Down twenty, Lightning strikes in Cottage Grove
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With just one win between the two teams heading into Thursday night, I didn’t know what to expect when I walked onto the Park Wolfpack’s football field to watch them take on the Eastview Lightning; I didn’t know what I was going to get. All I got was a twenty-point second-half comeback by the Lightning for a thrilling 36-32 victory.
Both offenses came out hot in the first quarter. Park quarterback
Evan Bearth
Evan
Bearth
6'4" | 190 lbs | QB
Park of Cottage Grove | 2022
State
MN
used a short passing game and his legs to move the ball into the red zone. Bearth then connected with wide receiver Jalaata Shenkor on a crossing route for an 18-yard touchdown pass and a 6-0 lead.
Eastview answered right back with a 67-yard touchdown run around the left side by running back Tyler Jerstad to tie the game at six. Jerstad made a move at the line of scrimmage to bounce outside and into the clear.
After forcing a punt, Eastview put together another scoring drive with a nice combination of run and pass. The Lightning took the lead on a run up the middle by
Damon Green
Damon
Green
5'11" | 190 lbs | RB
| 2024
State
MN
for 37 yards.
Park would answer back – multiple times. Bearth started to find a rhythm, throwing primarily short and intermediate throws. Bearth completed a short touchdown pass, and after forcing a punt, Park took the lead on a 78-yard run by Blake Johnson around the end.
Park looked like they were taking control when they threw a screen pass to Johnson, and he found nothing but green grass. The 59-yard touchdown pass gave the Wolfpack a 25-12 lead. Park would add a third unanswered touchdown to start the second half. They were in complete control up 32-12 with five minutes to play in the third quarter.
At this time, Eastview found something they liked on the left side of the line behind left tackle Jack Stevens. The Lightning started to feed Jerstad and Green the ball, and Stevens, fullback Ibrahim Awada and tight end Nick Brandt took over the game. After moving the ball on the ground into the red zone, the comeback would start with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Layne Applegate to Green.
"We started off good, but then we got away from doing some good things on offense," Eastview head coach Kelly Sherwin said. "We got back to doing what we do well. We stopped dancing and started running the ball downhill and made some plays down the stretch."
Not only was the Lightning offense finding its grove, so was the defense. The Wolfpack would be forced to punt on their next possession, and the punt snap was well over the punter’s head. Once the punter tracked down the ball, he was well inside his own ten-yard line. Instead of getting tackled inside the five with a sure touchdown to follow, the punter ran into the end zone and then out of the end zone for a safety.
"We made some adjustments in the secondary," Sherwin said about his defense’s second half. "We played more disciplined in the second half and took away just enough of their plays to get it done."
Eastview would take the free-kick to mid-field, and the offense continued to roll. Jerstad found a big hole up the middle between Quincy Jenkins and Benjy VandeBerg. Then the Lightning went back to work behind Stevens, Brandt, and Awada. They picked up three first downs running almost the exact same play. Jerstad topped off the drive with a five-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion cut the once twenty-point Park lead down to three.
Eastview’s Cooper DeSutter put pressure on the quarterback forcing a three and out. Having an adventurous day, after having a punt partially blocked, then a snap over his head, Park punter
Treyton Bammert-Mueller
Treyton
Bammert-Mueller
6'5" | 230 lbs | ATH
Park of Cottage Grove | 2022
State
MN
uncorked a 60-yard punt forcing the Lightning to go 80 yards to complete the comeback.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Eastview went right back to the well with Jerstad and sometimes Green, pounding away behind the left side of the line. I wish I were keeping track, but I swear the Lightning ran the same play ten straight times before Park slowed them down and almost got off the field. Facing a fourth and three at the Park 44 yard line, Jerstad moved over a spot on the offensive line and kept the drive alive with a run up the middle.
"I loved it," Stevens said. "I have been telling them to run left all year. Look at the scoreboard. I like that – we should run left all the time. We are a bunch of dogs on the offensive line. We like getting low and hitting guys."
A designed quarterback draw by Applegate right up the middle picked up another first down. Eastview would convert yet another 4th down – this time a 4th and one. Jerstad ran – you guessed it – off the left side – picked up four yards and a first down. With less than two minutes to play, Eastview took a holding penalty, and then Applegate bailed his team out. As well as the offensive line had played in the second half, no one blocked anyone on the play, but Applegate used a variety of moves to make what should have been a five-yard loss into a ten-yard gain and a second and ten. On the very next play, Jerstad broke free up the middle and gave the Lightning the lead with 56 seconds to play.
The Eastview defense – who was nearly perfect since giving up an early second-half touchdown - made the finish interesting. Bearth’s pass to
Ot Omot
Ot
Omot
6'4" | 165 lbs | WR
Park of Cottage Grove | 2023
State
MN
on fourth and 8 picked up the first down at the 31-yard line. The Wolfpack would get to the 20-yard line but would run out of time.
Eastview’s 20 point second-half comeback moved their record to 1-2 and dropped the Wolfpack also to 1-2.
Damon
Green
5'11" | 190 lbs | RB
| 2024
State
MN
for 37 yards.
Park would answer back – multiple times. Bearth started to find a rhythm, throwing primarily short and intermediate throws. Bearth completed a short touchdown pass, and after forcing a punt, Park took the lead on a 78-yard run by Blake Johnson around the end.
Park looked like they were taking control when they threw a screen pass to Johnson, and he found nothing but green grass. The 59-yard touchdown pass gave the Wolfpack a 25-12 lead. Park would add a third unanswered touchdown to start the second half. They were in complete control up 32-12 with five minutes to play in the third quarter.
At this time, Eastview found something they liked on the left side of the line behind left tackle Jack Stevens. The Lightning started to feed Jerstad and Green the ball, and Stevens, fullback Ibrahim Awada and tight end Nick Brandt took over the game. After moving the ball on the ground into the red zone, the comeback would start with a seven-yard touchdown pass from Layne Applegate to Green.
"We started off good, but then we got away from doing some good things on offense," Eastview head coach Kelly Sherwin said. "We got back to doing what we do well. We stopped dancing and started running the ball downhill and made some plays down the stretch."
Not only was the Lightning offense finding its grove, so was the defense. The Wolfpack would be forced to punt on their next possession, and the punt snap was well over the punter’s head. Once the punter tracked down the ball, he was well inside his own ten-yard line. Instead of getting tackled inside the five with a sure touchdown to follow, the punter ran into the end zone and then out of the end zone for a safety.
"We made some adjustments in the secondary," Sherwin said about his defense’s second half. "We played more disciplined in the second half and took away just enough of their plays to get it done."
Eastview would take the free-kick to mid-field, and the offense continued to roll. Jerstad found a big hole up the middle between Quincy Jenkins and Benjy VandeBerg. Then the Lightning went back to work behind Stevens, Brandt, and Awada. They picked up three first downs running almost the exact same play. Jerstad topped off the drive with a five-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion cut the once twenty-point Park lead down to three.
Eastview’s Cooper DeSutter put pressure on the quarterback forcing a three and out. Having an adventurous day, after having a punt partially blocked, then a snap over his head, Park punter
Treyton Bammert-Mueller
Treyton
Bammert-Mueller
6'5" | 230 lbs | ATH
Park of Cottage Grove | 2022
State
MN
uncorked a 60-yard punt forcing the Lightning to go 80 yards to complete the comeback.
If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. Eastview went right back to the well with Jerstad and sometimes Green, pounding away behind the left side of the line. I wish I were keeping track, but I swear the Lightning ran the same play ten straight times before Park slowed them down and almost got off the field. Facing a fourth and three at the Park 44 yard line, Jerstad moved over a spot on the offensive line and kept the drive alive with a run up the middle.
"I loved it," Stevens said. "I have been telling them to run left all year. Look at the scoreboard. I like that – we should run left all the time. We are a bunch of dogs on the offensive line. We like getting low and hitting guys."
A designed quarterback draw by Applegate right up the middle picked up another first down. Eastview would convert yet another 4th down – this time a 4th and one. Jerstad ran – you guessed it – off the left side – picked up four yards and a first down. With less than two minutes to play, Eastview took a holding penalty, and then Applegate bailed his team out. As well as the offensive line had played in the second half, no one blocked anyone on the play, but Applegate used a variety of moves to make what should have been a five-yard loss into a ten-yard gain and a second and ten. On the very next play, Jerstad broke free up the middle and gave the Lightning the lead with 56 seconds to play.
The Eastview defense – who was nearly perfect since giving up an early second-half touchdown - made the finish interesting. Bearth’s pass to
Ot Omot
Ot
Omot
6'4" | 165 lbs | WR
Park of Cottage Grove | 2023
State
MN
on fourth and 8 picked up the first down at the 31-yard line. The Wolfpack would get to the 20-yard line but would run out of time.
Eastview’s 20 point second-half comeback moved their record to 1-2 and dropped the Wolfpack also to 1-2.
