Spartans notch first win over Menomonie (updated)

September 23, 2014 at 9:56 AM

Lightning struck twice for the Superior High School football team Friday night at Don and Nona Williams Stadium in Menomonie.

After lightning caused nearly a two-hour delay in the Spartans’ Big Rivers Conference game with the Menomonie Mustangs, Superior struck for two quick touchdowns after the break and went on to defeat Menomonie for the first time in school history 35-34.

“For so many reasons, it was a great high school football game and I couldn’t be more proud of the way our kids fought through many adverse situations,” SHS coach Bob DeMeyer said. “We all know how challenging it is to play at Menomonie, the record we have against them, the tradition and dominance they’ve had in the state for many years. We also knew we were going to get their best. They’d be extremely motivated after their loss to Hudson and they were getting some of their injured players back to full strength, mainly Derek Kahl.”

With the Spartans trailing 28-21 late in the third quarter, lightning in the area forced the stadium to be evacuated.

When the game resumed, Superior took a 35-28 lead on Nick Mehlum’s 52-yard touchdown pass to Beau Girard and Ross Kennelly’s 2-yard touchdown run.

Menomonie’s Derek Kahl followed with his fifth touchdown of the game with 2:05 remaining. But when the Mustangs attempted a game-tying extra point kick, a mishandled snap led to an incomplete pass and left the Spartans with a 35-34 lead.

“After talking with the players on the field and watching film, we realize it wasn’t a planned fake,” DeMeyer said. “Only speculating, but it looked like maybe a combination of a mishandled snap and a wave of Spartans coming in full force to block it made the holder feel that the best chance was to pull up and run or pass it in.”

The Spartans, who were 0-18 all-time against the Mustangs, recovered the ensuing on-side kick and ran out the clock and improve to 4-1 overall and 3-0 in the Big Rivers Conference.

“The delay was unfortunate,” DeMeyer said. “They probably felt they had momentum, however, we believed we were going to stop them, get the ball back and score. We did, it was just two hours later.

“There was no way we were getting back on that bus, going home and coming back the next day. When we were finally able to go back outside, we could hardly hold the team back - their A.D. and the official literally stood at the entrance to the field not letting us on.”

Superior had 406 yards on offense, including a season-high 208 yards in rushing. Kennelly rushed for 125 yards on 14 carries and Mehlum added 87 yards on 12 carries.

Mehlum also completed 6-of-14 passes for 198 yards and four touchdown passes, two to Girard and one each to Jake Libal and Kennelly.

Kahl, who also scored five touchdowns last season against Superior, rushed for 278 yards on 32 carries. Overall, the Mustangs gained 415 of their 426 yards on the ground.

“We ran the ball up and down the field,” Menomonie coach LaBuda told the Eau Claire Leader-Telegram. “Our game plan was to not throw the football. We gave ourselves a chance to win, but it didn’t happen.”

The game was suspended with Menomonie facing fourth down and a yard to go. The Mustangs got the first down, thanks to the Spartans jumping offsides, but Superior eventually stopped Menomonie and took over on its own 19-yard line.

Three plays later Girard caught a 52-yard touchdown pass from Mehlum, and McKenzie Schwarz kicked the extra point to tie the game 28-28.

Two plays into Menomonie’s next drive, Superior’s Grant Hanson recovered a fumble and returned it to the 2. On the next play Kennelly plowed into the end zone to give the Spartans a 35-28 lead.

“(The delay) came at a bad time,” LaBuda said. “It kind of took our momentum away. But the bottom line is we turned the ball over twice, and they turned both of them into touchdowns.”

The Spartans are tied for first place in the BRC with Eau Claire Memorial (4-1, 3-0), which defeated Eau Claire North 32-15 on Thursday. Menomonie falls to 2-3 and 1-2.

Superior got the ball first Friday night, but was forced to punt after just three plays.

Menomonie didn’t waste any time as Kahl broke through the right side and ran untouched for a 31-yard touchdown. Brett Lindberg kicked the extra point for a 7-0 lead four minutes into the game.

The Mustangs got the ball right back when Mason Stokke recovered a loose ball on the kick off at the 33-yardline.

Seven plays later Kahl scored from 4 yards out. The extra-point went wide left giving Menomonie a 13-0 lead.

Less than two minutes later Mehlum avoided a heavy rush and hit Jake Libal in full stride for a 72-yard touchdown. Schwarz kicked the extra point to get Superior within 13-7.

After both teams failed to score over the 10 minutes, four touchdowns were scored in the final 3:42 of the second quarter starting with Menomonie taking a 21-7 lead when Kahl scored from 5 yards out and Stokke ran in for the two-point conversion.

Forty-seven seconds later, and one play after a 40-yard run by Mehlum, Girard caught a Mehlum pass across the middle and ran in for a 27-yard touchdown. Schwarz’s extra point made the score 21-14.

Just over a minute later Kahl rambled for a 68-yard touchdown, which was followed by Lindberg’s extra-point kick and a 28-14 Menomonie lead.

With nine seconds left in the first half Kennelly made a sliding catch in the end zone for a 16-yard touchdown pass from Mehlum. Schwarz kicked another extra point to get the Spartans within 28-21.

Menomonie took the second-half kick, ran 14 plays and was faced with a fourth-down at Superior’s 29-yard line when a number of lightning strikes led to the delay.

Superior hosts River Falls at 7 p.m. Friday. The Spartan can clinch a playoff berth with a win in their annual homecoming game.

SPARTAN SPIN: In other BRC action Friday night, Rice Lake (4-1, 2-1) blocked a field goal attempt in the final seconds to defeat Hudson (3-2, 1-2) 56-54. Chippewa Falls also defeated River Falls 21-14. … Jesse Polson led the Spartans with 12 tackles. Garret Hobson added 11 tackles and Kennelly had 10.

Superior.................. 7 14 14 0 - 35

Menomonie........... 13 15 0 6 - 34

First Quarter

M-Derek Kahl 31-yard run (Brett Lindberg kick), 8:00.

M-Kahl 4-yard run (kick wide left), 5:24.

S-Jake Libal 72-yard pass from Nick Mehlum (McKenzie Schwarz kick), 3:41

Second Quarter

M-Kahl 5-yard run (Mason Stokke run), 3:42.

S-Beau Girard 27-yard pass from Mehlum (Schwarz kick), 2:55.

M-Kahl 68-yard run (Lindberg kick), 1:48.

S-Ross Kennelly 16-yard pass from Mehlum (Schwarz kick), 0:09.

Third Quarter

S-Girard 52-yard pass from Mehlum (Schwarz kick), 3:04

S-Kennelly 2-yard run (Schwarz kick), 2:12.

Fourth Quarter

M-Kahl 2-yard run (pass failed), 2:05.

S M

First downs....................... 8 19

Total Net Yards.............. 406 426

Rushes-yards................ 27-208 65-415

Passing yards.................. 198 11

Comp.-Att.-Int.............. 6-14-0 1-4-0

Punt Returns..................... 0-0 2-0

Kickoff Returns................ 4-15 6-195

Punts............................... 4-141 3-164

Sacks.................................. 0 3

Fumbles-Lost.................. 0-0 2-2

Penalties-Yards.............. 8-86 5-35

Time of Possession...... 16:29 31:31

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INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING-Superior, Ross Kennelly 14-125; Nick Mehlum 12-87; Jake Libal 1-(-4). Menomonie, Derek Kahl 35-278; Mason Stokke 17-76; Joshua Waddell 9-60; Connor McCauley 1-3; Brett Lindberg 1-(-2).

PASSING-Superior, Mehlum 6-14-198. Jace LaBuda 1-2-11; Devon Wieland 0-1-0; Stokke 0-1-0.

RECEIVING-Superior, Beau Girard 2-80; Libal 1-72; Kennelly 2-27; Mitch Anderson 1-19. Menomonie, Lindberg 1-11.

Defensive Tackles

Superior

Tot Solo Ass

Jesse Polson................ 12 7 5

Garrett Hobson........... 11 9 2

Ross Kennelly............... 10 8 2

Joey Miller..................... 8 6 2

Grant Hanson................ 7 7 0

Kyler Krob...................... 6 5 1

Anthony Bronson.......... 6 2 4