HURON The old saying is that when Huron and Mitchell take the field of battle, toss out the records and whatever happened in the past.
Friday night was really no exception to the rule.
Penalties plagued the Tigers and the defense that had been the teams calling card for the last three weeks was conspicuously absent early in the game, but that defense came around right when it was needed to help secure a rivalry win 29-26 over Mitchell at Tiger Stadium.
Sometimes you just have to find a way to get it done, said Huron coach Dru Strand. Well take the win and continue to grow.
The game began at a frenzy, as Mitchell took the opening kick, earning a first down on the legs of Parker Denne, until, with a 2nd and 9 and the Kernel 39, quarterback Jaxson Hartman faked to Denne, handed the ball inside to Hudson Borgan, who squirted through the middle of the Huron defense and scooted 61 yards for the score and Mitchell led 7-0 after less than three minutes of play.
Huron took the ensuing kickoff at its 31 yard line, seeking to establish a running game. Thackory Hansen found the running good inside and Colton McNeil hit Anderson Porisch on a toe-touch catch on the sideline to quickly move into Kernel territory.
The Tigers ground out another first down, but after a short run by McNeil, faced a 4th and 9 at the Kernel 20. McNeil rolled right and dropped a pass over Blake Ellweins shoulder for a score, but the play was called back on a penalty. The penalty theme renewed often for the Tigers on this particular possession.
Facing 4th and 19, McNeil tossed a pass to Porisch that we incomplete, but the Kernels were flagged for pass interference.
Finally, with it now fourth and 4, McNeil tossed a eight yard pass to Porisch, for the first down, then connected with Porisch from seven yards for the score.
A substitution penalty forced the extra point try back five yards and the Tigers elected to go for two. McNeil hit Porisch for the conversion, but Huron was whistled for a motion penalty. Another try resulted in another completion.and an illegal lineman downfield penalty.
Finally, with the extra point now taking place from the 18-yard line, McNeil found a wide-open Landon Hulst for the conversion.
Mitchell didnt take as much time on its next drive, as two runs went for no gain, then Denne broke loose from 49 yards for the score in a drive that took 45 seconds off the clock and made it 14-8 Kernels.
Neither team was able to effectively move the ball on their next possessions, but then Mitchell put together a drive that chewed up the clock and move the ball into Huron territory, mostly on the ground, with Denne capping the drive from two yards out.
The PAT missed and the lead grew to 20-8.
Huron, however, had found something in its running game and began to feed Hansen a steady diet of runs up the middle behind a line that was opening huge holes. Huron moved 45 yards in six plays, all compliments of Hansen, and had a first down at the Kernel 19. After a Mitchell timeout, McNeil executed a play-action fake to Hansen and found Mason Jurgens wide open in the end zone and it was 20-14 after the PAT was blocked.
Mitchell went three and out on its next possession, giving the ball back to the red-hot Tigers with just over four minutes to play in the half.
Huron moved down the field on Hansens sturdy rushing attack, and when the Kernel defense crowded the line, Ellwein got loose for a big gain down the right side. The drive ended, however, as a scoring pass was intercepted with only seconds remaining in the half, and Mitchell took its 20-14 lead to the halftime break.
Huron came out swinging to open the second half. A penalty immediately set the offense back five yards, but a pass from McNeil to Hulst for 18 yards got the ball across midfield.
Hansen then sprinted for 13 yards for another first down. McNeil found Hulst for an 8-yard pass to get to the Mitchell 25 with another first down and on the next play, McNeil found Jurgens down the middle for a 25-yard score with less than two and a half minutes off the second half game clock.
On the point-after kick, the snap went awry, and holder Jurgens scrambled and found Jeremy Hofer for the two-point conversion to make it 22-20 Huron.
The Tigers defense forced a turnover on downs, but a penalty gave Mitchell a first down. After forcing another turnover on downs, after the play, two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties were assessed against the Tigers, one of them against Charlie Martin, which led to his disqualification from the game.
Huron moved the ball well on the ground, but passes fell incomplete, forcing a punt. The Kernels responded with a punt, giving the Tigers the ball back with 2:22 left in the third.
Hulst ran strong for two plays and Hansen pushed ahead for a first down to the Mitchell 34. After the quarter break, Hulst ran for two yards, but a pass fell incomplete and McNeil was sacked back at the Mitchell 40 for a turnover on downs.
After two Denne run plays, Mitchell went to the air, but Porisch was in the perfect spot and picked off the ball.
Huron then put together its longest drive of the game, eating up more than six and a half minutes of game clock. The running game provided the majority of the yardage, but McNeil found Hulst from 14 yards out to punch in the touchdown. A point-after kick by Micah Larson made it 29-20 with 2:32 left on the game clock.
Jurgens made an interception at midfield to turn the ball over on the first play of the ensuing drive, but Hansen fumbled on the second play of Hurons drive, giving the ball back to Mitchell near midfield.
The Kernels took to the air, with Jaxson Hartman completing five of nine passes, with his final completion placing the ball on the one-yard line. Two plays later, Hartman pushed the ball across the goal line with 22 seconds left on the clock. A bad snap led to a missed extra-point kick, leaving the Tigers in the lead 29-26.
The onside kick attempt did not go 10 yards, and Huron kneeled on the ball for the victory.
I am really happy with the way the defense responded in the second half, Strand said. We worked on staying true, working on what is in front of you and the guys really did that well tonight in the second half.
Huron moves to 4-4 with the win and have qualified for the 11AA playoffs, for the second consecutive year.
Mitchell falls to 1-7.
Hurons running game rolled up 227 yards in the game, as Hansen accounted for 175 yards on 28 carries. Hulst added 32 yards on 10 carries and McNeil was 13-31 through the air for 176 yards, with four touchdowns and an interception.
Jurgens had three touchdown catches, and threw a two-point conversion pass.
Denne led the Kernels with 87 yards on 15 carries and two scores. Mitchell had 273 yards in total offense.
The Tigers close the season on the road against Brookings Thursday at Tiger Stadium.
Score by quarters
Mitchell 14 6 0 6 26
Huron 8 6 8 7 29
Scoring summary
1st quarter
M 9:48 – Hudson Borgan, 61-yard run. Kyson Herrmann PAT.
H 6:18 – Anderson Porisch, 7-yard pass from Colt McNeil. Landon Hulst, conversion pass from McNeil.
M 5:25 – Parker Denne, 49-yard run. Herrmann PAT.
2nd quarter
M 7:13 – Denne, 2-yard run. PAT failed.
H 5:24 – Mason Jurgens, 19-yard pass from McNeil. PAT failed.
3rd quarter
H 9:41 – Jurgens, 25-yard pass from McNeil. Jeremy Hofer, conversion pass from Jurgens.
4th quarter
H 3:08 – Landon Hulst, 14-yard pass from McNeil. Micah Larson PAT.
M 0:22 – Jaxson Hartman, 1-yard run. PAT failed.
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