Prowlers upset 11th ranked Patriots in OT

by Scott DCamp

Sports Editor

For the second consecutive season, Thief River Falls defeated Pequot Lakes on a last second kick that split the uprights with nothing but zeros showing on the clock.

Brayden Spears was the hero when the teams met a year ago at Pequot Lakes High School, as he drilled a 33-yard field goal as time expired to give the Prowlers  a 10-7 win. This year, Spears’ heroics came in the form of a game-winning extra point that gave the Prowlers a 43-42 overtime win over the Patriots.

“I think Prowler football came of age today,” said Thief River Falls Head Coach Kurt Reynolds. “We always talk to the guys about believing.”

This year’s game between the Prowlers and Patriots couldn’t have been more different than their 2021 meeting. Both teams were inexperienced last year and both offenses struggled to move the ball in the Prowlers’ 10-7 win.

Thief River Falls brought a 2-4 record into Friday night’s game that was identical to its 2021 record through six games. Pequot Lakes, meanwhile, completely rebuilt its team in one season going from a 1-8 season in 2022 to 5-1 heading into Friday night’s game. The Patriot’s resume included a 35-21 win over Detroit Lakes and the team’s only loss was a 36-34 week two loss at Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton.

Reynolds said his team’s game plan was to control the clock on offense and limit the number of possessions by the Patriots’ high-powered offense.

That plan got put to the test early. Following a three and out by the Prowlers, the Patriots needed just three plays to put points on the board. Pequot Lakes quarterback threw a nearly perfect pass that cleared the hands of Thief River Falls defensive back Max Peterson on its way to wide receiver Riley Larson, who hauled in the pass for a 61-yard touchdown catch and run. Grant Loge connected with Cullen Kratcochvil on the two-point conversion to put the Patriots up 8-0.

Thief River Falls’ game plan may have stalled on the its opening drive, but it worked perfectly on the second. The Prowlers marched 65 yards and took almost eight minutes off the clock as Jake Friedrich scored from two yards out. Caleb Rosendahl’s pass to Jack Manning on the two-point play was ruled incomplete and the Patriots stayed in front by a score of 8-6.

The Prowlers looked like they would take their first lead of the night on their next possession. Following a Patriot three and out, the Prowlers put together another 65-yard drive that took another seven minutes off the clock. The drive ended abruptly, however, with the first of four fumbles by the Prowlers.

The Patriots began the ensuing possession at their own five yard line and, in stark contrast to the Prowlers, marched 95 yards in 11 plays while taking less than three minutes off the clock. Loge completed a 14-yard pass to Bryar Nordby for the Patriots’ second touchdown, and Darby Boelter ran in the two-point play to make the score 16-6.

Things went from bad to worse on the Prowlers’ next possession. A holding call on first down pushed the Prowlers back to their own 23-yard line. They got most of the penalty yardage back before on another fumble.

The Patriots got the ball back with 1:20 left in the half and needed just five plays to get their third score of the game. The big play on the drive was a 38-yard  pass from Loge to Nordby on a third and 10 from the Thief River Falls 40 yard line. Nordby scored on a two-yard run on the following play to give the Patriots a 22-6 lead at the half.

The Patriots kept their foot on the gas pedal to start the third quarter as Loge completed a 65-yard pass to Kratochvil on the second play from scrimmage. The two-point conversion pass failed and the score remained 28-6.

Down by three scores, the Prowlers could have panicked. Instead, they stuck to their game plan and atoned for miscues on the two previous drives. Friedrich, Rosendahl, Braedon Potucek and Griffin Lundeen all carried the ball on an 11-play, 58-yard drive that concluded with Potucek scoring on a 14-yard run. Friedrich added the two-point conversion to get the Prowlers back to within two scores at 28-14.

The Prowler defensive unit forced its second three and out of the night on the ensuing possession to get the ball back to the Prowlers.

The Prowlers started their second possession of the half in Patriot territory. This time, they needed just four plays to put points on the board as Kadin Grindeland found daylight on a 35-yard touchdown run. Spears added the extra point to make the score 28-21.

Pequot Lakes quickly answered with a six-play, 57-yard drive that ended on a three-yard run by John Elsenpeter. Loge passed to Kratcochvil on the two-point play to make the score 36-21 with one quarter to play.

The Prowler offensive line continued to dominate the line of scrimmage as the third quarter rolled into the fourth quarter. A nine-play, 63-yard drive was capped with an 18-yard touchdown run by Friedrich. Spears added the extra point to make the score 36-28 with 8:21 left to play.

The Patriots moved the ball a bit on the ensuing drive before the Prowler defensive unit halted the drive by tackling Elsenpeter for a three-yard loss on a fourth and three play at the Thief River Falls 46.

The Prowlers’ first attempt at a game-tying drive was short-lived; however, a fumble gave the ball right back to the Patriots.

The mistake was nearly catastrophic. The Patriots ran the ball and picked up first downs on back-to-back 11-yard carries by Elesenpeter. Elsenpeter was stuffed on a first down carry at the Prowler 27 yard line. On second down, and the clock winding under the three-minute mark, the Patriots made a questionable decision by going to the air. Loge threw a pass in the flat that was picked off by Ethan Lane and returned 34 yards to the Pequot Lakes 39 yard line.

The Prowlers were gifted new life and they took full advantage of it with a three-play, 39-yard game-tying drive. Friedrich scored the game-tying touchdown on a 13-yard run and Grindeland added the game-tying two-point conversion.

Pequot Lakes return man Caden Nelson fumbled the ensuing kick return at his own five yard line and the Prowlers nearly had a chance to win the game in regulation. Instead, Nelson took advantage of the chaos and returned the kick to the 40.

The Patriots are built for hurry-up mode and put together a six-play drive that reached the two-yard line with 6.6 seconds left in regulation. Loge completed quick pass to Larson on the final play of the game, with Larson being tackled in the field of play about six inches shy of the end zone.

The overtime format in high school football calls for each team to get one possession from the 10-yard line. The teams alternate possessions until one team has the lead at the end of an overtime period.

The Prowlers won the toss and chose to start the first overtime on defense. The Prowler defense came up big early with stops on first, second and third downs. On fourth down, from the five yard line, Loge threw a pass to Kratcochvil that appeared to be cleanly broken up, but it was instead ruled pass interference. Loge and Patriots took advantage of another opportunity, with Loge throwing a three-yard pass to Kratcochvil. Loge’s two-point conversion attempt was incomplete and the Patriots led 42-36.

The Prowlers needed just one play to tie the game, as Grindeland ran through arm tackles and found the end zone on a 10-yard run to tie the game and set up Spears for the game-winner.