WILLMAR - Underdog Alexandria blocked a Willmar field goal attempt as time ran off the clock in the fourth quarter to win a hard-waged Central Lakes Conference battle 34-31 before 2,131 fans Friday at Hodapp Field for homecoming.
The visiting Cardinals outscored the hometown Cardinals 21-7 in the fourth quarter.
The point differential at the end was determined by points after touchdown. Alexandria picked up four conversion points to a single one by Willmar. The last two Fridays, Willmar has converted on two of 11 attempts-after-touchdown.
It was physical brawl down on the field; no fighting, but tempers flared and personal-foul flags flew several times on the 70 degree evening.
Fullback Justin Cumberbatch was a battering ram for Alexandria. The senior, listed at 5-10 and 227 pounds, pounded out 228 yards (10.2 yards per carry), including TD runs of 47 and 37 yards in the second half.
The Willmar defense seldom rested. Alex equaled Willmar’s total plays 52 just with its rushing game, which was good for 360 yards, just four yards shy of Willmar’s overall total yardage.
Vaughn Johnson, Willmar’s senior fullback/linebacker, was in on 21 tackles to go with TD runs of 45 and 20 yards. Safety Colten Carlson logged 10 stops, tackle Joel Engel 9, LB Michael Heitzman 9, Nick Lothert 8 Cole Gau 7, Zach Rudolph 6 - numbers indicating a defense working overtime.
Willmar led 12-0 at the first stop and 18-7 at half but Alexandria would win the second half 27-13.
Cumberbatch’s second romp put Alex up 28-24 with under five minutes to play. But Willmar answered with a touchdown march of their own fueled by a long pass play to Max Trochlil (4 catches, 60 yards) and topped off when Michael Heitzman ran in from 15 for a 31-28 lead, after Trochlil booted Willmar’s only successful conversion of the game.
But Alex’s sophomore quarterback Jaran Roste directed the go-ahead drive, scoring on a broken play when he hit wide open Brady Amundson from the 20 for a 31-28 lead.
Willmar quarterback Auggie Hahn, who ran for Willmar’s first TD and hit Max Doering from the 24 for a 12-0 lead, guided the Cardinals’ desperation drive in the final 42 seconds. A pass to wide-out Austin Grove (4-67) got the ball to the Alexandria 14 with two seconds left. Coach Jon Konold called for the field-goal. Trochlil’s attempt from the 31 never had a chance and was easily blocked.
Elsewhere, Apollo, Willmar’s Friday foe in St. Cloud, tipped Fergus Falls 13-9, Moorhead crushed Sauk Rapids 51-12 while Sartell slammed Grand Rapids 61-21. St. Cloud Tech is at Brainerd today.
Alexandria 34, Willmar 31
Alexandria (0-2, 2-3) 0 7 6 21 - 34
Willmar (1-1, 3-2) 12 6 6 7 - 31
Wil – Auggie Hahn 7 run (kick fail)
Wil – Max Doering 24 pass from Hahn (run faill)
Alx – Quintin Kluver-Longfellow 1 run (Jake Nienaber kick)
Wil – Vaughn Johnson 45 run (kick fail)
Alx – Justin Cumberbatch 48 run (run fail)
Wil – Johnson 20 run (pass fail)
Alx – Micah Christenson 7 run (Travis Krueger pass from Jaran Roste)
Alx – Cumberbatch 38 run (Nienaber kick)
Wil – Michael Heitzman 15 run (Max Trochlil kick)
Alx – Brady Amundson 20 pass from Roste (kick blocked)
Alexandria
First downs: 20 … Rushing: 52-360… Passing (com-att-yds-int.): 6-16-128-0 … Fumbles lost: 0 … Penalties: 12-77
Rushing: Jacob Vukelich 7-22, Jaren Roste 20-11, Micah Christenson 4-16, Justin Cumberbatch 20-238 … Passing: Roste 6-16-128-0 ... Receiving: Cumberbatch 1-11, Alec Vosepka 1-19, Travis Krueger 1-16, Brayden Amundson 3-82 … Punting: Roste 5-29.2
Willmar
First downs: 17 … Rushing: 32-198 … Passing (com-att-yds-int.): 13-20-166-0 … Fumbles lost: 0 … Penalties: 8-75
Rushing: Auggie Hahn 11-66, Michael Heitzman 11-44, Levi Sankey 3-8, Vaughn Johnson 5-78 … Passing: Hahn 13-19-138-0, Zach Radermacher 0-1-0-0... Receiving: Alex Grove 4-67, Max Doering 1-24, Colten Carlson 1-6, Radermacher 1-5, Max Trochlil 4-60, Sankey 2-6 … Punting: Radermacher 6-38.7… Interceptions: none … Fumble recoveries: none… Tackles (solo-assist): V. Johnson 7-14, Joel Engel 0-9, Sam Kerfeld 0-3, Travis Deegan 2-4, Matt Morales 0-4, Levi Sankey 0-2, Carter Sack 1-3, Eli Gunderson 1-1, Heitzman 3-6, Carlson 1-9, Nate Ackerman 1-3, Gunner Raths 1-5, Nick Lothert 1-7, Brady Reigstad 1-3, Cole Gau 1-6, Zach Rudolph 0-6 … QB sacks: Johnson … Tackle-for-loss: Johnson, Morales, Lothert … Blocked kick: Heitzman
