Friday Night Lights III: Jaguars give Patriots all they wanted, rain doesn't help, in first loss of season

In one of the most memorable games played on the home field, the B-B-E Jaguars football team dished out everything they had - and more - in a 28-7 loss to Upsala/Swanville Area. Both teams entered the game with 2-0 records. Something had to give.

B-B-E led 7-0 after their second possession of the game. That was short-lived, however, with U/SA scoring on their next series on a 42-yard touchdown carry. Their conversion was good for an 8-7 lead. They scored one more time in the first quarter to take a 16-7 lead.

To get that initial touchdown, the Jaguars were outstanding on their first defensive series. The Patriots gained 7 yards on 3 plays and had to punt with 8:35 left in the first quarter. On the punt, Tyler Myers blew through the line and blocked the ball. It brougth a resounding thud sound as the ball bounced off of his pads. Boom! With 8:28 left, the Jaguars had first down on U/SA's 30-yard line.

Two incomplete passes and one rushing play for no yards brought 4th-and-10. On that play, Noah DeRoo hauled in a touchdown in the endzone. With 7:40 left, the Jaguars lined up for the PAT kick. That kick sailed straight through the uprights! B-B-E 7, U/SA 0.

On the next series of the game, U/SA had the ball for their second possession. That drive started on their 40-yard line. They used 6 plays to get to 4th-and-1. On the next play, Cal Leners ran for a 41-yard touchdown carry. He also ran in the conversion play, and with 5:24 left, the Patriots held an 8-7 lead.

U/SA then scored on their third possession of the game on a 48-yard drive. On a 7-yard touchdown carry, the Patriots led 16-7 with 58 seconds left in the first quarter.

The Patriots did not score on their fourth and fifth possession. On their sixth possession, U/SA scored on a 32-yard drive after recovering a B-B-E lost fumble with the drive finished off by a 10-yard carry. The conversion was stopped short, and with 49 seconds left, they led 22-7.

More to come. Additional video is uploading.

A few other football notes...
In the September 16 Associated Press state rankings, U/SA was ranked No. 4 in Class 1A. Their team features 19 seniors. Meanwhile, B-B-E had just 20 total players dressed and in uniform for the game. Two players remain on the injured reserve list.

Let that sink in! A team with 19 seniors and a roster with 60+ players...against a team with just 2 seniors and 20 total players.

Here's a video from the first quarter tonight:


The Jaguars trailed 22-7 at halftime. On the final play of the first half, Aiden Mueller was stopped one yard short of the end zone. Had he gotten in, the Jaguars may have trailed either 22-15 or 22-13 at that point. The first two quarters were wild.

The Patriots were only able to score one more time in the second half. You really can't say enough about the effort given by B-B-E's players. They were warriors to the end.

Some game statistics: U/SA totaled 489 offensive yards. Of that total, 462 yards came on the ground. The Patriots had 25 first downs compared to 8 by the Jaguars. U/SA was 7-of-14 on third down conversions and 3-of-4 on fourth down tries.

Mid-Northwest Gold District Week III scores on September 18:
West Central Area 14, Browerville 8
Benson 30, Ashby/Brandon-Evansville 14
Maple Lake 40, Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 0

Area Week III football scores on September 18:
Pierz 60, Minnewaska Area 0
Sauk Centre 34, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 21
Royalton 30, St. Cloud Apollo 8
Rothsay 34, Ortonville 12
Albany 41, Melrose Area 16
Willmar 27, Marshall 14
Glencoe-Silver Lake 31, Montevideo 22
MACCRAY 27, Yellow Medicine East 0
St. Cloud Cathedral 7, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 0
Parkers Prairie 42, New York Mills 8
Minneota 65, Canby 14