Nick Lee

Garrett Anderson and Zach Tvedten combined for 312 yards rushing, as the Blue Earth Area Bucs returned to the win column with a 42-21 victory over the St. Peter Saints in a rare Tuesday night contest.

“All the credit goes to the kids,” says Bucs’ mentor Randy Kuechenmeister. “They practiced well this week. I’m proud of their effort.”

It was the Saints who got on the board first after each team turned the ball over on their opening drives.

Dal-ton Hurn intercepted for the Bucs, but Anderson was stripped of the ball following a 17-yard run. This resulted in the Saints beginning their second drive from their own 24-yard line.

St. Peter put together a seven play, 76-yard drive for a touchdown. A lateral to the wide receiver and his subsequent pass to receiver Beau Bachman covered 62 yards of the drive. With the successful extra point kick, the visitors led 7-0 with 6:07 left in the opening quarter.

An alert Jared Smith scored the Bucs’ first touchdown. Starting on their own own 35 yard line, BEA mixed the run and the pass as they proceeded to the Saints 12-yard line.

Nick Lee caught an Anderson pass and, as he struggled to get in the end zone, the ball came loose, bouncing into the end zone where Smith pounced on it for the score. Anderson’s extra point kick was good and the game was tied at seven all with 2:16 left in the first quarter.

A 21-yard run by the Saints Aaron O’Gorman capped a six play, 62-yard drive to give St. Peter the lead on the final play of the quarter. The PAT was good and Blue Earth Area trailed St. Peter 14-7.

One of the most exciting plays of the game came on the ensuing kick off – and didn’t count.

Nate Carr took the kick at the 16-yard line, began running upfield and seemed to be stopped as a host of St. Peter tacklers appeared to smother him. It was not the case, however, as Carr somehow came out of the crowd, still upright, and sped down the side line for the apparent TD. Unfortunately for the Bucs, a holding call brought the play back and BEA actually began their drive at their own 11-yard line.

Undaunted, the Bucs began marching the ball down the field. It took BEA six plays to cover the first 37 yards and then three plays to go the last 52 yards.

Two consecutive runs by Anderson advanced the ball from the Bucs’ 48-yard line down to the Saints’ 20.

Tvedten then exploded through the line on the next play to score the TD with 8:01 to go until half time. Anderson’s kick made it 14-14.

“Our offensive line controlled the tempo and made some nice holes,” Kuechenmeister notes. “And the backs ran hard.”

The Buccaneer defense forced the only punt of the game on the Saints’ next drive.

The Bucs took over on their own 22-yard line. It took the hosts 12 plays to cover 88 yards with Anderson running it in for the go ahead score. The PAT kick was good and Blue Earth Area now held a 21-14 lead.

There was only 1:26 to go in the opening half when St. Peter began their next drive from their own 43, but it took them less than a minute to tie the game up.

A 30-yard touchdown strike to wide receiver Joey Bartlett and the successful PAT tied the game at 21 with 32 seconds showing on the clock and ended the first half scoring.

Blue Earth Area struck quickly to open the second half. After advancing the ball to the Saints’ 42-yard line, Anderson was forced out the pocket before resetting and throwing a ball that traveled 50 yards in the air, hitting Nick Lee in stride for the TD. Anderson added his fourth extra point of the night as the Bucs needed only 58 seconds to take a 28-21 lead.

It took the Saints 11 plays to cover 60 yards as they scored their final TD of the night with 5:47 to go in the third quarter. The PAT tied the game at 28.

A four play, 71-yard drive gave the Bucs the lead for good with 4:02 left in the third quarter.

Anderson covered the final 59 yards himself, with a 21-yard run followed by a 38-yard run for the score. The PAT was good moving the Bucs in front 35-28.

BEA made the most of a Saints’ turnover to score the final points of the game. Nick Lee disrupted a St. Peter option play and Tvedten scooped up the football at the Saints 34 and advanced it to the 8-yard line.

Lee scored the TD on a leap from the 1-yard line. The Bucs went up 42-28 with 2:32 left in the game.

Tvedten ended up with 165 rushing yards on 17 carries while Anderson added 147 yards on 15 carries.

Anderson was 11-15 passing for 166 yards and two touchdowns. Carr gathered in five Anderson passes for 71 yards and Lee caught three passes for 71 yards and one touchdown.