Max Ehrich (2) finds some open running room during Blue Earth Area’s 40-0 triumph over the Maple River Eagles on Wednesday, Nov. 11. The Bucs will now wait to find out the Section seedings which will determine when their next game will be played. BEA finished the regular season with a perfect 6-0 record and scored at least 40 points in every game. It was only the second loss of the season for Maple River.

The Class AA No. 2- ranked Blue Earth Area Bucs scored 34 points in the first half on their way to a 40-0 triumph over the Class AA No. 10-ranked Maple River Eagles on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at Wilson Field in Blue Earth.

The Bucs finished the regular season with a perfect 6-0 record while scoring 40 or more points in each contest.

“The guys played well, they did their jobs,” BEA head coach Randy Kuechenmeister said. “We had a number of big plays tonight.”

BEA’s Austin Thielfoldt caught the opening kickoff at his own 20-yard line and returned the ball 25 yards to the 45-yard line.

The offense went to work from there and covered the 55 yards in four plays for the first score of the night.

Running back Max Ehrich had runs of 11, 24 and 15 yards on the first three plays from scrimmage to take the ball down to the Eagles’ five-yard line.

Ehrich’s burst up the middle put the Bucs on top 6-0. Kean Hicks kicked the extra point to make it 7-0 with 10:36 remaining in the first quarter.

Maple River picked up two first downs on their opening drive and had advanced to BEA’s 41-yard line before Ehrich intercepted Landon Fox’s pass at the Bucs’ 32-yard line and returned it all the way to the Eagles’ two-yard line. An illegal block by the Bucs on the return moved the ball back to the Maple River 32-yard line.

It took just one play for BEA quarterback Gavin Storbeck to find receiver Ashton Lloyd for the touchdown. Lloyd reached out with one hand to snag the ball for an incredible over-the-shoulder catch.

The extra point kick by Hicks was good and the Bucs had jumped out to a 14-0 lead with 6:33 to go in the opening quarter.

Both offenses sputtered and each team had to punt the ball twice during the next four possessions.

The Eagles had the ball when Cameron Anderson intercepted a pass to put the Bucs in business at their own 31-yard line.

Six plays later the Maroon and Gold scored again. Lloyd, who is listed as being 6-foot-4 inches tall, won the jump ball in the end zone against two Maple River defenders for his second touchdown catch of the night. Hicks’ kick was good again and the Bucs led 21-0 with 5:51 to go until half time.

Maple River began their next drive on their own 30-yard line and the BEA defense held them to force another Eagles’ punt.

The punt went out of bounds at the Buccaneer 48-yard line.

Ehrich began the drive with a three-yard gain before Anderson hauled in a Storbeck pass for a 47-yard gain to the two-yard line.

After losing a yard on the next play, Storbeck found Anderson in the end zone for a touchdown and a 28-0 lead with 1:46 left in the first half.

The Bucs kicked off and coach Kuechenmeister utilized his timeouts in an attempt to get the ball back one more time before the half ended.

BEA’s defense did the job and forced the Eagles to punt. The Bucs took over with 42 seconds left and 75 yards to go for a score.

Storbeck hit Anderson on a sideline pattern to stop the clock after a nine-yard gain. On the next play the two seniors connected again when Anderson beat a double team to get behind the defenders and haul in a 66-yard touchdown pass with 27.9 seconds left in the half. The extra point failed and the Bucs’ lead was 34-0.

The Bucs added one more touchdown in the third quarter on a three-yard run by Riley Anderson.

BEA dominated the statistics with 17 first downs to only five for Maple River.

The Bucs’ offense had 421 yards of total offense with 172 of those yards coming on the ground and 249 in the air.

The BEA defense held the Eagles to 58 yards of total offense, 51 rushing and seven passing.

Individually, Storbeck was 9 of 11 passing for 249 yards and four touchdowns. He also rushed the ball four times for 17 yards.

Ehrich was the leading rusher with 94 yards in 13 attempts.

Cameron Anderson had six receptions for 170 yards and Lloyd had three receptions for 79 yards. Each receiver had two touchdowns.

The Bucs now await the results of a seeding meeting held on Friday morning, Nov. 13. Section playoff action begins Tuesday, Nov. 17, but BEA may receive a first-round bye.

BEA 54, Windom 6

The Blue Earth Area Buccaneers scored eight touchdowns, including two by their special teams, on their way to a 54-6 triumph over the Windom Eagles on Friday, Nov. 6. The game was played in unseasonably warm temperatures at Island Park in Windom.

“Anytime you get touchdowns from your special teams, whether it be the punting team or the kickoff team, it is a good thing,” BEA mentor Randy Kuechenmeister said.

The offense did its part by gaining over 400 yards during the game while the Buc’s defense limited the Eagles to 137 total yards.

“I was happy with our play on both sides of the ball,” Kuechenmeister commented. “Windom did run more plays than we did, but that was due in part because of the number of big plays we had.”

Windom began the game receiving the opening kickoff and managed one first down before punting the ball away to BEA.

Cameron Anderson fielded the punt at his own 42-yard line and raced to his left where he found a wall of blockers. The fleet-footed senior turned on the jets and raced to the end zone for a 58-yard touchdown. Kean Hicks’ extra point kick sailed through the uprights and BEA had a 7-0 lead with 9:22 remaining in the opening quarter.

Windom was unable to move the ball on their second possession and the Bucs took over on the Eagles’ 48-yard line following a punt by Windom’s Dylan Serreyn.

Running back Max Ehrich had runs of four and 13 yards to advance the ball to the Windom 31-yard line. Quarterback Gavin Storbeck kept the ball and scored on the next play. Hicks added another extra point and the Bucs’ lead was 14-0 with 5:54 left in the first quarter.

BEA added one more touchdown in the first quarter. A defensive stand by the Bucs had the Eagles punting out of their own end zone.

A short punt gave BEA the ball on the Eagle 36-yard line. A 14-yard pass completion to Anderson followed by a 13-yard completion to tight end Anders Fering gave the Bucs a first down and goal-to-go from the nine-yard line.

Max Ehrich found some running room on the right side of the line and crossed the goal line for a touchdown with 3:05 still on the clock in the first quarter. The extra point attempt failed so the score was 20-0 in favor of BEA.

The Bucs scored two more times in the second quarter.

One score came on a seven-play 90-yard drive. BEA had two big passing plays on the drive. One was to Ashton Lloyd for a 32-yard gain and the other was to Anderson for a 20-yard gain.

Austin Thielfoldt carried the ball over the goal line for the touchdown and then rushed the ball for the successful two-point conversion to put the Bucs up 28-0.

BEA’s final tally of the first half came on a three-play 61-yard drive. Adam Schavey relieved Storbeck at quarterback and opened the drive with a 10-yard run. The next play Schavey broke into the open and ran for 50 yards before being tackled at the one-yard line.

Riley Anderson burst into the end zone on the next play for the score and Hicks kicked the extra point to stake the Bucs to a 35-0 lead.

The score would remain at 35-0 as the teams exited the field for half time. A mutual decision was reached between both coaches and referees for the second half to be played with running time.

Cameron Anderson took the second-half kickoff, fielded it at the 12-yard line and returned it 88 yards for the touchdown. The extra point was good and the score was now 42-0 in favor of BEA. The Bucs’ final two touchdowns of the game came on a 20-yard run by Ehrich and a 59-yard run by Noah Johnson.

BEA finished with 20 first downs, 307 rushing yards and 98 passing yards.

Storbeck completed all five of his passes for 90 yards. Schavey completed one pass in four attempts for eight yards.

Ehrich finished the game with 85 rushing yards on six attempts and two touchdowns. Schavey picked up 77 yards on five attempts. Cole Warmka gained 37 yards on six attempts and Storbeck finished with 36 yards on three attempts and one rushing touchdown.

Thielfoldt, Riley Anderson, and Johnson also had rushing touchdowns.

Ashton Lloyd caught two of Storbeck’s passes for 43 yards, Cameron Anderson had two receptions for 34 yards, Fering and Keegan O’Brien each had one reception. Fering’s catch was good for 13 yards and O’Brien’s went for an eight-yard gain.

Luke Schonborn led the defense with seven tackles and Waylen Douglas had five. Parker Meyers had a fumble recovery.