Panthers end Cardinals' year
Charlie Sorrells - Sentinel Sports EditorArticle Photos
GLENCOE - "There's a reason they're ranked No. 1," Fairmont mentor Mat Mahoney said in reference to three-time defending Class AAA state football champion Glencoe-Silver Lake.
The powerhouse Panthers' offense produced 400 rushing yards, while their relentless 4-4 defense created a 5-to-1 plus turnover ratio to engineer a 44-14 triumph over the Fairmont Cardinals during Friday night's Section 3 championship at Stevens Seminary Stadium in Glencoe.
Top-ranked Glencoe-Silver Lake (11-0) earned its eighth consecutive state appearance and will open the Class AAA quarterfinals against Section 4 champion and No. 2-ranked De La Salle at 7 p.m. next Friday night at Macalester College in St. Paul.
Two-time defending South Central Conference champion Fairmont ended its season with an 8-3 record.
"They controlled the line of scrimmage, and that's what high school football is all about," said Mahoney. "It's blocking and tackling, and they executed to a tee tonight."
Mahoney's postgame words proved as true as one of senior quarterback Justin Heinrich's five completions to senior wide receiver Tyler Beck as the Panthers pounced early and often.
Glencoe-Silver Lake, which extended its sectional winning streak to 24 in a row, converted five of its seven first-half possessions into points to build a commanding 37-6 halftime advantage.
Inside linebacker Benjamin Slater's fumble recovery at his own 47-yard line created the Panthers' initial offensive opportunity, and it took only seven snaps to hit paydirt behind the three-pronged backfield attack of fullback Ryan Style, halfback Aaron Lueders and quarterback Kyler Anderson.
Style, who ground out a game's-best 164 yards on 23 totes, played the role of set-up man perfectly. The hard-nosed runner pounded the football to the Fairmont 16 before the ever-elusive Lueders capped the drive with a 3-yard touchdown sprint - the first of his five TDs on the sectional final.
Aaron Lueders, who finished with 112 yards on 18 carries, high-stepped a nifty-and-shifty 11-yard scoring run through the heart of the Cardinal defense and tacked on his second 2-point conversion run to double the Panthers' lead to 16-0 at the start of the second quarter.
GSL defensive end Trevor Lueders, who entered the game with 8 1/2 quarterback sacks, recorded his second of the night during the Cardinals' second possession to force a punt.
Heinrich and Beck, however, accomplished a rarity against a Panther defensive unit that had given up only 19 total points, paced by seven shutouts - reach the end zone in one play.
Heinrich, who threw for 195 yards during his prep football finale, unleashed a perfect spiral along the home team's sideline to the fleet-footed Beck for an incredible 62-yard scoring strike to reduce Fairmont's deficit to 16-6 with 10:48 left in the second quarter.
Unfortunately for the red-and-white, that's as close as it would get on the scoreboard.
Style displayed his special-team skills by returning the ensuing kickoff 43 yards to reach the Cardinals' 42 before Lueders polished off the six-play drive with a 12-yard scamper over the right side. Kaine Dummer kicked the PAT to widen the gap to 23-6.
Slater stymied two running plays before an incomplete pass forced the Cardinals to punt again, and the Panthers scratched out seven more points via Tony Mizuhata's 1-yard, second-effort blast over the left side and Dummer's PAT kick. Style's tackle-breaking 24-yard blast up the middle put GSL on the doorstep.
Cornerback Alex Jenson's first of three interceptions only three plays later set up Lueders' 1-yard TD trot around right end. Dummer's kick extended the lead to 37-6 with three minutes left before intermission.
Logan Peymann made Fairmont's record books four snaps later, sky-rocketing a 71-yard punt that was downed at the GSL 10.
Lueders and Style then put the game away by assembling an eight-play, 49-yard scoring drive to open the third quarter on the heels of a failed onside kick.
Style rumbled 17 yards up the middle to highlight the march downfield before Lueders outsped the Fairmont secondary to the right pylon from 2 yards out with 8:58 left in the third quarter.
Jensen then produced interceptions on back-to-back series to keep the Cardinals from reaching the end zone during the third quarter.
Heinrich and Beck, however, closed out their football seasons by hooking up two more times to reach double digits on the scoreboard.
Heinrich fired a 52-yard strike along the Fairmont sideline to Beck to reach the GSL 18 before zipping a spiral to Beck, who broke two tackles to cross the goal line. Heinrich then spotted Peymann on the 2-point conversion pass to close out the scoring with 2:35 remaining in regulation.
Beck made five receptions for 195 yards and both of the Cardinals' TDs.
FHS 0 6 0 8 - 14
GSL 8 29 7 0 - 44
SCORING PLAYS
1st Quarter
GSL - Aaron Lueders 3 run (A. Lueders run), 8:49.
2nd Quarter
GSL - A. Lueders 11 run (A. Lueders run), 11:54.
F - Tyler Beck 62 pass from Justin Heinrich (pass failed), 10:48.
GSL - A. Lueders 12 run (Kaine Dummer kick), 8:09.
GSL - Tony Mizuhata 1 run (Dummer kick), 5:07.
GSL - A. Lueders 1 run (Dummer kick), 3:01.
3rd Quarter
GSL - A. Lueders 2 run (Dummer kick), 8:58.
4th Quarter
F - Beck 18 pass from Heinrich (Logan Peymann pass from Heinrich), 2:35.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: FHS 5; GSL 22. Rushing: FHS 22-29; GSL 66-400. Passing: FHS 6-17-3-195; GSL 2-2-0-21. Fumbles-lost: FHS 2-2; GSL 1-1. Penalties: FHS 2-4; GSL 7-59.
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Offense: Rushing: Richie Haycraft (F) 15-47; Ryan Style (GSL) 23-164, A. Lueders (GSL) 18-112. Passing: Heinrich (F) 6-17-3-195; Kyler Anderson (GSL) 2-2-0-21. Receiving: Beck (F) 5-195; Dummer (GSL) 1-20.
Defense: Interceptions: Alex Jenson (GSL) 3. Fumble recoveries: Weston Bremer (F), Ben Slater (GSL), Casey Style (GSL).
