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Elk River ousts No. 4 Rogers

By Jim Paulsen, Star Tribune, 10/14/11, 10:30PM CDT

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A last-second field goal lifted the Elks over the previously unbeaten Royals.


Elk River quarterback Corey Collins found a hole to run through in the first half against Elk River Friday night.

 ELK RIVER – Elk River could have been content. But content does not win football games.

The Elks stopped beating themselves after halftime and outplayed intradistrict rival Rogers, ranked No. 4 in Class 4A, to upset the Royals 17-14 on a last-second 37-yard field goal by Austin Larson.

“I was so nervous,” said Larson, whose last-second field goal had lifted Elk River over Moorhead in Week 3. “Way more nervous that at Moorhead. When is went through, I was like “Wow. I can’t believe I just did that.”

Which is pretty much what everyone at Schrempf Stadium — everyone not wearing a black Elk River jersey, that is — was also thinking.

In a season in which they had won five of their first six games, the Elks were competitive but mistake-prone in the first half and trailed undefeated Rogers 14-0. A competitive loss would have been understandable and something to build upon.

But Elk River didn’t give in. The Elks came out after halftime and thoroughly outplayed Rogers, which had a nightmare of a second half.

Things started to change when Rogers had not one, but two fumbles on the second-half kickoff. The Royals took over at their own 4-yard line but could not move the ball. A blocked punt lead to a scoring run by Elk River’s Dylan Chambers that cut the lead to 14-6.

The tone set, Rogers began to self-destruct. Quarterback Matt Weber was pressured and intercepted on the Royals’ next possession. Elk River tied the score 14-14 two plays later on a 25-yard run and a two-point conversion, both by sophomore Michael Larkins.

Rogers’ biggest mistake, however, came with 26 seconds to go. Elk River punted from midfield, but the Royals, rushing hard, clobbered the Elk River punter. A penalty for roughing the kicker gave the Elks a first down at the Rogers 40.

Elk River quarterback Corey Collins completed a pass to Jordan Meyer to the Rogers 20, setting up Larson’s winning field goal.

“Man, this is big,” said Steve Hamilton, Elk River’s first-year coach. “We cleaned some things up at halftime, [Rogers] helped us out a little bit and our defense played out of its mind. From where this program was last year to where we are now, I can’t think of anything better.”


Austin Larson ran the other way after hitting the winning field goal in the second half in Elk RIver

Play-by-play as Elk River drives for the game-winner.

 It’s heard so often that it’s become a cliché. Every coach trying to inspire his team to rally for an improbable victory has used the phrase “it’s not over until it’s over” or some variation thereof.

Some flinch when they hear it, while others simply roll their eyes. Yet it contains a large element of truth, as evidenced in Elk River’s 17-14 last-second victory over No. 4, Class 4A Rogers.
Here’s a play-by-play look at the Elks final, game-winning drive, which ended in Elks kicker Austin Larson’s game-winning 37-yard field goal.
After a Rogers punt, Elk River takes over on its own 40-yard-line with 2:07 to play.
Play 1: Austin Larson runs up the middle for one yard.
Play 2, 2nd and 9: Moses Saygbe gains five yards inside.
Play 3, 3rd and 4: Michael Larkins slices off tackle for six yards and first down.
Play 4, 1-and-10 from the Rogers 48: Larkins fights for three yards
Play 5, 2nd-and-7: Larkins finds no room inside, is stopped for no gain.
Play 6, 3rd-and-7: A screen pass from quarterback Corey Collins to running back Dylan Chambers get the first down with 50 seconds left in the game, but the play is called back because of a holding penalty.
Play 7, 3rd-and-15: Larkins twists for seven yards.
Play 8, 4th-and-8 from the Rogers 46: Elk River, which had trouble punting all game, lines up to kick the ball away with 26 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Punter Alex Hoffman gets off a decent kick despite a heavy rush from the Rogers defense. Too heavy, it turns out, as one of the Rogers rushers blasts Hoffman, knocking him down hard. An obvious penalty, Roughing the Kicker, is called, giving Elk River a gift first down.
Play 9, 1st-and-10 at the Rogers 34: Saygbe, Elk River’s primary breakaway threat, finds a host of Rogers’ Royals waiting for him at the line of scrimmage. No gain. The Elks take their final time out with 19 seconds left.
Play 10, 2nd-and-10: Collins rolls left and throws to tight end Jordan Meyer, who makes a crucial diving catch at the Rogers 20. It’s first down, stopping the clock and giving the Elks the opportunity to sprint to the line of scrimmage. It is Elk River's only pass completion of the game.
Play 11, 1st-and-10 at the Rogers 20. With five seconds left, the Elk snap the ball and Collins spikes it, stopping the clock.
Play 12, 2nd-and-10: Larson, a running back who doubles as the Elks kicker, sets up for a 37-yard field goal. Larson admits to being nervous after having had a potential game-winning field goal blocked by Rogers on Elk River’s previous drive.
Good snap, good hold by Collins, but Larson hits it a little low. The ball gains elevation but is losing momentum as it approaches the goalposts. The stadium falls silent at thousands of pairs of eyes are fixed on the ball, all trying to analyze the ball’s flight.
It has enough leg, however and clears the cross-bar with room to spare. The officials take a quick glance at each other, then turn and indicate the kick was good. The clock reads 0:00.
Elk River’s Schrempf Stadium explodes as a couple-hundred students rush down to the edges of field. It is an orderly celebration, however, as the students, respectful of Rogers’ disappointment, wait until the Royals have departed before storming the grounds.
Elk River, a team which had lost 16 consecutive games prior to this season, improves to 6-1 on the season. Players hug, coaches give high fives, smiles and laughter mingle with disbelief as the Elks celebrate one of the most important victories in team history. And no one appears interested in going home.
JIM PAULSEN

 

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