Zephyrs' defense, running game key Mahtomedi's win

Both the Mahtomedi Zephyrs and Hastings Raiders defenses were outstanding Thursday night on Todd Field in Hastings. The Zephyrs were nearly perfect through three and a half quarters. The offense pounded the interior of the Hastings Raiders' defense to control the ball, but the Raiders' defense kept coming up with big plays when it counted. It wasn't a pretty game, but when Max Strecker recovered an on-side kick for Mahtomedi, it sealed a hard-fought 13-7 road victory for the Zephyrs.   On the game's first drive, the Zephyrs showed what the night's theme would be. Facing a third and eight, the offense was not going to throw the ball. They were going to pound the interior of the Raiders' defense. [player_tooltip player_id='1146296' first='Cole' last='Saenger'] ripped off ten yards and a first down. Alec Mahoney picked up big yards inside to move the ball into scoring range. Quarterback Charles Brandt finished the drive with a two-yard quarterback sneak.   "We love pounding the rock because of our o-line," Saenger said. "They are so good. They are the big dogs."   Leading 7-0, the defense would make a stop. However, Hastings' Brady Nickel hit the ball carrier to force a fumble to return the ball to the Raiders' offense. Having to start just outside the red zone, the Mahtomedi defense made the first of many stops near the end zone. The defense forced the Raiders to go for it on fourth down. Defensive lineman Michael Kasel read the quarterback draw and cut down the runner short of the first down.   One possession later, Mahtomedi's Dylan Bauman batted down a pass. Then Saenger came off the edge, and although he didn't make the tackle, he slowed the runner and allowed his teammates to make the tackle for a big loss.   Late in the first half, Mahtomedi moved the ball but faced a fourth and six with three and a half minutes to play in the first half. Brandt rolled out and found Will Newman on an out route for a first down. However, Hastings showed it could play some defense when put into a bad position. Blake Vandehoef picked off a pass near the goal line to keep the Zephyrs out of the end zone, preserving the seven-point lead.   The Raiders offense couldn't do much backed up near their goal line, so the defense was asked to stand tall again. Mahtomedi got into the red zone, but Cade Kimmes broke up a quick out route to force a field goal try. The kick was wide – keeping the score 7-0 going into the second half.   The Mahtomedi defense picked up right where it left off. Hastings tried a quarterback sneak to pick up a third and short, but the interior of the Zephyrs' line, Eric Buttke and Kasel moved the offensive line backward – forcing a punt.   A nice mix of inside runs and quick passes got Mahtomedi inside the ten-yard line. However, on fourth and three from the five, a wide-open receiver dropped a sure touchdown, keeping Hastings within one score.   Mahtomedi's Charles Thein keyed the three and out that kept field position in his team's favor. First, the defensive end swatted down a pass and then put a hit on the quarterback – forcing a poor throw. The poor field position and a great punt return by Mahtomedi's Newman set up the offense just outside the red zone. Like they had all game, Hastings' defense stepped up. On fourth and four, Mahtomedi tried a naked bootleg, but Nickel read it and forced Brandt to cut up his run before he wanted to – keeping him short of the goal line.   Hastings would move the ball into the red zone for the first time but would face a fourth and three inside the ten-yard line. It was the Zephyr's turn to make a defensive play. They kept contain and stopped an outside run short of the chains.   "We were focused on being aggressive," Saenger said, "being ready to play and being ready to hit."   Right after the turnover on downs, Saenger ripped off a long run up the middle for thirty yards. It looked like Mahtomedi would put the game away, but Hastings Ryan Clemens read a screen pass, made the interception, and put the Raiders back in business. The defense would save the game. Kasel would deflect a pass, and then an all-out blitz forced a bad throw. With four minutes to go, Hastings faced a fourth and four. Bauman put on immediate pressure, and Kasel would come up with a sack.   The inside running finally broke the Raiders' defense. Running behind Kasel and Tyler Gunderson, Mahoney ripped off a thirty-yard run to the outside. Saenger would break free for a 51-yard touchdown run a few plays later. The 13-0 lead looked safe.   Hastings would make things interesting when they finally got into the end zone with just over two minutes to play but needed a miracle on-side kick that didn't happen – sealing the 13-7 road win for Mahtomedi.

Both the Mahtomedi Zephyrs and Hastings Raiders defenses were outstanding Thursday night on Todd Field in Hastings. The Zephyrs were nearly perfect through three and a half quarters. The offense pounded the interior of the Hastings Raiders' defense to control the ball, but the Raiders' defense kept coming up with big plays when it counted. It wasn't a pretty game, but when Max Strecker recovered an on-side kick for Mahtomedi, it sealed a hard-fought 13-7 road victory for the Zephyrs.