Tigers hang on, hold off SEU
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SPRINGFIELD -- The Springfield Tigers got some big plays in the first half of Thursday night's Mid-South District, Purple Subdistrict football game against Sleepy Eye United, but SEU was right there to match those big plays.
Despite SEU's valiant effort and getting into the half with a 14-14 tie, the Tigers got a little more all around to remain undefeated on the year with a 34-20 victory at Riverside Park.
The Tigers got on the board first with a four-play drive ending in a 44-yard TD throw from Parker Kuehn to Braxton Brown. The PAT kick from Madden Lendt made it 7-0.
SEU countered on its next drive with a six-play drive ending in a 3-yard TD run by Merrick Mathiowetz. The PAT kick was off and it was a 7-6 game.
Carter Jackson got the Tigers' next score on a 15-yard run to put his team up 14-6 after Lendt's PAT with 5:38 left in the first quarter. Early in the second quarter, SEU got a 1-yard TD run by Keeyan Netzke and a 2-point conversion pass from Landry Folkens to Carson Uecker to tie the game at 14-all.
Both teams had a late chance to score in the half, but both defenses made big stops. First it was Tayte Hall intercepting a pass in the end zone on fourth down to take a SEU scoring chance away. Carson Uecker then picked off a pass on a late Springfield scoring drive to help SEU chew more clock and keep the game tied up.
Late in the third quarter, Colten Sell finished off a Springfield drive with a 1-yard TD run to put the Tigers back in front before Netzke had a 6-yard TD run to answer in the fourth. A 2-point conversion try failed and the Tigers led 21-20. Carter Jackson, who had a big second half on the ground for the Tigers, finished the game with a 56-yard TD run and a 47-yard TD run to lead to the final score.
A more complete game story will be printed in the weekend edition and available online at nujournal.com.