FOOTBALL: Lumberjacks still searching for 1st victory after tight loss to Spuds
Sep. 17—BEMIDJI — The Bemidji High School football team continues to battle week in and week out. But for the Lumberjacks, wins have not yet been commensurate with the grit they have exhibited.
For the second consecutive week, the Jacks put together a solid four-quarter effort against a quality opponent. And once again, Bemidji fell just short, this time to Moorhead in Friday's hard-fought — yet still unfruitful — 35-27 loss at Chet Anderson Stadium.
"Our kids, our staff, people associated with our program work too hard to settle for moral victories," BHS head coach Bryan Stoffel said. "(We can) never be OK with losing. They put too much time into it for this. As long as we're not OK with a moral victory, then the rest of those things will take care of themselves — as long as we prepare ourselves and continue to improve."
The Lumberjacks (0-3) had the ball down 35-27 with 32 seconds left and 92 yards to drive in the fourth quarter. They picked up 20 yards before the clock expired, but the length of the field proved to be too much to negotiate.
"We are proud of their effort," Stoffel said. "I thought they played really hard. That's a step in the right direction. We also are starting to believe a little bit as a whole. To come from (the) first week when we lost 40-12 to being in a battle here at the end, we're improving. It's not showing up in the standings quite yet. But our time will come."
The Jacks had a number of dynamic plays offensively. Ethan Biehn led the scoring off for Bemidji with a 26-yard first-quarter touchdown run, then Quinten Yeung added a 61-yard scamper in the second quarter.
Reece Mostad joined the party with a 24-yard TD rush in the third, and Biehn scored another six on a 54-yard sprint in the final period.
BHS didn't always play complimentary football, though, and that cost them. Early in the second half, the Jacks fumbled the ball in minus territory, setting the stage for a three-play Spuds touchdown drive. Bemidji received the ball to start the second half, down 14-13, but after that Moorhead score, the Lumberjacks never again got within less than eight points.
"We can't have those turnovers," Stoffel said. "That was a mesh turnover, meaning we just didn't feel it. Nothing caused that turnover. That's something that can't be happening to us. We have to be able to be more sound on that. If we take care of the football in that way and don't give short fields to the other team, that helps."
Stoffel did like the efficiency with which junior quarterback Peyton Neadeau captained the offense in just his third contest at the helm.
"He's really done a great job of executing the things we wanted to see him fix technique-wise," Stoffel said. "That's why you're starting to see the triple option be as explosive as it is. It takes a magician in the quarterback position to do it, and he's really starting to come into his own."
The offensive line, comprised of five new starters, also earned praise for its performance.
"Our inexperienced O-line is really starting to play like an experienced group," Stoffel said. "That was a very, very good defensive front, and to neutralize them the way they did... hats off to our guys. I thought the oxen played fantastic."
Stoffel was most pleased with the way his team made quick counters to the defensive schemes the Spuds (2-1) served up without having to first rehearse them in a practice setting.
"The adjustments we made in the second half, they easily executed," Stoffel said. "That's when it really becomes fun with the chess match between offense and defense. They're able to take those halftime adjustments and — without practicing them — execute them on the field."
BHS will next face Brainerd in the Babe's Bell rivalry at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, in Brainerd.
Moorhead 35, Bemidji 27
MHD 7 7 14 7 — 35
BHS 7 6 6 8 — 27
First quarter — MHD TD, Hrdlicka 1-yard run (Qaqos PAT), 7-0 MHD; BHS TD, Biehn 26-yard run (Stanoch PAT), 7-7.
Second quarter — MHD TD, Hrdlicka 10-yard run (Qaqos PAT), 14-7 MHD; BHS TD, Yeung 61-yard run (Stanoch PAT no good), 14-13 MHD.
Third quarter — MHD TD, Wendt 6-yard run (Qaqos PAT), 21-13 MHD; MHD TD, Wendt 2-yard run (Qaqos PAT), 28-13 MHD; BHS TD, Mostad 24-yard run (2-pt. conversion no good), 28-19 MHD.
Fourth quarter — MHD TD, Hrdlicka 12-yard run (Qaqos PAT), 35-19 MHD; BHS TD, Biehn 54-yard run (2-pt. conversion good), 35-27 MHD.