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'Return' to form: Bulldogs overwhelm Eagles 60-0

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Fullback Carver Blietz-Bentien rushed for 51 yards on two carries, and caught two touchdown passes, in MFL MarMac’s 60-0 win over Clayton Ridge on Sept. 2. (Photos by Audrey Posten)

Tristen Koehn was MFL MarMac’s leading tackler against the Eagles. He had 6 total and also contributed on one of the team’s 4.5 sacks.

Bryce Radloff was one of three Bulldogs who scored a touchdown on a kick or punt return. All three of those touchdowns came in the first quarter.

Corbin McElwaine wraps up Clayton Ridge quarterback Kylar Millard.

Quarterback Zach Driscoll threw just two passes in the game, but made the most of them. Each was a touchdown reception to Carver Blietz-Bentien.

Wyatt Powell amassed 4.5 tackles and 2 sacks in the MFL MarMac win.

Karter Decker blew past the Eagles special teams coverage in a first quarter punt return that resulted in another MFL MarMac touchdown.

Kade McElwaine locks on to a Clayton Ridge player in the Bulldogs' 60-0 win.

By Audrey Posten, Times-Register

 

The MFL MarMac football team overpowered Clayton Ridge 60-0 in a Sept. 2 non-district match-up. The victory improved the Bulldogs to 1-1, after a rare loss at New Hampton in the season opener.

 

“Everybody played well, and they played hungry tonight,” said head coach Dan Anderson. “After last week, there wasn’t a lot of horsing around in practice. They wanted to get back in the ‘W’ column. I knew they were going to come after it tonight.”

 

The Bulldogs scored 40 points in the first quarter alone, including three touchdowns on kick or punt returns. Wyatt Powell had one of those on the opening kickoff.

 

“Powell even dropped that ball, but he scooped it up, and those guys out there blocking did an awesome job. We spend a lot of time on special teams, and it showed tonight,” Anderson said.

 

Bryce Radloff and Karter Decker both returned punts to the end zone later in the quarter, following a connection from quarterback Zach Driscoll to fullback Carver Blietz-Bentien. The quarter ended on another touchdown pass from Driscoll to Blietz-Bentien.

 

“Our guys got up really fast,” Anderson said. “Clayton Ridge is a young team—they have a lot of new guys out there. We told the guys, if we could get up fast, then we could probably break them.”

 

A 40-yard touchdown run by Powell midway through the second quarter, followed by a two-point conversion, put MFL MarMac up 48-0.

 

After halftime, the team brought in backup and younger players who continued to add to the lead. Tristen Koehn picked up a 15-yard touchdown in the third quarter, while Quinn McGeough scored from 39 yards out in the fourth. 

 

“I kept it simple, and coach Pomerening kept it simple for the offense in the second half. A lot of freshmen out there and sophomores playing,” Anderson said.

 

Defensively, he added, “Even our young guys kept the shutout. We put a lot of heat on the quarterback, we were blitzing a lot from different angles. We were moving around a lot to confuse them.”

 

Clayton Ridge didn’t record its initial first down until late in the first half—on a penalty—and moved the chains just a few times all game. In total, the Eagles had 38 yards of offense.

 

Koehn was MFL MarMac’s leading tackler, with 6, and also contributed on one of the team’s 4.5 sacks. Kade McElwaine was next up with 5.5 total tackles, including 1.5 for a loss and 1.5 sacks. Decker and Powell each amassed 4.5 tackles, and Powell added 2 sacks to his stat line. Drew Earles finished the night with 3.5 tackles and Cole Allert earned 3.

 

Offensively, the Bulldogs racked up 300 rushing yards, led by 77 yards on five carries from McGeough. Koehn added 54 yards on five carries, while Blietz-Bentien carried the ball four times for 51 yards. Powell had an identical 51 yards on two attempts.

 

“Our offensive line made some big holes. Our backs ran hard. We held onto the football,” Anderson detailed.

 

Driscoll, the quarterback, rushed three times for 17 yards, and completed both of his passes to Blietz-Bentien for 48 yards and two touchdowns.

 

“We didn’t throw the ball much, but we were efficient,” Anderson said. “There are going to be teams we’re going to have to throw the ball against more, but when we were up so quick on special teams, it’s not like we were going to be throwing it 15 to 20 times.”

 

Now, the Bulldogs will look toward a Sept. 9 match-up at Osage, a team they narrowly beat in Monona a season ago. The Green Devils are one of multiple ranked teams still on the schedule.

 

“Osage is going to be a long trip, and they’ve got a lot of their team back from last year and a couple transfers,” Anderson said.

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