Using a balanced attack, the Mound Westonka football team stung Big Lake, 41-6, in a Section 6AAAA home matchup Sept. 15 at Haddorff Field. Junior quarterback Cole Drill threw for 106 yards on the night, and his 33-yard TD run on the opening possession staked the White Hawks to a 6-0 lead after the two-point conversion run was stopped. Meanwhile, junior outside linebacker Carter Kleinsasser wreaked havoc all game as the Westonka defense forced the Hornets to call running plays with quarterback Carson Gellerman for most of the second half.
The White Hawks (3-0) did allow a first-quarter touchdown, their first points allowed in the first quarter all season. Gellerman took the ball around the left end, cut back inside, then outraced the Westonka defenders to the end zone for a 21-yard TD run with 28 seconds remaining in the period. The two-point conversion try was unsuccessful making the score 6-6. The Westonka offense came to life after Owen McCue returned the ensuing kickoff to the Westonka 42-yard line. Junior Ray Beiningen carried the ball five times for 26 yards on the drive and eventually busted through for a 2-yard touchdown run. Senior Sam Gaylord’s extra-point gave Westonka a 13-6 advantage with 19 seconds left to play in the first quarter.
After holding the Hornets deep in their own territory, Big Lake got off a great punt that rolled out to the Westonka 20-yard line. Beiningen burst through a wide-open hole and rumbled 42 yards down to the Hornets 21-yard line. Drill then found Joe Sluka on a slant for 9 yards. Two plays later Beiningen darted in from the 2-yard line giving the White Hawks a 20-6 lead. Three plays later, junior outside linebacker Cole Munsterteiger forced a fumble at the Big Lake 28-yard line, and senior defensive lineman Morgan Nester fell on the ball giving the White Hawks great field position once again.
It took just 2 minutes for Westonka to cross the goal line as Drill found his favorite target in junior Max Kraay who caught the ball at the 2-yard line and scooted in for a 27-6 lead. A tipped pass by the White Hawks almost ended up with a Big Lake TD with no time remaining, but a heads-up play by senior safety Jack Nelson caught the Hornets receiver and dragged him down at the 2-yard line as the clock expired. “That play at the end of the first half could have been a game changer. Luckily for us Jack Nelson made a heads up play. We need to do a better job moving forward, batting down passes like that so there are no second opportunities to catch it”, said head coach Nick David. During the halftime break, over 175 Westonka Youth Football players were announced as the players and coaches took the field to be honored for their participation.
Junior defensive lineman Dylan Sloan started the second half with a big third down sack of Gellerman deep in Big Lake territory. Junior JT Kimbrough took the punt back 21 yards down to the Hornets 29-yard line. Four plays later, Beiningen found the end zone from 10 yards out and Gaylord’s point-after stretched the lead to 34-6. Gellerman put the Hornets on his back as he weaved and darted down the field taking them to the 7-yard line. However, a bad snap allowed senior middle linebacker Jaaron Konkel (5 tackles) to dive across the line and recover the loose ball.
The defense stopped the Hornets on fourth down plays on their next two possessions. Senior running back Jacob Hansberger (11 rushes, 62 yards) carried the White Hawks on the last drive down inside the 10-yard line, where sophomore quarterback Cade Newell would finish the game with a 5-yard TD run. His first career touchdown. The game would be called with 2:09 remaining in the fourth quarter after an injury to one of the Big Lake players on the extra point that made the score 41-6. “Whether your own player or the opponent’s, you never want to see an injury like that on the field. Fortunately, we have an amazing athletic trainer who along with the Mound Fire Department handled the situation really well. Our thoughts are with the Big Lake and their players and hope for a speedy recovery,” stated coach David.
Drill would finish the game 7-of-12 with the one TD pass. Beiningen was a force on the ground once again tallying 120 yards on 18 carries, while Kraay (5 catches, 82 yards) had his biggest game of the young season. Sluka added 2 catches for 24 yards. On defense, Kleinsasser totaled 12 tackles (8 solo) with a sack and tackle-for-loss. Senior linebacker Isaac Paul recorded 6 tackles and a sack. John Seeman, Morgan Nester (5 tackles, TFL) and Sloan (4 tackles, TFL) each had a sack. Senior kicker Sam Gaylord (5-5 XP’s) stayed a perfect 10-for-10 on extra points this season.
Westonka travels to Plymouth to face Providence Academy at 7 p.m. this Friday evening, Sept. 22.
