Coming off a 14-6 win over Waterville-Elysian-Morristown followed by a 28-8 victory over Nicollet, it has been a good start for the junior high football team, but on Tuesday, visiting Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton scored on a punt and a kickoff return to stick a fork in the Clippers.
“JWP had a few really good players who made two big plays,” said Rich Kern, who along with Charlie Haugen, coaches the team. “Other than those two big plays, we were really close to hanging with them.”
JWP scored twice in the first quarter: on a quarter back run and a punt return all the way to the house. With the PAT passes, the Bulldogs were up 16-0.
With a 20-yard run by seventh-grade quarterback Tony Hollerich and a 12-yard pass completion to eighth-grade receiver Wyatt Krenik, the Clippers were moving early in the second quarter. Hollerich scrambled for 20 and then for 10 more (above) to a few yards from the goal line, but he took a hard, open-field hit on the play, left the game and did not return.
Seventh grader Jack Mons took over behind center. He suffered an interception as the half wound down, but early in the third quarter, he hooked up with Krenik, who was streaking down the sidelines, for a TD catch and run. The Bulldogs stopped the PAT run, but with 7:56 left in Q3, the Clippers, with their deficit trimmed to 10, were back in business.
“Mons, the back-up QB, has filled in and is doing an excellent job,” Kern said.
But the Bulldogs struck back quickly when they took the ensuing kickoff all the way for a touchdown. With a PAT pass, the Bulldogs were in front 24-6.
The Clippers didn’t throw in the towel though. Following a short kickoff, Mons connected with seventh grader Pierce Lyons and then to seventh grader Jeremy Miller for 17 yards before he linked up with Krenik again for a run to the end zone. With eighth grader Kiptyn Coon running in the PAT, the Clippers were back within 10, 24-14.
The Bulldogs scored again though with 5:55 left in the fourth quarter. They fumbled on the PAT run but extended their lead, 30-14.
Starting out on their 35, the Clippers, with no time to waste, began the drive well when Mons hit Miller for 20 yards, but later, on fourth down, JWP picked off a Mons toss, and the Bulldogs went in the V formation to hang on to the win.
The Clippers host Lester Prairie today (Thursday).
“The boys are excited to play another home game and hopefully a Clipper victory,” Kern said.
Hollerich ended up with a broken wrist and won’t be in pads any time soon.
Kiptyn Coon reaches for a JWP runner.
Miles Tomaszewski on the kickoff.
Kiptyn Coon extends for the goal line. He made it across for the two-point PAT.
Jeremy Miller grabs the jersey of a JWP runner.
Jack Mons on the pass.