Cardinals win high scoring contest

It was a tale of two-halves when the Garner-Hayfield-Ventura football team faced Estherville Lincoln-Central (2-3) at home.  Both teams started slow in the first half, but erupted in the second.

ELC opened the first quarter with a long drive that was stopped on the eight-yard line when Jace Pringnitz forced a fumble.  Buck Weaver scooped it up for a nine-yard return.  The Midgets returned the favor and forced a fumble.  The first quarter ended with neither team scoring.

The Cardinals put together a long drive to open the second quarter, but a sack that was followed by a fumble by Landon Dalbeck ended the drive. Neither team could get much going, with plenty of fumbles and incomplete passes.  With :37 remaining in the half, the Midget’s quarterback found a receiver for a seven-yard pass and a touchdown.  The PAT was good and ELC took a 7-0 lead into the break.

Coach Van Dusseldorp’s half-time speech paid huge dividends, as the game broke open in the third quarter.  The Cardinals got on the board quickly, as Pringnitz  put together a 22-yard run and a 50-yard run that ended in a TD.  Dalbeck’s PAT was good to knot the game, 7-7.

ELC scored on the next possession, 14-7. From there, GHV went on a scoring frenzy.

Jared Shaw found the end zone on a five-yard run.  Pringnitz’s PAT run was good, 16-14.  Brock Gouge strung together a couple of nice runs that ended in a touchdown with :11 remaining in the third quarter.  Once again, Pringnitz ran the ball in for the conversion, 24-14.

ELC scored on their first possession of the fourth quarter to bring the game to within three points, 24-21.

Dalbeck completed a 25-yard pass to Holden Larson that helped GHV grind out another touchdown.  Pringnitz scored on a 14-yard run and also ran in the two-point PAT to take a 32-21 lead.  A Midget fumble that was recovered by Pringnitz ended ELC’s hopes.  The Cards ended up scoring on that mistake when Gouge found the end zone on a 12-yard run.  Isaac Knutson scored on the conversion for the final 40-21 victory.

“We played very well in the second half,” said Coach Scott VanDusseldorp.

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“We still started a little slow, but I definitely saw improvement.”

GHV had 303-yards of rushing yardage, compared to just 94 for Estherville-LC.  The Midgets did gain more yardage through the air, with 132 passing yards, compared to 86 for the Cardinals.

Pringnitz led the GHV rushing show with 201-yards on 25 carries.  Gouge picked up 97-yards on 14 carries, and Shaw had 32-yards on five totes.

Dalbeck was 6/11 passing for 78-yards.  Shaw completed one pass for eight yards.

Sam Umbarger was the leading receiver with 22-yards on three catches.  Larson, Ethan Kale, Pringnitz and Shaw all had one catch apiece.

Larson led the defense with seven tackles.  Both Pringnitz and Gouge recorded five and one-half tackles.  Gouge had three tackles for a loss, while Pringnitz recorded two and one-half.  Joe Pringnitz also had five and one-half tackles.  Weaver and Shaw each recorded four tackles and each had a tackle for a loss.

“With how competitive this district is, we are going to have to put four quarters together to be successful the next three weeks,” said VanDusseldorp.

The Cardinals (2-4) host Southeast Valley (5-1) on Friday night.  Game time is 7 p.m.

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