Opening statement: Cardinals win first game with new football co-op
Published 11:34 pm Friday, August 30, 2024
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Carter Sweeney wraps up Kingsland’s Sam Howard during the first quarter Friday night in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Ryder Stern tracks Kingsland quarterback Kaaleem Reiland during the second quarter Friday night in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Landon Meyer celebrates a first half touchdown Friday night against Kingsland in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Talan Lewison tries to escape a tackle against Kingsland Friday night in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Camden Hungerholt passees against Kingsland in the first half Friday night in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Camden Hungerholt look for running room in the first half against Kingsland Friday night in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Tyson Stevens drags a tackler during a run in the first half against Kingsland Friday night in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Ryder Stern holds off a Kingsland defender on a carry Friday night in the first half in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Dylan Christianson bears down on Kingsland’s Kaaleem Reiland during the first quarter Friday night in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Landon Meyer hauls in a first-quarter touchdown against Kingsland Friday night in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli’s Tyson Stevens makes the catch while getting hit during the first quarter against Kingsland Friday night in Spring Valley. Eric Johnson/photodesk@austindailyherald.com
SPRING VALLEY – After years of wondering what it’s like to play in a big game between two of the top teams in the state, Dylan Christianson had his opportunity.
And he was all smiles from start to finish.
Christianson and the LeRoy-Ostrander/Lyle-Pacelli opened its football co-op with a 35-26 victory over Kingsland, which was one yard short of a nine-man state championship last season, Friday night.
Christianson was stuck playing JV last season due to low numbers at L-P last year, but on Friday, he helped spearhead a Cardinal defense that held the explosive Knights and their all-purpose quarterback Kaaleem Reiland to zero points in the fourth quarter.
“Going from JV to beating the second best team in nine man football right now is exciting. They’re a good team and it was a lot of fun. Reiland is hard to contain, but it’s not impossible. We did our job and we contained to the best of our ability,” Christianson said. “I don’t think there’s any coming back to Earth. We’re staying up the whole season and we’re going all the way.”
The Cardinals (1-0 overall) had two big second half answers to sustain the lead as Camden Hungerholt found Tyson Stevens on a 25-yard scoring strike to make it 29-20 with 4:17 left in the game and Hungerholt iced the game with a two-yard TD run with 2:32 left in the game after the Knights had pulled to within 29-26 on a 16-yard TD run by Caden Reiter that was set up by a blocked punt.
Hungerholt threw for 156 yards and three scores and he ran 181 yards and two TDs without committing a turnover.
“We were focused and we’ve been waiting for this all year.,” Hungerholt said. “We know what they’ve been saying about us and how they’ve been disrespecting us after we lost (to Spring Grove) last year. They’ve been disrespecting our coaches, my family and my teammates. And that’s what happens.”
Hungerholt closed the first half with a big effort as he got loose on a 39 yard scamper to help set up his own five yard TD push with 14 seconds left in the half. He also found Landon Meyer for two first half scoring throws. The Cards held a 21-12 lead at the break.
L-O/L-P head coach Trevor Carrier said his team could not have started out the new co-op much better than it did by winning in Kingsland.
“Reiland and Parker Johnson are two of the best players in Minnesota bar none. They took away what we wanted to do and we had to do some other things,” Carrier said. “I’m very proud of all of our guys. This is a co-op that people didn’t think was going to work. We had had all of these guys work together. There were tears of happiness tonight and I’m just so proud of all of these guys “
L-O/L-P 7 14 8 6 – 36
Kingsland 6 6 13 0 – 25
First quarter
(K) Kaaleem Reiland 30 run (pass failed) (3 plays, 35 yards) 7:41
(LOLP) Landon Meyer 39 pass from Camden Hungerholt (Ryder Stern kick) (8 plays, 80 yards) 4:21
Second quarter
(LOLP) Meyer 13 pass from Hungerholt (kick failed) (9 plays, 54 yards) 5:41
(K) Zach Reiland 1 run (pass failed) (11 plays, 51 yards) 1:45
(LOLP) Hungerholt 5 run (Meyer from Hungerholt) (5 plays, 80 yards) :14
Third quarter
(K) Parker Johnson 1 run (Reiter from Reiland) (6 plays, 74 yards) 8:24
(LOLP) Tyson Stevens 25 pass from Hungerholt (Sweeney from Hungerholt) (5 plays, 26 yards) 4:17
(K) Caden Reiter 16 run (run failed) (2 plays, 21 yards) :04
Fourth quarter
(LOLP) Hungerholt 2 run (pass failed) (6 plays, 48 yards) 2:32
LO STATS
Rushing: Camden Hungerholt, 29-for-181, 2 TD; Tyson Stevens, 4-for-5
Passing: Hungerholt, 12-for-27, 156, 3 TDs
Receiving: Landon Meyer, 2-for-52, 2 TDs; Tyson Stevens, 3-for-33, TD; Carter Sweeney, 3-for-28; Ryder Stern, 2-for-26; Talan Lewison, 1-for-11; Reid Hungerholt, 1-for-6
Defense: Talan Lewison, 1 interception
