Friday Night Lights II: brilliance and disaster

The Jaguars offense started out with flashes of brilliance against state-ranked Eden Valley-Watkins.

With possession of the ball to start the game tonight in the home opener, the Jaguars football team had everything going their way in what appeared to be a 68-yard scoring drive. With a first-and-goal possession with just 7 yards to go, disaster struck with a lost fumble.

Eden Valley-Watkins, ranked #9 in Class AA, proceeded to drive 90 yards and scored with 2:54 left in the 1st quarter. 7-0 Eagles.

That lost fumble was just a preview of many more disasters to strike the Jaguars.

Stinging from going down 7-0, the Jaguars went right back to work and got a huge boost by Tanner Heinsius's 25-yard kickoff return. The Jaguars then drove 50 yards on 9 plays with Colby Schramel scoring on a 4-yard run with 9:04 left in the 2nd quarter. Tommy Cebulla's PAT kick made it 7-7.

Needless to say, it went south from there. The Eagles led 34-7 at halftime. Once their first string varsity players scored in the 3rd quarter, they took a very classy move and began subbing down. One offensive series later, and their JV players had taken over the game. B-B-E and EV-W slugged it out the rest of the game with JV teams going at it.

Final score vs. Eden Valley-Watkins: 41-7 loss.

Next for the Jaguars: a trip down Highway 55 to Kimball Area in Week 3, when two 0-2 teams will square off. The Cubs lost in rural Howard Lake tonight by a 45-6 score to Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted.

Pierz beat Maple Lake 28-21. Holdingford traveled to Rockford and won 14-13.

Here's some video from last night:

Area football Week 2 scores on September 5:
Albany 28, Little Falls 10
Upsala/Swanville Area 42, Wadena-Deer Creek 8
Springfield 37, Buffalo Lake-Hector-Stewart 7
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 24, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 8
Sauk Centre 34, Benson 23
Montevideo 26, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 6
Melrose Area 33, Yellow Medicine East 26