Staff photo by Ari Selvey New Ulm Cathedral's Jevan Wilfahrt (3) hands the ball off to Jaden Helget (31) during a Nine-Man South District, West Subdistrict football game Friday at Nicollet high school.

NICOLLET — In the cooling October weather, the running game and turnovers became the story of a Nine-Man South District, West Subdistrict football game Friday between New Ulm Cathedral and Nicollet, and it was Cathedral that came out on top with a 22-8 victory at Nicollet High School.

The Greyhounds forced six Nicollet turnovers to their own two, and rushed for a total of 228 yards in the game.

“Defensively, you’ve got to give a lot of credit to the whole defensive unit,” Cathedral head coach Denny Lux said. “We put a whole lot of pressure on the quarterback, and he didn’t have a whole lot of time to set up and look for a receiver. He was throwing more to an area, and our d-backs were dropping into the correct areas and making a play on the ball.”

Jaden Helget accounted for 95 yards rushing on 17 carries, with Josh Bentler going for 45 yards on the ground on nine carries. Jevan Wilfahrt had 49 yards on the ground and two touchdowns, and Rylan Koopmann had 39 yards and a TD. Defensively, Wilfahrt had two interceptions, Helget, Koopmann, and Colin Anderson had a fumble recovery each, and Logan Mielke had an interception. Joe Gillis had 16 total tackles.

Nicollet started off the game with a ball, but after marching down the field with a 25-yard run by Nick Slater, the ball hit the ground to be recovered by Koopmann. Cathedral took over on their own 38-yard line and took the drive all the way to the end zone on a sneak by Wilfahrt on the goal line to score the first touchdown of the game. Bentler punched in the 2-point play to give the Greyhounds an 8-0 lead.

Nicollet went four-and-out on their next drive, with Cathedral taking over at Nicollet’s 23-yard line. However, they were unable to capitalize on the short field, giving the ball back to the Raiders at their own 3-yard line. Their drive was looking promising until a screen pass landed right in the hands of Greyhounds defensive lineman Mielke, who returned it to the Nicollet 22. This time, Cathedral was able to punch it in with a 14-yard touchdown run by Koopmann. A 2-point pass from Wilfahrt to Jake Finstad made it a 16-0 game.

Nicollet went on another long drive, entering the red zone at the midpoint of the second quarter. However, two shots at the end zone from Trenton Havemeier to Conner Martins fell incomplete, resulting in a turnover on downs. Cathedral was forced to punt on the following drive, but Nicollet once again fell short on their own drive, with a tackle for loss by Mielke forcing another turnover on downs.

Cathedral had 39 seconds left in the half to score from Nicollet’s 33-yard line, and they did with a 13-yard scramble by Wilfahrt with time expiring to extend the Greyhound lead to 22-0 at the half.

Cathedral started off the second half with a long drive that ultimately stuttered out with a turnover on downs at the Nicollet 30, but got the ball back the next play with an interception in the middle of the field by Wilfahrt gave them the ball back. It wasn’t long lived, however, as Nicollet’s Brecken Northquest recovered a fumble to give the Raiders the ball once again.

Nicollet drove down the field once more, getting all the way to the goal line after a 30-yard connection between Havemeier and Martens, but Wilfahrt once again stepped up with an interception that he took back to the 31-yard line. In response, Nicollet forced another Greyhound fumble, recovered by Martens. However, Nicollet fumbled the ball right back as Helget recovered the ball.

Cathedral punted the ball away on the next possession, and Nicollet took over at their own 48. After a 1-yard rush by Slater, Havemeier threw a deep shot to Martens that went 51 yards for Nicollet’s only score of the game. A 2-point conversion throw from Slater to AJ Kramer made it a 22-8.

After an unsuccessful onside kick by Nicollet with 6:19 left to go in the game, Cathedral went on a long, plodding drive that drained the entirety of the clock as a 14-yard run by Helget sealed the game for the Greyhounds.

Cathedral (5-1, 5-1) hosts Renville County West on Friday. Nicollet (2-4, 2-3) travels to Red Rock Central on Friday.