Everyone enjoys a good Saturday matinee, but the Eden Valley-Watkins football team and their loyal fans were not amused by the showing Saturday afternoon, Oct. 26. The plot unfolded in favor of Holdingford, as they pulled off the consummate upset, toppling the Eagles, 34-14, in Section 5AA semifinal action at Eden Valley.
Less than two weeks ago, the Holdingford football team came up short in a 24-6 loss at Eden Valley-Watkins in its regular-
season finale Oct. 16. But on Saturday, Oct. 26, in a Section semifinal game, the Huskers figured out how to beat the defending Class 2A state champion. Third-seeded Holdingford built a 22-0 halftime lead, and ran away with a 34-14 win over the second-seeded Eagles.
Holdingford (8-2) now moves on to play top-seed Kimball in the Section 5-2A championship game at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, at St. John’s University.
Kimball (9-0) beat Royalton, 37-0, Saturday to advance. The Cubs beat the Huskers, 34-8, Oct. 4 in Holdingford.
Huskers’ running back Luke Bieniek keyed the win over EV-W (7-2). He finished with 23 carries for 123 yards with two touchdowns. Holdingford quarterback Jaxon Bartkowicz finished 9-of-13 -passing for 145 yards. The Huskers’ lone touchdown pass came from running back Masyn Patrick on a 44-yard toss to wide receiver Garrett Frink in the third quarter. Holdingford went up, 8-0, in the first quarter on a 6-yard run from Patrick and a two-point conversion run by Bieniek. They tacked on two more TDs in the second quarter on a 4-yard score from Bieniek and a 36-yard interception return for a score by Wyatt Pilarski. Bieniek capped off the Huskers’ scoring with another 4-yard touchdown in the fourth. Frink finished with two catches for 62 yards, Patrick had two catches for 45 yards, Bieniek had two catches for 49 yards, and Brandon Hall had three catches for 18 yards.
EV-W stats
Passing: Blake Glenz, 14 for 25, 160 yards, 2 TDs, 3 INT; Wyatt Moehrle, 0 for 1, INT.
Rushing: Blake Glenz, 1 carry for 1 yard; Max Geislinger, 5 carries for 27 yards; Carter Scheeler, 7 carries for 30 yards; Wyatt Moehrle, 8 carries for 48 yards; J. Maile, 1 carry for 6 yards.
Receiving: Max Geislinger, 4 catches for 53 yards, 2 TDs; Wyatt Moehrle, 3 catches for 34 yards; Carter Scheeler, 2 catches for 5 yards; Eli Hernandez, 3 catches for 39 yards; Brayden Becker, 2 catches for 19 yards.