By Pat Garry, Staff Writer
It wasn’t the way the Kimball football team wanted to celebrate Homecoming last Friday, Sept. 28, but the powerful running game of the Royalton Royals was too much to overcome and the Cubs were defeated, 34-13.
“Royalton is a great team. They are always well coached, their kids play hard, and they’re a classy team. I have a ton of respect for that program. Coach Morford is an awesome coach and an awesome man. They play the game the right way,” said Coach Benson. (Offense Stats) Passing: Lucas Jansky, 16 for 27, 110 yards, 2 TDs, 4 INTs; Receiving: Thomas Pearson, 5 for 39 yards, TD; Jeremy Zabinski, 5 for 11 yards, TD; Noah Jurek, 3 for 47 yards; Jimmy Benson, 1 for 4 yards; Riley Miller, 2 for 9 yards; Rushing: Riley Miller, 6 carries, 12 yards; Team Stats: Offensive Plays: Kimball, 35; Royalton, 73; First Downs: Kimball, 4; Royalton, 14; Passing Yards: Kimball, 110; Royalton, 59; Rushing Yards: Kimball, 6; Royalton, 194; Total Offense: Kimball, 116; Royalton, 253. Tomorrow, Kimball takes on Upsala/Swanville at 3:45 p.m.
From Coach Benson: “Tucker really is as nice of a kid as anyone could hope for. And as disappointed as I was, imagine how Tucker felt when he found out he couldn’t play in his homecoming game. It was a really bad situation.
“If we were a more prominent football program I know that the league wouldn’t have gone forward and suspended a kid without looking into it. I can’t speak to what issue the official had with our team, or Tucker specifically, but it was completely bizarre – no question.”
See photos on pages 11 and 20.