Bucs rout Rebels, 45-0
The Blue Earth Area Buccaneer football team scored on both offense and defense and special teams in a 45-0 shutout over their cross-county rivals, the United South Central Rebels.
It was the last time ever that the two teams are scheduled to meet each other.
The Buccaneers got their first points on the board in the first quarter, when USC’s Walker Linde was hit in the end zone and fumbled. BEA’s Gus Phillips recovered the ball for a quick six points.
In the second quarter, the Buc offense rang up six points with a 21-yard touchdown pass from Kysten Zierke to Isaac Darrington.
In both of BEA’s first two scores, the try for extra points (a kick and a pass) failed, so the score was 12-0.
After stopping the Rebels with a tough defense, BEA took over the ball and Zierke ran 33 yards for a touchdown.
This time the extra point kick by German exchange student Felix Harseim was good, boosting the Bucs lead to 19-0.
The Buccaneer defense then scored their second touchdown of the night when Dallas Barslou intercepted a USC pass and returned it 35 yards for score with three minutes left in the half. Harseim made the kick for the extra point try.
Less than two minutes later the Bucs got a score from their special teams.
The Rebels were forced to punt and one of the USC players touched the ball on the ground thinking he had ‘downed’ it.
But, in high school rules a punted ball has to be picked up by the kicking team’s players in order for the ball to be ‘downed’ and the referee to blow his whistle to signify the ball is dead and the play over.
No whistle was blown Friday night.
BEA’s Carter Hanson scooped up the punted ball and, with many players thinking the play was over, ran 53 yards for another BEA touchdown. This time the PAT try was not successful.
That made the score 32-0 at the half.
BEA had two more scores in the third quarter. Zierke ran 18 yards for one of the touchdowns, with a successful extra point kick, while Calvin Sanders had a 34 yard run for another, but the extra point kick failed.
That made the score 45-0.
In the fourth quarter, the clock continued to run and the Bucs substituted liberally.
Zierke was 5 of 7 for 63 yards with one interception in the game.
USC’s Travis Brown was 8 of 16 for 28 yards and one interception.
BEA’s Hanson caught two passes for 37 yards, while Darrington had one for 22 yards and Steven Plocker had two for eight yards.
Riley Kloos had one pass reception for 22 yards for USC.
On the ground, Sanders led BEA with 66 yards on six carries, while Zierke carried the ball nine times and gained 62 yards. Phillips gained 45 yards on four carries.
USC’s Dallas Olson gained 35 yards on four carries.
The Rebels had 20 first downs to the Bucs 18.
The Bucs were set to play St. Paul Highland Park this past Friday, after this week’s issue’s deadline. Details will be in the Register next week.
This week, on Friday, the Buccaneers host Windom at Wilson Field at 7 p.m.