Defense dominates in Hastings – Raiders pitch a shutout

It was a defensive battle for nearly two full quarters in Hastings as the Raiders took on the Apple Valley Eagles. Both teams were looking for their first win of the season. Late in the first half, one of the offenses found something they liked and took advantage of it. Once the Raiders’ offense got rolling, they dominated the second half to shut out the Eagles 21-0. A long opening kickoff return got the Raiders into Eagles’ territory, but after one first down, the Eagles’ defense stood tall. Defensive end Tayvion Gardner ran down Hastings’ quarterback Axel Arnold, recording a sack and forcing a fourth and long. They would come up well short on fourth down, giving the ball to the Eagles. Another special teams’ mistake – this time by Hastings - put the Raiders’ defense in a hole. A bobbled punt snap gave the Eagles’ offense the ball at the Raiders’ thirty-yard line. However, one play later, the Raiders’ defense came up huge. Raiders’ defensive back Danny Millner undercut a deep post on the goal-line, made a pick, and returned it to the 25-yard line. A short Hastings’ punt gave Apple Valley excellent field position for the second time in the half. For the second time, the Raiders’ defense stiffened. They stuffed a fourth and short, giving the ball back to the offense. With less than four minutes to play in the half, the Raiders’ offense started to click. Arnold picked up twenty yards on a quarterback draw. Running back, Brenden Freiermuth took a draw play up the middle to pick up 15 yards. With less than twenty seconds to play in the half, Arnold hit Jonathan Bezdicek on a post pattern for a 26-yard touchdown. Apple Valley’s offense picked up a couple of first downs coming out of half-time, but defensive lineman Austin Leflay sacked Apple Valley quarterback Tim Wyandt Tim Wyandt 6'0" | 165 lbs | QB Apple Valley | 2022 State MN forcing an eventual punt. Continuing with what was beginning to work to end the first half, Hastings went to work on the middle of the Eagles’ defense. Guards Pacer Ruble and Owen Glade and center Ben Witt started moving people and giving running back Payton Burow room to run. Freiermuth would cap off the drive with a short touchdown run to open a 13-0 lead. Yet another special team’s mistake gave Apple Valley a chance to get back into the game. Hastings’ linebacker Thomas Reifenberger turned a second and short into a third and long by running down Wyandt and dropping the quarterback for a ten-yard loss on the next possession. Hastings’ muffed the punt set up by Reifenberger and the Eagles as they took over deep in Raiders’ territory. The Raiders blitzed a lot in the second half, taking the Eagles out of any consistent passing game. The blitz worked one more time. Pressure on Wyandt forced an off-target throw on fourth down – getting the Raiders’ defense off the field again. Runs up the middle, a big play from Arnold to Rico Cooper in the passing game followed by Arnold on the ground put the Hastings’ offense in the red zone. The Eagles’ defense – which deserved better than it got on this night – couldn’t get a stop on fourth and one inside the five. A few plays later, Arnold threw his second touchdown pass – this time to his leading receiver in the game – Steven Reifenberger, on a crossing pattern. The two-point conversion made the score 21-0 with less than eight minutes to play. The Raiders’ defense made one more stop, and the running game salted the 21-0 victory away for the Hastings Raiders.