Hi-Liner Football
Hi-Liner Varsity football faced a tough challenger in the Wahpeton Huskies in their most recent game. It was a night of two-point conversions, adrenalinepumping moments and overtime.
Valley City came onto the field and put up the first points on the scoreboard with a 6-yard pass from Kael Grebel to Peyton Zaun. The kick for the extra point was no good, so the HiLiners settled for a 6- 0 lead as they neared the end of the first quarter. It was short-lived, though, overtaken when the Huskies completed two long passes and finished their offensive drive in the endzone. With the two-point conversion a success, Wahpeton was ahead at the halftime buzzer, 8- 6.
The Hi-Liners and Huskies seemed evenly matched on both sides of the ball during the third quarter, neither team able to make much offensive progress. Valley City’s Max Fehr was the one to push through the Huskie’s line and take a long run to the Hi-Liners’ endzone. His successful two-point rushing conversion put Valley City ahead by six, 14-8.
Wahpeton wasn’t ready to call it quits and yield to the blue and white. Their offense marched down the field
for a big chunk of the fourth quarter before a rushing touchdown tied the score at 14. The Huskies couldn’t muster their two-point conversion, and when the final buzzer sounded, both teams headed into their first of four OTs.
It was Valley city that fought their way into the endzone first, Fehr again scoring by rushing across the line (twopoint conversion no good – score 20-14 VC). The Huskies answered quickly but were also
unable to complete their two-point conversion. As the first OT period ended, the score was still tied, 20-20.
In the second OT, both teams locked in their defense and left one another scoreless.
In the third OT, Fehr scored for the third time and— also for the third time—the two-point conversion was unsuccessful. With the HiLiners up 26-20, Wahpeton scored on a short pass and attempted their conversion. When
they came up short, the score was tied….again, 26-26.
The fourth OT saw the Huskies score first on a 5-yard pass. They posted the second successful two-point conversion of their five attempts and took the lead 34-26.
Though the Hi-Liners scored again ( pass from Grebel to Joseph Cummings), their failure to secure a two-point conversion there meant the end of the game and the Huskie win, 34-32.
“It was a tough game all the way around,” Hi-Liner Coach Scott Roehrich said. “Both teams competed extremely hard. What a great football game!”
He noted the Huskies quarterback’s athleticism and range of skill in being able to run the ball to extend offensive runs.
“I am proud of the way our guys competed,” Roehrich said, “and you have to give Wahpeton and their coaches all the credit.”
Fehr led the Hi-Liners in rushing, posting a team-high 201 yards. Grebel had 25 yards rushing, followed by Luke Wendel with 16.
Peyton Zaun and Gavin Gerhardt led the defense in tackles with 4 apiece, and in assisted tackles with 7 and 6 respectively.
The result puts Wahpeton at 1- 4 this season and Valley City at 1-3. The Hi-Liners travel to Devils Lake to battle the Firebirds this Friday at 7 p.m.