Cards continue to roll; top E-LC 41-14

[caption id="attachment_13473" align="alignleft" width="270"] Harley Forry dodges two Midget defenders during Friday night’s home contest. Forry had 35-yards on six carries for the Cardinals.[/caption]

Garner-Hayfield-Ventura (6-1, 4-0) put on a commanding display of rushing prowess and defensive aptitude en route to defeating the Estherville-Lincoln Central Midgets (1-6, 1-4) by a score of 41-14. Two Cardinal running backs finished with over 100 yards rushing while holding the Midgets to 202 yards of total offense.

The game began with a flurry of hustle on both sides of the ball for the red and black. After two downs of offense, the Midgets fumbled and turned over the ball on the inaugural drive.

It took the Cards a single down to find the end zone when Cade Baker trucked through a sea of Midgets and picked up a touchdown.

A three and out gave GHV the ball back with 10 minutes still to go in the first quarter. The Cards got back to familiar ways, picking up yards and eventually scoring on a one-yard Baker rush. Conner Shaw’s PAT run was good for two more.

Another three and out from E-LC and a 52-yard Shaw rush on the following play helped the Cardinals to find the end zone again. Dane Whipple’s PAT kick made the score 21-0 at the end of the first quarter.

The Midgets still had a little fight left in them. E-LC ran it right down the Cardinal’s throat and passed over their heads, scoring on a one-yard Robert Sheridan run. Sergio Osornio’s PAT kick was good, 21-7.

The Cardinals ran straight into the Midget defense and scored again. The Midget secondary was caught off guard when Lucas Prohaska dropped back and heaved one to Harley Forry, who scored on the 28-yard reception. Prohaska kept it for the PAT attempt, penetrating the Midget goal line again for a score.

E-LC, feeling motivated by the Cardinal’s success with the pass, tried it themselves. In what amounted to little more than two successful completions, the Midgets had scored again and kicked another PAT with less than a minute on the clock for a 29-14 halftime score.

The second half began with a jolt of energy when Baker took the opening kickoff to the house on a 63-yard return.

Gabe Umbarger and Jack VanDusseldorp stripped, and nearly recovered a loose ball, but to no avail. Still, possession was destined to be the Cardinals. On the following play, Shaw picked off a Midget pass.

The turnover on downs set the stage for a long, deliberate Cardinal drive that chewed much of the third quarter clock and ultimately ended in a Baker touchdown.

Another quick interception, this time at the hands of Chase Theobald, put the Cardinals back in the driver’s seat. It was short lived, as the Cardinals went three and out for the first time of the game as the clock ticked down to the fourth quarter.

Neither team was able to convert in the fourth quarter for the final 41-14 Cardinal victory.

GHV ended the game with 374-yards of offense, 346 of which came on the run game. Meanwhile, E-LC had 202-yards of offense, 108 of which came on the run.

“It was a nice team effort,” said GHV Head Coach Scott VanDusseldorp. “Our offensive line did a phenomenal job and we had two running backs with over 100 yards rushing.  It shows the toughness of our running backs but it is also a testament to the offensive line.”

Leading the Cardinal offensive was Shaw with 142-yards on 18 carries with one touchdown.  Baker had 124-yards on 10 carries and four touchdowns.  Also contributing was Forry with 35-yards on six carries; VanDusseldorp had 19-yards on three carries; and Prohaska had 18-yards on four carries.

Prohaska completed one of two passes for the Cardinals, good for 28-yards and a touchdown to Forry.

Leading the Cardinals on defense was Nick Joynt with nine and one-half tackles. Also contributing was Connor Smith with five and one-half tackles; Matt Sonquist had five; Forry had four and one-half; Baker had four; Gabe Umbarger and VanDusseldorp had three and one-half each.

Theobald had two and one-half tackles to go with his interception. Shaw with two tackles and two picks. Anthony Sherwood, Whipple, Grady Umbarger and Ben Baumgard had one and one-half tackles apiece.

The Cards stay at home this Friday to take on the Clarion-Goldfield Cowboys (1-6, 0-4).

“The Cowboys play smash mouth football so we are going to have to come prepared for a very physical game,” said VanDusseldorp.