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Pioneers take down rival Zephyrs in a thriller

By MN Football Hub staff, 11/04/11, 11:38AM CDT

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After two previous section final defeats, Hill-Murray finally advances

Almost a year ago to the day, Hill-Murray was driving deep in Mahtomedi’s zone when a fumble in the closing minutes ended a possible upset.

Fast forward, the tables turned, when Zephyrs running back, Jackson Hull, put the ball on the ground with less than three minutes to go in the fourth and Hill-Murray was able to run out the clock to win 14-12 and advance to the Class 4A state tournament.

Along with two huge turnovers, Hill-Murray used a strong rushing attack led by sophomore Dusty Krueger, to beat Mahtomedi for the second time this season.

Not the biggest player, nor the most experienced, Krueger nearly perfected his craft by eluding Zephyr defenders with his speed.

He got to the corners on a handful of rushes when Mahtomedi plugged the middle, but did not shy away from contact when his number was called on plays into the heart of the Zephyrs defense.

None more evident than his 7-yard touchdown run, straight up the middle, which was the eventual game-winner late in the third quarter to give Hill-Murray a 14-6 lead.

Perhaps a touch of maturity at such a young age, Krueger was quick to deflect any attention to himself, but give it to the Pioneers offensive line, one that is experienced and more than ready to end a two-year losing streak to Mahtomedi in section finals play.

“That’s our O-line,” Krueger said. “They have been here two years trying to beat them."

After recovering Hull’s fumble late in the fourth, Hill-Murray was not in the clear.
It still had to run out the remaining time on the clock, which was still North of two minutes.

“We went crazy,” Krueger said after Hull's fumble. “Our coaches had to settle us down.  We were jumping all over the field.”

Hill-Murray had to keep its composure and find a way to keep the Mahtomedi defense on the sidelines.

Sticking to the ground and Krueger, the Pioneers were able to get a first down on third-and-2 to put the game away.

“That’s the anchor of our team,” Pioneers coach Brooks Bollinger said. “Our O-line, a bunch of seniors that have been here a long time and Dusty Krueger is a tough little runner."

Two years in a row, Mahtomedi has came from behind to deflate the Pioneers season.

Last year, a heartbreaking 28-26 win, highlighted by a controversial fumble late in the game that gave the Zephyrs the ball as Hill-Murray was driving and two seasons ago, Mahtomedi scored the final 13 points en route to a 22-14 win.

“There are a lot of us that have not beaten these guys in sections,” quarterback Zach LaValle said. “So to do it like this is pretty special. We did it as a team, picking each other up.”

For the first time since 1987, Hill-Murray will get a taste of the state tournament in football.

Known for its hockey prestige, the Pioneers may have made a mark on the gridiron as well.

“It’s amazing,” Kruerger said. “Coach Bollinger came in here, he built it up. He had coaches come in from everywhere. It’s great.”

“I really don’t even know what to say,” LaValle added. “I am just so happy to be a part of this and glad to be on this team and can’t wait to play next week.”

                                                                    - - Justin Magill, MN Football Hub Staff

Converting On Mistakes

Expectedly, there were maybe some nerves on the Section 4AAAA championship game.

Along with false starts penalties that littered the first quarter, there were fumbles and interceptions tacked on to that in the first half.

However, those cost the Zephyrs and Pioneers little to nothing, at least in the first 24 minutes of play.

When the second half began, Hill-Murray made the most of two Andrew Lindquist interceptions, which were on consecutive throws.

LaValle got the Pioneers rolling when he connected with Mack Kullas on a fade to the right to rack up the final four yards on their first touchdown drive.

Lindquist had his next pass fall into the hands of Lucas Glomb, who read the Mahtomedi quarterback perfectly, jumping into the middle to pick of the pass and put Hill-Murray back on offense on the Zephyrs side of the 50.

“That’s our defense,” Krueger said. “They played great, they work hard. That’s all on them.”

Later, Krueger scored from 7-yards out to extend Hill-Murray’s lead to 14-6, helping the Pioneers convert on two costly Mahtomedi turnovers.

“Those are huge,” LaValle said. “Our defense came up with big plays and got us back in the game. It was our turn to get going”

What also cost Mahtomedi a chance at an impressive fifth straight trip to the state tournament was the points-after-touchdowns.

A missed extra point in the second quarter and a dropped pass on a two-point conversion in the fourth ultimately did the Zephyrs in.

“You have to give credit to Hill-Murray,” Mahtomedi coach Dave Muentzel said. “They made the most of the plays they had to at the end.

“We may have not had things go our way, but Hill-Murray does have a lot to do with that.”

With two teams that have proven to put up impressive offensive numbers against one another, this time, on a cool, frigid November night, the offense took a back seat for most of the game.

“We knew it was going to be a hard fought, good football game,” Bollinger said. “and that’s what it was.”

                                                                -- Justin Magill, MN Football Hub Staff

Game Recap

 
The Hill-Murray Pioneers are headed to the State Tournament for the first time since 1987 behind the wheels of sophomore running back Dusty Krueger. 
 
In the Friday November 4 matchup at Higgins Memorial Field at Hill-Murray High School, Krueger scampered into the end zone from seven yards out to put him team ahead for good with a score at 4:47 left to go in the third quarter.  
 
Mahtomedi made it close in the fourth quarter after sophomore Jackson Hull scored his second touchdown of the game on a 1 yard punch. On the ensuing play, the Zephyrs went for two in an attempt to tie the score at 14. Quarterback Andrew Lindquist took the snap and found a receiver slanting over the middle, but the ball went right through his breadbasket, keeping the score at 14-12.
 
Late in the fourth quarter Mahtomedi was driving again, but the Zephyrs were dealt a fatal blow when Hull was stood up and stripped of the ball, allowing the Pioneers to dog-pile on top of it and recover possession to ice the game.  In last season’s section finals game, the Pioneers lost because of a late game fumble, making this year’s game a bit of a flipped script.   
 
Mahtomedi’s first touchdown was a 5 yard carry from Jackson Hull which was followed by a missed extra point. Hill-Murray answered back in the third on a four yard fade pass to the right corner of the end zone for senior wide out Mack Kullas. 
 
The game was mostly dominated by running backs and there was not tons of passing. Jackson Hull of Hill-Murray finished with 26 carries for 142 yards, and Dusty Krueger of Mahtomedi was dominant as well. 
 
--Walker Orenstein, MN Football Hub staff
 

1. Dusty Krueger, Hill-Murray

Krueger scored the game winning touchdown and danced around Mahtomedi's defense all night. He continually pushed the chains in key situations as well as picking up big-yardage plays. Late in the fourth quarter, he captured a key first down that sealed the game for Hill-Murray.

 

2. Jackson Hull, Mahtomedi

Even in a loss, Hull was the driving force behind the Zephyr offense. The sophomore running back was part snow plow, part sports car. He sped past defenders as well as punishing them on his runs throughout the game. He finished the night with 26 carries for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Only a late fumble knocked him down to the number two star.

 

3. Zach LaValle, Hill-Murray

Although he wasn't spectular, LaValle got the job done to get his team to the state tournament. His throwing was spotty early on but he rebounded to score the Pioneer's first touchdown of the game on a pass to Mack Kullas. The fade pass was beautifully thrown and the points shifted momentum back towards Hill-Murray.

--Walker Orenstein, MN Football Hub staff