverbeke added four more. The defensive line gave up just 16 yards rushing and 18 yards passing to YME.
SECTION 5A Scores:
BOLD 63, Lakeview 7
Ortonville 49, Lac qui Parle Valley 15
Minneota 55, Yellow Medicine East 15
Dawson-Boyd 48, Canby 7
Yellow Medicine East 0 0 7 8 — 15
Minneota 14 14 21 6 — 55
First Quarter
Minneota-Landon Rolbiecki 4 run. PAT-Sebastiano Beraldo kick.
Minneota-Logan Sussner 2 pass from Jacob Hennen. PAT-Beraldo kick.
Second Quarter
Minneota-Thomas Hennen 5 run. PAT-Beraldo kick.
Minneota-Logan Sussner 34 pass from Jacob Hennen. PAT-Beraldo kick.
Third Quarter
Minneota-LaShad Smith 37 pass from Jacob Hennen. PAT-Beraldo kick.
Minneota-Tanner Sterzinger 1 run. PAT-Beraldo kick.
Minneota-Grady Moorse 29 interception return. PAT-Beraldo kick.
Yellow Medicine East-Carter Sneller 75 kickoff return. PAT-David Hidalgo kick.
Fourth Quarter
Minneota-Tate Walerius 23 pass from Jacob Hennen. PAT-Beralso kick failed.
Yellow Medicine East-Ayden Friese 6 run. PAT-Dalton Anderson pass from Ethan Peterson.
Team Statistics:
Minneota YME
23 6
6-41 Penalties/Yards 4-46
1-1 Fumbles./Lost 4-1
29-222 Rushes/yards 32-16
230 Passing yards 18
442 Total Yards 34
Individiual Statistics
RUSHING: (No., yds.) Minneota-LaShad Smith 8-59; Thomas Hennen 4-41; Tanner Sterzinger 5-30; Blake Reiss 4-27; Landon Rolbiecki 2-19; Shawn Buysse 1-17; AJ Josephson 3-13; Cole Sanow 1-6. YME-Sneller 8-16; Hiidalgo 1-0; Ayden Friese 6-16; Peterson 4-minus 3; others 3-minus 13.
PASSING: (No., comp., int., yds.) Minneota-Jacob Hennen 11-15-0-216 yards; thomas Hennen 6-1-1-14. YME-Peterson 10-2-2-18.
RECEIVING: (No., yds.) Minneota-Sussner 3-48; T. Hennen 2-44; Smith 1-37; Sterzinger 1-34; Saltzeer 2-26; Walerius 1-23; Rolbiecki 2-18. YME- Anderson 2-18.
KICKOFFS: (No., yds., avg.) Minneota-Rolbiecki 6-251-41.8; Beraldo 3-104-34.6.
KICKOFF RETURNS: (No., yds.) Mnneota-T. Hennen 1-18; Smith 1-14; Joe Rybinski 1-14. YME-Sneller 4-27; Hidalgo 3-8; Friese 1-9.
PUNTS: (No., yds., avg.) Minneota-None. YME-Peterson 5-200-40.0
PUNT RETURNS: (No., yds.) Minneota-None. YME-None.
TACKLES (Solo-assist(: Minneota: Shawn Buysse 3-7; Josh Laleman 3-1; AJ Myhre 3-0; Sterzinger 2-0; Justin Johnson 2-1; Smith 1-2; Blake Reiss and Sussner 1-0; Banish 1-6; Austin Sorenson 1-1; Ty Lipinski 1-1; Rolbiecki 0-2; Sanow 0-1; Walerius 0-1; VanOverbeke 0-4; Mitcell rost 0-2; Layne Lozinski 0-1; Rybinski 0-1; B. Lozinski 0-1; Moorse 1. YME-Sneller 8-1; Bryant Bestland 8-1; Peterson 4-2; YME-LaBatte 3-1; Friese 2-1; Hidalgo 2-1; Others 4-4.
SACKS: Minneota-Sussner, Sorenson, Lipinski. YME-None.
TACKLES FOR LOSS: Minneota-AJ Myhre, Sussner, Sorenson, Lipinski. YME-Hunter Johnson.
INTERCEPTIONS: MINNEOTA-T. Hennen, G. Moorse.
FUMBLE RECOVERIES: Minneota-Rolbiecki.