Windom 07-12-00-19 = 38
Pipestone 08-08-08-12 = 36
A wild game came down to the final play Tuesday night, as the Windom Eagles held off Pipestone for a 38-36 win in the Section 3AA playoffs at Pipestone.
Windom rallied from an 11-point deficit with 19 points in the final 10 minutes of the game, taking an eight-point lead.
Pipestone answered, scoring a touchdown as time expired. But on the two-point conversion try to tie the game, Eagle Lane Caldwell punched the ball out of the hands of Pipestone quarterback Austin Musch as he stretched for the goal line. Jackson Joyce pounced on the ball in the end zone, preserving the Eagle win.
Both offenses were sharp much of the night. Pipestone scored on the game’s opening possession, as Musch hit Cayden Zephier for an 11-yard touchdown and two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.
Windom answered, marching 73 yards in eight plays, capped with a 5-yard Stevie Meyer touchdown run. Rodrigo Hernandez booted the extra point, pulling the Eagles to within 8-7.
After an Arrow three-and-out, the Eagles moved 57 yards in 11 plays, capped with an 8-yard Meyer touchdown run for a 13-8 lead.
Pipestone answered, as Musch hit Kayden White for a 16-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion gave the Arrows a 16-13 lead.
Windom again answered, marching 73 yards in 11 plays, capped with Meyer’s third touchdown of the first half on a 1-yard run with 18 seconds left in the half. That gave the Eagles a 19-16 halftime lead.
Windom moved the ball to the Arrow 18 on the opening drive of the second half, but an interception set the Arrows up for a 7-yard touchdown run by Zephier for a 24-19 lead.
After an Eagle three-and-out, the Arrows marched 87 yards in just six plays, capped with a 43-yard dash by Musch for a 30-19 lead with 9:55 left in the game.
But the Eagles answered quickly. Joyce hit Henry Visker for a 59-yard touchdown strike, cutting the deficit to 30-25.
Three plays later, an interception by Meyer was returned to the Arrow 4-yard line. From there, Joyce found Joe Walinga in the back of the end zone, giving the Eagles a 31-30 lead.
After the teams traded punts, the Eagles were able to stop Pipestone on a fourth-down try. Windom moved quickly downfield, with Meyer scoring his fourth touchdown of the night on an 18-yard run. Hernandez kicked the extra point, giving the Eagles a 38-30 lead with 1:52 left on the clock.
Pipestone quickly moved upfield, covering 67 yards in 10 plays, with all but one getting out of bounds. But with the clock running and time running down on fourth down, Musch hit Zephier in the back of the end zone with no time left on the clock, cutting the Eagle lead to 38-36 with the two-point conversion pending to potentially tie the game.
On the two-point play, the Arrows ran an option play to the right, with Musch trying to cut into the hole and stretch the ball ahead to the end zone. But as he stretched the ball, Caldwell punched the ball from his hands. The ball bounced into the end zone, where Joyce smothered it to seal the win.
Meyer finished with a career-high 199 yards on the ground on 33 carries and four touchdowns. Joyce rushed seven times for 40 yards.
Joyce completed 7-of-13 passes for 99 yards. Visker had one catch for 59 yards.
BA 00-19-00-06 = 25
MLA 06-00-00-08 = 14
The Mt. Lake Area football team struggled on special teams Tuesday night, setting their opponents up in prime field position, as Bethlehem Academy cashed in for a 25-14 victory in a Section 3 Nine-Player consolation game played in Mt. Lake.
The Wolverines had two punts blocked and another where the snap went over the punter’s head. Bethlehem Academy turned the short fields into touchdowns on all three occasions.
MLA jumped out to an early lead, as Tryton Khounsanthone completed a 65-yard touchdown pass to Carson Wall in the opening quarter, giving MLA a 6-0 lead.
But the special teams woes hit in the second quarter, as Henry Foxhoven scored on a 25-yard run, tying the game at 6-6.
A blocked punt then set up another short Cardinal field, as Tommy Kunze hit Hayden Dillon for a 25-yard touchdown and a 13-6 lead.
The Cardinals stretched the lead to 19-6 before halftime on a 10-yard scoring run by Foxhoven.
Another blocked punt early in the fourth quarter set up a 3-yard touchdown run by Kunze, giving the Cardinals a 25-6 lead.
MLA trimmed the deficit late on a 14-yard touchdown run by Damian Aguirre and the two-point conversion pass from Khounsanthone to Jordan Khamkhaykeo.
Khounsanthone completed 8-of-20 passes for 115 yards. Aguirre had 50 yards rushing on two carries. Jason Wright had nine carries for 34 yards. Wall had four catches for 89 yards.
Next games: Check for updates after each game.
Windom: at JCC (Jackson), Oct. 25
RRC: vs. New Ulm Cathedral (at Lamberton), Oct. 25
