The Eagle Valley Rebels’ football team ran its winning streak to seven games Friday, Oct. 14, with a win 28-0 over Verndale.

The Rebels’ defense played well, collecting six quarterback sacks, keeping the Pirates in long yardage situations for most of the game.

The Rebels scored in the first quarter on a 14-play, 85-yard drive. Jake Schauer picked up up 65 yards on the drive.

Tyler Oftedahl was 2-for-2 passing to keep the drive alive. Oftedahl scored the touchdown on a one-yard run and passed to Logan Riedel for the two-point conversion.

In the second quarter, Oftedahl went back to work, passing to Jerod Nelson for a 47-yard touchdown. Oftedahl then hit Nelson for the two-point conversion.

After forcing the Pirates to go three-and-out, Oftedahl launched a 68-yard touchdown pass from to Taylor Bailey, who made the catch in stride and raced into the end zone, giving the Rebels a 22-0 lead.

The Rebels were inside the 20-yard line two more times in the half but could not score. Eagle Valley picked up more than 250 yards of total offense, while holding Verndale to fewer than 50 yards.

The second half was a different story.

The Rebels’ ground game stalled, while the defense of the Pirates began breaking through the line. 

The Eagle Valley defense allowed a 10-play drive that ended with a fourth-down stop on the Rebels’ 22-yard line. After that drive, the defense dominated the line of scrimmage, never allowing the Pirates across midfield again.

The last score of the night came on a fourth-down pass from Oftedahl to Derek Meyer for a four-yard touchdown pass. The final score was 28-0.

The defense played its best game of the year, allowing only eight first downs and around 125 yards of total offense.

Blake Borst led the defense with 11 tackles and a sack. Tyson Eckel had three sacks on the night giving him 10.5 sacks on the year – a school record. 

On the other side of the ball, the offense picked up almost 400 yards in the game.

Schauer had a season low 98 yards on the ground, with his longest run going for 19 yards.

Oftedahl threw a season-high 29 times, completing 16 for 287 yards and three touchdowns. He connected with seven different receivers on the night.

Nelson finished with five catches for 103 yards, while Meyer had four catches for 40 yards and a touchdown.

“It was an overall good performance by the Rebels,” head coach John Sieling said. “The offensive line will learn from this game and improve their blocking schemes. The defense was swarming all night, and this will give them more confidence as the playoffs approach.”

The Rebels will have a short week with a Wednesday night game. They will travel to Parkers Prairie for a chance to complete an undefeated regular season.

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