Little used rule helped Andover defeat Sauk Rapids

With one loss between the two teams, Sauk Rapids-Rice versus Andover was set up to be a tight game. It was just that through three and a half quarters. Then, in a span of about ten minutes – real time – Andover had blown the game open. In a bizarre sequence, Sauk Rapids-Rice went from thinking they had the ball with a chance to drive 80 yards for a tying touchdown to giving up two touchdowns and ultimately falling to the Huskies 29-8.   In a constant light rain, both offenses would struggle. It could have been trouble adapting to the weather, but more likely, the defenses were coming up with big plays to get stops.   The Storm's opening drive showed promise until Andover defensive lineman Bailey Taylor beat his man at the point of attack and sacked the quarterback for a ten-yard loss.   Weather likely got the best of Andover on their opening drive. They moved the ball to the thirty-yard line but faced a fourth and ten. Quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='652799' first='Chase' last='Pemberton'] threw a great pass deep down the sidelines, but the receiver could not bring it in.   The Storm was on the move again but stops behind the line of scrimmage by Taylor, and then [player_tooltip player_id='1204492' first='Tramaine' last='Davis'] put the Storm in 4th and long, leading to a turnover on downs.   The Huskies would be their own worst enemy on their next drive. A penalty would negate a twenty-yard run and force them to punt.   Sauk Rapids-Rice was on the move again, but the end of a long run ended in a fumble and an Andover recovery.   The second drive in a row, the Husky's offense would hit a big play only to have it called back because of a penalty.   The teams would continue to move the ball between the twenties, but I don't think either offense got as deep as the 25-yard line – until Andover's defense got the offense inside the twenty-five. Andover's Austin Begalle picked off a screen pass with less than a minute to play and returned it to the twenty-yard line. The half would end 0-0 when the Huskies missed a field goal as the clock hit zero.   "Turnovers were a huge part of us winning," Taylor said. "They kept the fans up and us as a defense up and believing."   Both offenses got on track coming out of the locker room. The Storm got on the board first when quarterback Spencer Ackerman found Mason Sabraski down the middle of the field. There was no one within ten yards of him, and he sprinted untouched 68 yards into the end zone. The Storm would botch the extra point, but the holder – Ackerman – was able to scramble and make a throw into the end zone to Walker Loesch for the two-point conversion.   The lead would only last about five plays. Andover running back D'Mario Davenport ripped off two long runs to get in the red zone. Pemberton was running the option most of the day. Instead of pitching the ball, he cut up the field for a ten-yard touchdown run. He would decide not to pitch again on the two-point conversion to tie the game at 8.   "We made a few adjustments and stuck to the few plays we knew would work," Pemberton said. "We ran the ball down their throat."   After forcing a punt, Andover would ride the legs of Davenport and backup quarterback [player_tooltip player_id='348753' first='Hudson' last='Maynard'].   "I was cramping in both my calves," Pemberton said, "but Hudson is good."   Maynard picked up first down with his legs on third and long. Then Davenport would finish the drive with a three-yard touchdown run.   Up 14-8, [player_tooltip player_id='945922' first='Kaleb' last='Weikel'] and Davis would each deflect passes, forcing a Storm punt. Davenport continued his strong second half, picking up a first down, and Maynard would continue to make plays to move the chains. Facing a fourth and nine in Storm territory, Maynard scrambled for a first down. A few plays later, things got weird.   With another fourth down decision, Andover was about to go up two scores with a thirty-yard field goal try. The Storm would come off the edge and block the kick. The ball still crossed the line of scrimmage, and a Storm player scooped it up and tried to get up-field. He bobbled the ball, and a Husky player was able to jump on the loose ball.   After a long conference by the referees, the ball was awarded to Andover with a first down. Once a blocked kick crosses the line of scrimmage, the rules mirror a punt – once the defensive team touches the ball, it is a live ball. Andover took advantage of the massive break, and Davenport scored two plays later.   Two plays after taking a 22-8 lead, Andover's [player_tooltip player_id='470809' first='Luke' last='Dehnicke'] picked off a pass, setting his offense up deep in Storm territory. Andover's Oberjiri Eyafe would put the game out of reach with a five-yard touchdown run.   The 29-8 result would leave Andover and Sauk Rapids-Rice with identical 6-1 records.

With one loss between the two teams, Sauk Rapids-Rice versus Andover was set up to be a tight game. It was just that through three and a half quarters. Then, in a span of about ten minutes – real time – Andover had blown the game open. In a bizarre sequence, Sauk Rapids-Rice went from thinking they had the ball with a chance to drive 80 yards for a tying touchdown to giving up two touchdowns and ultimately falling to the Huskies 29-8.