Indees score early, but can’t keep up with Eagles

While the final score was lopsided, the Independence/Gilmanton football team did something no other team had done against undefeated Alma/Pepin this season.

It wasn’t a total surprise to see A/P top 70 points, they scored 69 earlier this season in a win over Wisconsin Rapids Assumption and 54 against Eleva-Strum. While the Eagles are accustomed to taking big leads in the first quarter, it has been rare for another team to strike back early. I/G did just that, however, scoring to tie the game early in the first quarter and then adding another touchdown later. They became the first team to score twice in the first quarter against the Eagles this season.

That, however, wasn’t close to enough against a team that figures to have a deep playoff run. The Eagles already had 30 points by the time the Indees got their second touchdown then A/P added 27 more in the second quarter on their way to a 71-14 win.

The fifth-ranked team in Division Five remained undefeated on the season and in Dairyland Conference play. The Indees, however, will continue to look for a win this week when Melrose-Mindoro comes to Independence. The Mustangs sit at 2-3 overall and 2-1 in DC play, behind only A/P and C-FC after a 20-8 win over Eleva-Strum last week. 

A/P 71 I/G 14

The Eagles were as advertised, but the Indees competed with them early.

A/P came out as most would’ve expected, scoring on a 49-yard pass from Madox Stewart to Evan Olson to take a 6-0 lead. But the Indees responded as Chase Back ran for a two-yard touchdown to even the score. Neither team converted its two-point try. 

The Eagles established control with three touchdowns by Demetrius Bergmann. The first was a 41-yard run, then he intercepted Back and returned it 19 yards for a touchdown. He later added a 33-yard touchdown run as the Eagles converted all three two-point conversions to go ahead 30-6.

But the Indees answered when Back connected with Brandon Sylla for a 40-yard touchdown pass. Nathan Pyka ran in the two-point conversion to make the score 30-14 at the end of the first quarter.

The Eagles had too much firepower, however. Bergmann scored his fourth touchdown of the half with a 26-yard run. The two-point conversion by Jackson Riesgraf made the score 38-14. Stewart and Olson connected on another touchdown pass, this time from 19 yards out to make the score 44-14.

A/P still had two more scores before the halftime buzzer as Riesgraf caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Stewart and another pick-six — and the ensuing point after — made the score 57-14 at halftime.

With a running clock, A/P scored twice in the second half. The first was a five-yard touchdown run by Justin Bergmann and the second a 15-yard run by Griffin Riesgraf. Cainnin Mann made both extra points as the team won, 71-14.

Back, a freshman, passed for 137 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions in the game. The Indees couldn’t get anything going on the ground, however, as they finished with three rushing yards.

Demetrius Bergmann ran for 130 yards on six attempts to lead the Eagles, which had 250 rushing yards in the game. Stewart passed seven-for-11 with 111 yards and three touchdowns.

I/G —

Rushing (att./yds.) — Pyka 6/10 Sylla 1/3 Cantu Lucio 1/2 H. Kreibich 1/0 Back 8/-1 Santillan 1/-1 Gierok 1/-10

Receiving (rec./yds.) — Sylla 3/66 Santillan 2/60 Montalvo 2/10 Pyka 1/1

Passing (comp./att./yds.) — Back 8/22/137 Sylla 0/1/0 Santillan 0/1/0

Tackles — Marsolek 3.5 Halverson 0.5 Klimek 2.5 Kreibich 1 Pyka 5.5 Back 4 Sylla 0.5 Santillan 1 Montalvo 3 A. Gaier 1 G. Meier 1 Pfaff 1