NLS pounces on Proctor

ST. CLOUD - The New London-Spicer Wildcats are dome bound.

The site of next Friday's semifinals will at least guarantee a dry afternoon of football.

Not that Husky Stadium has been bad for them, even in a game-long drizzle Friday night.

The Wildcats sank the Proctor Rails 61-0 in a Class AAA quarterfinal game, a memorable way to begin the school's first-ever visit to a football state tournament.

It was the second shutout for NLS on the St. Cloud State campus in eight days. In two games on the artificial Omni Grass turf, the Wildcats outscored two foes 91-0.

NLS will play DeLaSalle at 3:15 p.m. next Friday at the Metrodome in the AAA semifinals. The Islanders (12-0), who were state runners-up to Glencoe-Silver Lake last year, ousted Rochester Lourdes 48-36.

Quarterback Jared Williamson passed for two touchdowns, both to his tight end Derrick Dohmann, and fullback Taylor Dammermann ran for three. It was 34-0 at half.

"It will be nice to be in the Dome," said William-son, who was 3-for-6 for 77 yards in the first half. "It was wet, but it's not so bad when you're winning."

The Wildcats benefited from five Proctor turnovers and held Proctor to two first downs in the first two quarters. The defense sacked Rails' quarterback Steve Nelson four times with Luke Reiter getting two and John Nething and Justin Zylstra one apiece.

Williamson and Dammermann both were quick to credit the offensive line for the slurry of touchdowns.

"They made my job easy," said Dammermann, a 200-pound senior. "They deserve the credit."

Williamson said the offensive line of tackles Jack LaPatka and Jared Klever, guards Anthony Dauk and Brandon Murphy and center Andrew Lien "just blew their defensive line away."

Long runs by Dammermann and Shawn Halliday set up the first-quarter scores. Halliday finished the first half with 61 yards on nine carries.

Chris Hanson recovered a Rails' fumble at midfield and on first down Williamson threw a bullet to Dohmann over the middle and he went 48 yards untouched for a 21-0 lead after Jake Essler ran in the conversion.

The Wildcats have now scored 171 points in four postseason games while running their record to 10-2. Proctor (9-3) lost for the first time since the second game of the season.

In the third quarter, Derek Henle scored on a 24-yard run, Erik Tengwall picked off a Rails' pass and ran it back 28 yards and Jake Essler took a short Eric Makitalo punt 34 yards for the final score of the night.

Jay Moten, a two-way starter at wing back and strong safety, said the cold and rain never got to him.

"You don't feel it with the adrenaline pumping," said Moten, who scored the game's first touchdown on a four-yard end run. "Playing in the Dome will be great, but honestly I didn't think at the beginning we'd get this far."

Caleb Friedrich also made an interception and Austin Wentzlaff recovered a fumble.

The Wildcats finished the regular season 6-2 then knocked off St. Cloud Cathedral 49-21, Foley 31-10 and then Albany 31-0 for the section title.

Proctor fell to Albany in last year's quarterfinal, its only loss of the season.

NL-Spicer 61, Proctor 0

Proctor 0 0 0 0 -- 0

NLS 13 21 27 0 -- 61

NLS - Jay Moten 4 run (Caleb Friedrich kick)

NLS - Taylor Dammermann 1 run (run failed)

NLS - Derrick Dohmann 48 pass from Jared Williamson (Jake Essler run)

NLS - Dammermann 25 run (kick failed)

NLS - Dohmann 15 pass from Williamson (Friedrich kick)

NLS - Derek Henle 23 run (kick failed)

NLS - Erik Tengwall 28 interception return (Friedrich kick)

NLS - Essler 34 punt return (Friedrich kick)

NLS - Dammermann 2 run (Friedrich kick)

Proctor

Team statistics

First downs: 6 ... Rushing: 31-52 ... Passing (com-att-yds-int.): 3-11-58-3 ... Fumbles lost: 2 ... Penalties: 5-30

Individual statistics

Rushing: Cash Ankarlo 10-28, Jordy Carlson 5-16 ... Passing: Steve Nelson 3-11-58-3 ... Receiving: Reed Olson 2-29 ... Punting: not available ... Interceptions: none ... Fumble recoveries: none ... Tackles (solo-assist): not available ... QB sacks: none

New London-Spicer

Team statistics

First downs: 13 ... Rushing: 44-302 ... Passing (com-att-yds-int.): 4-8-94-0 ... Fumbles lost: 0 ... Penalties: 6-45

Individual statistics

Rushing: Shawn Halliday 18-95, Taylor Dammermann 14-94, Derek Henle 4-37, Jay Moten 4-15, Jared Williamson 1-6, Jake Hartley 3-5, Shawn Hatlestad 1-20 ... Passing: Williamson 4-8-94-0 ... Receiving: Derrick Dohmann 4-94 ... Punting: Chris Tobkin 2-40 ... Interceptions: Erik Tengwall 1, Caleb Friedrich 1, Brandon Lang 1 ... Fumble recoveries: Chris Hanson 1, Austin Wentzlaff 1, Luke Reiter 1 ... Tackles (solo-assist): Reiter 7-1, John Nething 6-2, Aaron Jenny 5-1 ... QB sacks: Reiter 2, Justin Zylstra 1, Nething 1