HURON The Brookings Bobcats controlled the clock and benefitted from four Huron Tiger turnovers Thursday night, taking a 40-14 win in the regular season finale for both teams.
Brookings, now 7-2, will host an opening round playoff game on Thursday, while Huron will travel for its first round game on Oct. 31, most likely to top-seeded Yankton.
Give Brookings credit tonight, said Tiger coach Dru Strand. They had a game plan, they ran it to perfection and ate up the clock, effectively keeping our offense off the field.
The Bobcats set the script for their intentions on the opening drive of the game. A misplayed kickoff pinned Brookings deep, as they began the drive at the six yard line. Using a steady diet of off-tackle runs by Will Conrad, mixed with a couple of passes by quarterback Gavin Anderson to big tight end Bergan Tetzlaff, the Bobcats marched 94 yards, in 13 plays and chewing more than seven minutes off the clock before Anderson and Tetzlaff capped the drive with a five-yard pitch and catch. Drew Anderson punched the PAT through and Brookings led 7-0 with only 4:13 to play in the quarter.
Needing to respond, Huron stumbled out of the gate, as two straight rush attempts resulted in no game. The Tigers tried the bubble screen that worked very well the previous week in Aberdeen, but quarterback Colt McNeil slipped when he threw the ball. Instead of traveling on a line, the ball floated and Brookings Jay Harris stepped in front of the intended receiver, at the 16-yard line and sprinted untouched for the pick-six, making the score 14-0 with only a minute off the clock.
Huron went three-and-out on its next possession, kicking the ball back to the Bobcats, who were pinned back with a holding penalty. The Tiger defense, which has played lights out the last half of the season, rose up and stopped the Bobcats on downs, taking over at the Brookings 34-yard line.
Right out of the change of possession, McNeil rolled to the left and lofted a pass to Anderson Porisch, who went high in the air to claim the touchdown reception. After the PAT from Micah Larson, the score was 14-7 as the first quarter ended.
After the fireworks of the opening period, the pace slowed in the second. The teams traded three and outs until Brookings took over with just under eight minutes to play in the half.
Again, the Bobcats methodically moved down the field, with Anderson and Conrad sharing the rushing duties with Mason Mathis and two passes to Alex Wainman, the second of which set them up with a first-and-goal from the two yard line. From there, Tetzlaff, who had gone in motion, stopped behind the center, took the snap and the Bobcats did their version of the Philadelphia Eagles Tush Push, pushing Tetzlaff into the endzone with 2:07 to play. After the extra point was short, Brookings led 20-7 and although Huron got the ball back on an interception by Shawn Messimore, the Tigers were unable to garner more than a first down, their first, before the half ended.
We made some mental mistakes in the early going, Strand said. We got caught peaking in the backfield and got burned defensively and on offense we had some drops that may have helped us sustain a drive or two.
Huron came out refocused in the second half as the offense began to move the ball. Mixing some Landon Hulst runs, along with an occasional pass to Porisch, the Tigers moved quickly to midfield. From their Hulst found some space on the right side of the field and scampered 24 yards, down to the Brookings 26-yard line. McNeil rolled out on the next play and threw incomplete, but the Bobcats were flagged for roughing and Huron found themselves with a first down at the 13 yard line.
But the drive ended there, as a holding penalty pushed Huron backward and then an interception turned the ball back to the Bobcats.
Brookings made quick work of its next possession, as a 38-yard run by Mathis got them out of the shadow of their goalposts. Conrad gashed the center of the Huron defense for 12 yards and only a shoestring tackle by Bubba Peterson saved a score. But the next play found Anderson tossing a short pass to Harris on the right side and the receiver did the rest, streaking down the sideline for a 46-yard score.
Huron got its rushing attack going on its next possession, as Hulst had runs of 17 and seven yards on the drive to move into Brookings territory.
With a first down at the Bobcats 32-yard line, Hulst cut left, patiently set up his blocks and then hit the jets for a 32-yard score that cut the lead to 26-14 after the PAT.
Brookings responded immediately, starting a drive from its 15-yard line and used a 59-yard pass and catch from Anderson to Tetzlaff to move to the Huron 20. A short run made it second down, before Anderson found Wainman open in the end zone for an 18-yard score to made it 33-14.
Huron again got the offense rolling quickly on the next drive, as a pass to Porisch and a penalty on the Bobcats earned a quick first down. On the next play, McNeil hit Peterson in stride across the middle, but Harris punched the ball loose and Brookings fell on the fumble as the third quarter expired.
The Bobcats capped the scoring on their next drive, as passes to Wainman and runs from Conrad to move to the Huron 10.
Tetzlaff again stopped in motion as he did earlier, but this time he took the snap and lobbed the ball to the left hand corner of the endzone to Wainman for the capping score and Huron never threatened again in the game.
Brookings held a huge advantage in time of possession in the game, rolling up 407 yards in offense, with 146 coming on the ground. Mathis carried six times for 74 yards and Conrad rumbled 47 yards on 16 carries. As a team, the Bobcats were 15-18 through the air for 261 yards, with Anderson throwing two touchdowns and Tetzlaff tossing one.
Hulst led Hurons running game with 80 yards on 10 carries and a score as the Tigers ran for 116 yards in the game, all but three yards in the second half. Hansen managed 36 yards on nine carries. McNeil finished 11/27 through the air for another 114 yards and a touchdown.
Score by quarters
Brookings 14 6 13 7 40
Huron 7 0 7 0 14
Scoring summary
1st quarter
BR 4:13 – Bergan Tetzlaff, 5-yard pass from Gavin Anderson. Drew Johnson PAT.
BR 3:08 – Jay Harris, 16-yard interception return. Johnson PAT
HU :07 – Anderson Porisch, 34-yard pass from Colt McNeil. Micah Larson PAT.
2nd quarter
BR 2:07 – Tetzlaff, 2-yard run. Kick failed
3rd quarter
BR 6:56 – Harris, 46-yard pass from Anderson. Conversion failed.
HU 4:49 – Landon Hulst, 32-yard run. Larson PAT.
BR 1:34 – Alex Wainman, 18-yard pass from Anderson. Johnson PAT.
4th quarter
BR 7:07 – Wainman, 10-yard pass from Tetzlaff. Johnson PAT.
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