Blooming Prairie Awesome Blossoms cruise to Section 1A title
Published 11:12 pm Friday, November 1, 2019
- The Awesome Blossoms celebrate their Section 1A title in a 59-12 win over Goodhue in Triton. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald. com
DODGE CENTER — The Awesome Blossoms were ready for a physical fight and they delivered all the early blows as they took control early on and knocked out No. 3 seeded Goodhue by a score of 59-12 in the Section 1A Title game at Wally Hitt Field Friday night.
The Wildcats (8-3 overall) pulled to within 17-6 on a Baxter O’Reilly 45-yard TD run with 9:02 left in the second quarter, but just eight minutes later, BP was up 45-6 and well on its way to victory.
Blooming Prairie’s Matthew Pryor breaks a tackle from Goodhue’s Conor O’Reilly in the Section 1A title game in Triton Friday night. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Zach Weber picked off a pass and Dylan Nirk recovered a fumble to set up scores by Matthew Pryor and Alex Baldwin in the final two minutes of the first half. BP rolled the rest of the way.
Pryor ran wild in the first half as he racked up 188 of his 223 rushing yards in the first two quarters. He finished with two scores behind a grinding and physical BP offensive line. BP and it’s crowd was chanting R-I-D after the game and Pryor explained what that meant shortly after he was able to hoist the Section 1A trophy for the second straight year.
“Relentless. Intesity. Determination,” Pryor said. “We came out as good as we could’ve. We did our assignements with alignment and technique and we took it to them. I’ve got the best line I could ask for. They make the blocks and I do the rest.”
The Blossoms dominated the line of scrimmage for much of the night on both sides of the ball as they held the Wildcats to zero points in the second half. BP head coach Chad Gimbel said his team answered the call.
Blooming Prairie’s Bradley Simon (7) and Mitchell Fiebiger (81) bring down Goodhue’s Logan Ferguson in Triton Friday night. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
“We challenged our kids. (Goodhue) played us well on the line the last time and this game our kids played well on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball on the line,” Gimbel said. “We had couple of mistakes on defense, but they were small mistakes and they’re correctable. I like the intensity and I like that we outscored them in the second half.”
BP senior lineman Jarrett Larson said BP’s success has come from an intense offseason of hard work and a steady approach every week. The Blossoms were locked in while preparing for Goodhue and it paid off for them in the big win.
“We had a great week of practice. They know us real well and we know them real well,” Larson said. “We tried to take away what they do best and we got off to a red hot start. When you can pound it down their throat like we did tonight, that goes to show the prepartion we put in.”
Kaden Thomas threw for 114 yards and three TDs in the win for BP (10-0 overall).
BP will play in its second consecutive state tournament after losing to BOLD in the semfinials last year. The Blossoms will play Springfield in the Minnesota Class A State Tournament quarterfinals at Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton at noon Nov. 9.
“We’re going back to back and we haven’t done that since I’ve been coaching,” Gimbel said. “That’s huge and hopefully we can build off it. We do have bigger goals, but right now it’s our next opponent.”
Blooming Prairie’s Alex Baldwin celebrates a touchdown with his teammate Jarrett Larson in the Section 1A title game against Goodhue in Triton Friday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
SCORING SUMMARY
Goodhue 0 12 0 0 – 12
BP 10 35 7 7 – 59
First quarter
(BP) Gabe Hagen 4 run (Colin Jordison kick) (7 plays, 76 yards) 8:19
(BP) Jordison 35 field goal (10 plays, 40 yards) 2:50
Second quarter
(BP) Hagen 3 pass from Kaden Thomas (Jordison kick) (7 plays, 52 yards) 9:22
(G) Baxter O’Reilly 45 run (pass failed) (1 play, 45 yards) 9:02
(BP) Matthew Pryor 2 run (Jordison kick) (7 plays, 57 yards) 6:52
(BP) Bradley Simon 8 run (Jordison kick) (6 plays, 65 yards) 3:22
(BP) Pryor 3 run (Jordison kick) (2 plays, 11 yards) 2:21
(BP) Alex Baldwin 22 pass from Thomas (Jordison kick) (2 plays, 24 yards) :58.3
(G) Cameron Mandelkow 7 pass from Sam Opsahl (pass failed) (8 plays, 64 yards) :8.5
Third quarter
(BP) Karson Vigeland 27 pass from Thomas (Jordison kick) (1 play, 22 yards) 5:26
Fourth quarter
(BP) Tyler Archer 6 run (Jordison kick) (8 plays, 59 yards) 11:08
BP STATS
Rushing: Matthew Pryor, 29-for-223, 2 TDs; Bradley Simon, 4-for-46, TD; Tyler Archer, 7-for-37, TD; Cade Christianson, 5-for-20; Kaden Thomas, 4-for-5; Alex Baldwin, 2-for-4; Gabe Hagen, 2-for-3, TD; Parker Vaith, 1-for-3
Passing: Kaden Thomas, 9-for-15, 114, 3 TDs
Receiving: Hagen, 4-for-35, TD; Karson Vigeland, 2-for-32, TD; Mitchell Fiebiger, 2-for-25; Alex Baldwin, 1-for-22, TD;
Defense: Zach Weber, 1 interception; Dylan Nirk, 1 fumble recovery; Luke Larksoki, 1 fumble recovery; Tyler Archer, 1 sack
Penalties: 3-for-25
GOODHUE STATS
Rushing: 112
Passing: 65
Penalties: 3-for-30
