Friday Night Lights Part VIII: Jaguars throttle Kimball Area 44-28

This was usually the scene in the Kimball backfield tonight...the Jaguars were good at making the Cubs' ball carriers miserable while holding Kimball quarterback Cameron Hunt to minus 41 yards rushing on nine carries!
The Jaguars were bringing the heat all night long on the Kimball back field...Below, Brady Weller pressures the Cubs quarterback in the fourth quarter.

Though it got a little closer down the stretch than hometown fans wanted, the B-B-E Jaguars football team withstood a high-octane Kimball Area Cubs offense in a convincing 44-28 win to cap the regular season. The Jaguars, who rushed for a season-high 237 yards as a team, led 21-6 around halfway into the second quarter, a score that stood at halftime. Their effort in the first half was remarkable, as they shut down the Cubs while coming back from an early 6-0 deficit. They went up as much as 30-6 before both teams traded punches as the fourth quarter clock ran down.

Most interesting is the fact that Kimball was eyeing a number-one seed in the Section 4A playoffs before B-B-E blew up that idea. They still may get it, even after tonight's loss. After what I've heard so far from other football results, I'm guessing the Jaguars will travel to Le Center or to Royalton for the Section 4A opener. They will be the #5 or #6 seed. I'll know more by the morning.

Based on Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity's big 33-12 win at Le Center, the Bulldogs (7-1 overall) may be slight favorites heading into the Section 4A tournament. They've now won 5 in a row and appear to be peaking at the doorstep of the post-season.

Tonight's win gives the Jaguars a 3-5 overall record. That's the first season with the exception of 2008 when the Jaguars were 4-4 that they have earned more than two regular season wins since 1997. The following includes the years that B-B-E went 2-6 in football since a 7-4 overall record in 1997: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010.

Kimball Area takes a 5-3 record into the Section 4A playoffs, including a 4-3 mark in the Central Minnesota Conference. The Cubs tied Maple Lake for third place in the CMC, with Eden Valley-Watkins clinching second with a 5-2 record. The Jaguars took fifth place alone at 3-4, their highest finish in the CMC since finishing in a three-way tie for third place in 2008 with a 4-3 mark.

**Results of games involving Section 4A teams on Oct. 19:
Royalton 40, Wadena-Deer Creek 14
A-C-GC 43, Minnewaska Area 14
Lester Prairie/Holy Trinity 33, Le Center 12

Central Minnesota Conference football scores on Oct. 19:
EV-W 42, Rockford 14
B-B-E 44, Kimball Area 28
Pierz 30, Holdingford 16
Maple Lake 41, Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 14

Pierz wins the CMC title for the first time since 2006 with a 6-1 record. EV-W had won the last four crowns. What's absolutely crazy is that the Jaguars lost three CMC games by a total of a mere eight points. Had those three games been wins, the Jaguars would have tied Pierz at 6-1 for the CMC title. Good grief, they came that close to earning the school's first football conference championship since the inaugural 1988 season.

The second win of the season on the home field this fall for the Jaguars...

Patrick Rooney scores from one yard out through a huge hole with 5:25 left in the fourth quarter...after Smedshammer's PAT kick the score was 37-14.


Area football scores on Oct 19 to end the regular season:
Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 34, BOLD 29 (MA/CA scores with 23 seconds left to win at UMM's Big Cat Stadium)
Paynesville Area 48, Lac qui Parle Valley 27
Montevideo 27, Minneota/Lincoln HI 7
Benson 34, Yellow Medicine East 13
Upsala-Swanville Area 25, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 14
New London-Spicer 48, Albany 46 (CRAZY)
Browerville 42, Osakis 21
Ottertail Central 49, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 7
United North Central 27, West Central Area 13
Melrose Area 25, Sauk Centre 14 (Melrose wins second in a row)

More to follow into the night.