While the varsity football team has been cruising through the district, the JV Clippers were en route to a 5-0 season. They punctuated it with an exclamation point on Monday after a 32-8 victory over visiting Mayer Lutheran.
Early in the second quarter, Jake Mueller stepped in front of a Crusader pass and took it 30 yards to the house for the game’s first score. The Clippers tried for a 2-point conversion, but the receiver slipped.
On their ensuing possession, the Crusaders turned the ball over on downs at the Cleveland 36. It took just one play, a Jack Mons screen pass to Tony Hollerich, for the Clippers to return to the end zone. Ethan Hoehn threw a block downfield to facilitate the touchdown.
This time, Mons’ point-after throw found a target: Adam Rain, a sophomore tight end, and the Clippers were in front 14-0 with 2:30 left before the break.
But the Clippers didn’t ease off the throttle. After Mayer Lutheran forfeited the ball on downs at the Cleveland 45, Mons hooked up with Wyatt Krenik for a catch and run across the goal line. The Clippers didn’t convert the bonus, but they still led 20-0 just before the intermission.
With a pick six, and a PAT pass, the Crusaders put up 8 points after fielding the second-half kickoff, but late in Q3, the Clippers started a campaign that included first-down passes to Garrett Heldberg and Owen Lloyd before Mons pitched to Hollerich to move the chains again. Mons called his own number for a 12-yard sprint into the end zone. Mayer stopped the PAT run, but the Clippers had a cozy 26-8 advantage.
Later, Hollerich put the finishing touches on the victory with a 38-yard sprint to the finish line. The Crusaders got a mitt on Mons’ point-after toss, but it didn’t much matter.
The Clippers were coming off a 34-14 win over host St. James area. In that game, Harry Fuller caught two Mons throws for TDs. Heldberg, Mueller and Rain also made their way to the end zone.
The JV Clippers also topped Le Sueur-Henderson on the road and Madelia and GFW at home.
Above: A Crusader defender confronts Jake Mueller.
Henry Boelter and Harry Fuller wall up a trio of Mayer Lutheran defenders.
Wyatt Krenik hauls in a Jack Mons pass. He took it the rest of the way for a touchdown.
Tony Hollerich looks to dodge a pair of Crusader defenders.
Jack Mons takes a Kiptyn Coon snap. In the backfield is Jake Mueller. Guarding is Henry Boelter.
Tony Hollerich feels the crunch of a Mayer Lutheran tackler.