Second half surge gets Plainview-Elgin-Millville the win

Because this might be the last football game I can cover this year, and the game I was going to attend was shut down due to COVID19, I decided to watch online, two programs I don't get to see very often – or in Plainville-Elgin-Millville case – ever. Earlier in the season, PEM defeated the Stewartville Tigers 28-7. Although it looked like the Tigers were going to flip the script on the favored Bulldogs, PEM dominated the second half and pulled away for a 22-6 victory. Although the Tigers only led 6-0 at the half, Stewartville dominated the game's first 24 minutes. After forcing a three and out, Stewartville quarterback Will Tschetter showed his mobility by beating a blitz, getting the corner, and picking up the first down. Later, the Michigan basketball commit was forced out of the pocket again – this time on third and goal from the ten. His ball was right on target to Will Laures, who made a tough catch right at the flag for a touchdown and a 6-0 lead. The defenses took over from there. On PEM's next possession,  Stewartville's Kael Lamb and Johnny Evers stuffed a run, and then Carter Kautz sacked the quarterback on third and long. Kautz forced a fumble too, but PEM was able to recover. Stewartville had chances to put the game away in the first half, but the Bulldog defense – which was on the field almost the entire first half – made huge plays when they needed them most. After PEM safety Blake Herber laid a big hit on a Stewartville receiver to force a punt, the Tigers ran a double reverse fake punt, and Nathan Smidt picked up the first down. Later in the drive, Tschetter would convert the second fourth and short to keep the possession alive. The third, fourth down of the drive was the charm for the Bulldogs' defense as they were finally able to get off the field after forcing an incompletion. The only time the Bulldogs' offense crossed mid-field in the first half was late in the second quarter, courtesy of a Peyton Schumacher interception near mid-field. Due in part to perfect one-on-one coverage by Stewartville corner Cole Jannsen on a deep throw down the sidelines, PEM could not take advantage of the turnover. After a failed fourth-down conversion, Stewartville was content to kneel on the ball with forty seconds to play in the half and go into the locker room with a 6-0 lead. The home Bulldogs got off to a fast start in the second half. A big special team's play by Jason Feils pinned the Tigers inside their ten-yard line. The defense forced a punt, giving PEM excellent field position. After doing next to nothing in the first half, the Bulldogs' offense came to life. After completing a short pass to start the drive, quarterback Conner Schumacher hit a big pass to running back Leo Silha for a forty-yard throwback touchdown pass. The extra point would give the favored Bulldogs their first lead. PEM's run defense struggled in the first half but came to play early in the second half as they would force their second straight three and out. The Bulldogs' offense would continue to roll. Silha bounced a run to the outside for 25 yards. Then he took a designed outside run upfield for seven more yards. After Silha picked up another six yards on the ground, Schumacher went up top. He found Feils for a 25-yard touchdown pass. The two-point conversion would make it a two-score game at 15-6 late in the third quarter. Stewartville promptly moved the ball out near mid-field but was faced with a fourth and short. The Tigers decided to gamble with a trick play, but the second pass of the double-pass play was overthrown. Stewartville would get the ball back and move the ball, but like every drive since early in the first quarter, the Bulldogs' defense would not break. Going for it on fourth down again, Tschetter picked up 15 yards on a fourth and one quarterback sneak. Then, Stewartville would empty the playbook again, running a reverse that was flipped back to Tschetter. He loaded up a deep ball and completed a fifty-yard pass to Alex Larson for a first down. On yet another fourth down, the PEM defense kept contain and force a rushed throw and an incompletion – turning the ball back over to the home Bulldogs. With a chance to put the game out of reach, Schumacher hit wide receiver Kyler Bade on the slant for a 25-yard gain. Then Schumacher turned the corner and picked up 16 yards with his feet on a 2nd and 17. Facing a fourth and two, Silha put the game away with a 35-yard touchdown run off the right side. Although the Tigers would threaten late, the Bulldogs' defense kept them off the scoreboard one last time for the sixteen-point victory.