Although first downs were coming at a premium for the Detroit Lakes football team in their home opener against Crookston Friday, touchdowns were not.
By the time the first quarter ended, the Lakers were running away with the game with a 33-0 lead, as they maintained their dominance the rest of the way for a 40-6 victory in what was also their Heart O’Lakes Conference opener.
The first three of DL’s four plays from line of scrimmage resulted in touchdowns, with the final score of the evening for the Lakers coming off a 67-yard rushing TD by senior quarterback Michael Herzog in the second quarter.
By that point in the game, the Lakers had six touchdowns to one first down and a 40-0 lead.
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In fact, Herzog ran the ball just four times, all resulting in touchdowns, including the first play of the game when he rambled untouched 58 yards. His other end zone finds came off a three-yard dive, a 25-yarder around right end and his 67-yard dash to start the second quarter.
He finished with 153 yards on four carries, with a pretty obscene yards per carry average of 38.25 yards.
“It was all the offensive line and the receivers who blocked down field,” said Herzog in a relatively clean uniform, despite running for 153 yards. “That first play, I didn’t get touched. We wanted to set that tone early.”
It was set early and it was set in stone at that.
After a very bizarre play on Crookston’s opening series, which saw their punt actually bounce backwards and go for negative seven yards, an aware Kirby Siewert (an offensive lineman) picked up the live ball and was tackled at the Pirate three.
“Kirby was saying last year he dreamed he scored on a very weird play, we call that his prophecy,” Herzog laughed. “It almost came true.”
The next play Herzog walked in off left tackle for a 13-0 lead.
Next up was junior Sam Champa’s interception and 42-yard return to the Crookston 22, where an incomplete pass by Herzog was immediately followed by a 22-yard TD dash by senior running back Jarett Nosal, who finished with 51 yards on five carries (10.2 ypc).
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The Laker defense this time got into the action, as a driving Crookston offense drove to the DL 17, thanks in part to a 49-yard run by Mike Hajostek.
But heavy pressure on Crookston quarterback resulted in a wounded duck pass across the field, which landed right into the waiting arms of senior linebacker Brandon Dahring, who found an open lane all the way past the pylons 83 yards later.
The first quarter scoring barrage finally came to an end on a 25-yard TD scamper around right end by Herzog to cap it at 33-0.
“We had good blocking all the way around, from our offensive line to our receivers down field,” said DL head coach Flint Motschenbacher. “Defensively, we worried about Crookston’s option, but the guys handled it pretty well.”
The second team entered midway through the second quarter and resumed playing midway through the third and held the shutout up to Brandt Delage’s 48-yard score.
“The Whites (DL’s second team) got in and moved the ball well,” Motschenbacher said. “We give them a lot of reps in practice and they played well.
“This was a good team win, all 60 players played hard all the way through.”
Hajostek led the way with 68 rushing yards, while Crookston was held to 179 on the ground on 34 carries, with 97 yards of that coming off of two carries.
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The Lakers (2-0) will host HOL rival Thief River Falls Friday for a 7 p.m. start.
The Prowlers enter the game 2-0, as well, beating Roseau 36-12 and Pequot Lakes 26-12.
Laker results
Crookston at Detroit Lakes, Friday, Sept. 6.
Pirates 0 0 0 6 – 6
Lakers 33 7 0 0 – 40
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DL: Michael Herzog 58-yard run; Luke Payne kick. 11:39, 1st.
DL: Herzog 3-yard run; kick failed. 10:26, 1st.
DL: Jarett Nosal 22-yard run; Payne kick. 8:22, 1st.
DL: Brandon Dahring 83-yard interception return; kick failed. 4:30, 1st.
DL: Herzog 25-yard run; Payne kick. 48.4, 1st.
DL: Herzog 67-yard run; Payne kick. 11:04, 2nd.
Crk: Brandt Delage 48-yard run; run failed. 2:00, 4th.
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Rushing (att-yds-yds lost-net) – DL: Michael Herzog 4-153-0-153; Jarett Nosal 5-51-0-51; Parker Jackson 6-39-0-39; Forrest Schleske 7-32-0-32; Christian Hedstrom 2-25-0-25; Brandon Dahring 2-8-0-8; Nick Aguilar 2-4-0-4; Rayn Jacobson 2-3-0-3; Sam Champ 1-2-0-2; Josh Bollig 1-0-5-(-5). TOTAL: 32-317-5-312.
Crk: Mike Hajostek 7-68-0-68; Brandt Delage 12-73-20-53; Parker Salentine 12-53-8-45; Danny Davidson 1-8-0-8; Luke Edlund 1-8-0-8; Blake Bergeron 1-0-3-(-3). TOTAL: 34-210-31-179.
Passing (att-comp-inc-int-yds-td) – DL: Herzog 3-2-1-0-47-0. .. Crk: Salentine 10-1-7-2-15-0.
Receiving (rec-yds-td) – DL: Casey Paskey 1-39-0; Champa 1-8-0… Crk: Aaron Hollcraft 1-15-0.
