Tough 'D' and Akinbolu's 200-yard game help No. 4-ranked Lourdes hold off resilient Z-M

Oct. 15—ZUMBROTA — The numbers that pop out from Rochester Lourdes' 28-15 victory against Zumbrota-Mazeppa on Friday are obvious: 327 total yards of offense as a team, including 287 on the ground, and 200 of those by shifty freshman running back Caleb Akinbolu.

The not-as-noticed numbers that the Eagles will point out as difference makers are these: 47, 2.1 and 272.

In order, that's Z-M's yards rushing, its yards-per-carry average, and its total yardage in the game.

In other words, Lourdes' defense has been a catalyst for its 6-1 record and its No. 4 ranking in the most recent Class AAA football state poll.

"I love our effort," Eagles head coach Mike Kesler said of the team's defense. "We're flying to the ball and trusting our assignments. They're just playing well as a unit, and it starts up front, starts with our defensive line. When you have that kind of play from your line, you can do a lot."

While Lourdes' defensive line has been a strength all season, Z-M (1-6) countered with a big, aggressive defensive line of its own. And though the Eagles finished with a 7.6 yards-per-carry average, it didn't come easily.

"We just finally executed better up front," Kesler said of a pair of second-half touchdown drives by the Eagles, one ending in a 3-yard TD run by Eli Haight and the other in a 27-yard scoring run up the middle by Akinbolu. "(Z-M's) defensive line is pretty big, but we were able to finally execute. We were close to (breaking) a few big plays earlier in the game, we just had to stick with it."

Akinbolu came up with a couple of those big plays, bouncing a run to the outside for a 30-plus yard gain on a late-fourth quarter drive, then capping that drive with his 27-yard run. The 6-feet-1, 180-pound freshman finished the night with 23 carries for 200 yards and two scores — including a 68-yarder in the first quarter — and an 8.7 yards-per-carry average.

Lourdes also received a 42-yard Adam Sellner-to-Hudson Fix TD pass in the first quarter, which started the scoring. The Eagles never trailed in the game.

Z-M didn't go away, though, led by its seniors who were playing their final home game of their high school careers.

"On the seniors' last home game they left it on the field tonight," Cougars head coach Darin Raasch said. "We saw great games from Gage Tedrick at linebacker, Kyle Stensland at (offensive tackle) and (defensive tackle), as well as Cody Anderson at (defensive end) and (offensive tackle)."

Cougars QB Zane Angerman had another strong showing. He ran for a 1-yard score in the first quarter that tied the score 7-7, then threw a picture-perfect 10-yard TD pass to his favorite target, Sam Knowlton, in the back of the end zone, with 38 seconds to play in the fourth quarter. Angerman finished with 225 yards passing and Knowlton had six receptions for 73 yards.

Lourdes closes its regular season at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Lake City at Rochester Regional Stadium. The Eagles can lock up the top seed in the Section 1AAA playoffs with a win.

Z-M plays its final regular season game at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Plainview-Elgin-Millville.

LOURDES 28, DOVER-EYOTA 15

Lourdes 14-0-7-7 — 28

Dover-Eyota 7-0-0-8 — 15

TEAM TOTALS

LRDS — D-E

First downs 14 — 14

Total net yards 327 — 272

Rushes-yards 38-287 — 22-47

Passing yards 40 — 225

Comp.-att.-int. 2-8-1 — 18-38-2

Penalties-yards 4-49 — 3-30

Fumbles-lost 2-1 — 0-0

Punts-avg. 4-30.5 — 5-35.2

Time of poss. 22:38 — 23:22

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: Lourdes — Caleb Akinbolu 23-200, 2 TDs; Eli Haight 8-57, 1 TD; Adam Sellner 6-30. Z-M — Evan Klindworth 10-23; Conner Preston 3-23; Landen Flaaen 2-10; Zane Angerman 7-(minus-9), 1 TD.

Passing: Lourdes — Adam Sellner 2-8-1, 40 yards, 1 TD. Z-M — Zane Angerman 18-38-2, 225 yards, 1 TD.

Receiving: Lourdes — Hudson Fix 2-40. Z-M — Sam Knowlton 6-73, 1 TD; Landen Flaaen 4-72; Conner Preston 4-58; Egan Ladewig 3-12; Kayden Rodrick 1-10.