An overflowing Haddorff Field on Sept. 29 saw two longtime archrivals Battle For The Anchor trophy during the "War On the Shore," a 4A Skyway Bronze Subdistrict and Section 6AAAA football game between Mound Westonka and Orono. Both teams came into the game undefeated at 4-0 and ranked in the Top 5 of the Class 4A state rankings. In arguably one of the best matchups of the weekend slate of Minnesota football games, Orono outlasted the White Hawks 47-28.
The Westonka Homecoming buzz on Friday night ended abruptly when lightning and heavy rain moved into the Minnetrista area and continued throughout the mandatory wait periods, postponing the game with 6:37 remaining in the second quarter and a 13-7 Spartans lead. "It was unfortunate that the weather did not hold up on Friday night, as that was the biggest crowd we have ever had at Haddorff Field in my 11 seasons here," said White Hawks head coach Nick David. "It was just such an amazing atmosphere." The game resumed Saturday afternoon without the pomp and circumstance of Homecoming but produced a gritty performance by both teams.
The Friday night portion of the game saw Westonka (4-1, 1-1) take the opening kickoff and drive 69 yards for a TD, which included a 4th and 1 pickup near midfield when junior QB Cole Drill hit junior TE Dlyan Holappa for 25 yards. Drill then hooked up with wideout Max Kraay on a 16-yard pass in the back of the left end zone, giving the White Hawks a 7-0 lead after senior Sam Gaylord’s extra point. "We were extremely pleased with how our offense came out on the first drive and not only executed, but made some big plays in some tough down and distance situations," stated David.
Orono came right back on their first possession going 81 yards in just 4 minutes. Gage Kracht busted in from 2 yards out, tying the game at 7-7. Kracht then forced Drill to fumble on the next play from scrimmage with Ronan Barnett recovering the ball at the Westonka 36-yard line. But, the White Hawks defense caused an incompletion on 4th down creating a turnover on downs inside their own territory.
The Spartans (5-0, 2-0), whose defense made it tough sledding for the Westonka ball carriers all game, finally broke, and junior running back Ray Beiningen took advantage, scampering for 11 yards and giving the Westonka offense some breathing room. Beiningen came into the game averaging 187 yards on the ground. Drill then tried to find junior J.T. Kimbrough down the right sideline, but Orono’s Frankie Stevenson stepped in front and kept a foot inbounds to record the interception at the Spartan 37-yard line. Two plays later, Spartan’s QB Charlie Cordes was able to find wide receiver Hunter Fox along the left sideline. Fox was eventually tripped up at the Westonka 31-yard line. The very next play saw Cordes throw to a wide-open Brady McPherson as he cut across the middle of the field. McPherson was tackled just inside the goal line, along the right pylon, for a 32-yard score. Orono missed the extra point for a 13-7 lead.
As the teams lined up for the ensuing kickoff, lightning struck in the distance halting the game. After a 90-minute delay, the game officials and both coaching staffs postponed the game due to safety precautions. "We really wanted to get the game in on Friday night, but the weather would just not cooperate," said David. "Every time we thought the storm system was going to pass by, another nucleus would appear."
The 1 p.m. Saturday resumption did not have the same fanfare from the night before, but it still had all the intensity on the field. Kimbrough took the opening kickoff 28 yards, setting the White Hawks up at the 30-yard line, but Drill was sacked on 3rd down forcing a punt. Drill’s line drive punt rolled out to the Westonka 7-yard line pinning the Spartans deep in their own territory. The White Hawks gave up only two yards on the first 2 plays before Cordes hit Fox on an out route to the left side. Fox was able to elude an initial defender before scooting down the sideline, avoiding a diving attempt near midfield, before being tracked down from behind at the 2-yard line by senior safety Owen McCue, who has done that on multiple occasions this season. Owen Barkley finished the 93-yard drive with a 2-yard TD run with 1:01 left in the first half. Westonka stopped the conversion run leaving the score at 19-7. A short kickoff allowed McCue to return it to the 35-yard line. Two completions to Kimbrough and one to Kraay, along with a late-hit penalty on Orono, gave the White Hawks a field goal opportunity but Gaylord’s 33-yard attempt was wide left.
The start of the second half saw Orono go 87 yards for a TD behind the running of Liam Rodgers. He carried 10 times on the drive including the 2-yard touchdown, allowing the Spartans to open up a commanding 27-7 lead after the two-point conversion pass. The White Hawks got great field position after a poor kickoff and Drill gave Westonka new life when he ran untouched through the middle of the Orono defense for a 56-yard TD run cutting the deficit to 27-14. Westonka’s defense stymied the Spartan running game on the ensuing drive forcing a pass on 3rd down. Cordes mishandled the snap and junior defensive lineman Dylan Sloan fell on the ball at the Orono 28-yard line. Five running plays later, Beiningen fought through tacklers to find paydirt from 5-yards out pulling to within six of the lead at 27-21 at the end of the third quarter.
It didn’t take long for Orono to respond when Cordes found Fox once again down the middle of the field. McCue caught Fox at the 19 to save a touchdown. Westonka held on 3rd and 4 stopping Ruhland for a big loss but a face mask penalty gave the Spartans a first down. Rodgers went around the right end for a 1-yard TD pushing the lead to 33-21 early in the 4th quarter. A big kickoff return by Kimbrough, and some tough running by Beiningen, moved the White Hawks into Spartan territory. Drill then lofted a perfect pass down the middle of the field to Kimbrough, who eluded his defender on a beautiful double move, and caught the ball at the goal line for a 32-yard touchdown. Gaylord’s extra point made it 33-28 with 5:42 to play. A 56-yard run by Rodgers on the next play, and a face mask penalty, put Orono inside the White Hawks 10-yard line.
"We committed too many costly penalties in the second half that were game changers," said David. "If we don’t commit those face mask penalties, the game could have gone down to the final possession."
Barkley scored from there, increasing the lead to 39-28. The Spartans added another touchdown two minutes later to make the final score 47-28, and 30 wins in a row for Orono in this rivalry that dates back to 1955.
Beiningen went over the century mark for the fifth time this year finishing with 101 yards on 23 carries. Drill added 77 yards on the ground to go with 111 yards through the air. Kraay led Westonka receivers with 5 catches for 45 yards. Kimbrough tacked on 3 catches for 41 yards, his best outing of the year.
Defensively, sophomore cornerback/safety, Brandt Tebbs, led the White Hawks with 9 tackles (5 solo). Junior Roman Larsen had 8 tackles, while McCue finished with 7 (5 solo). Senior Drake Woodruff and juniors John Seemann (1 TFL) and Carter Kleinsasser each had 6 tackles. Junior Jacob Orenge had one pass defended from his cornerback position.
Mound Westonka will hit the road this Friday evening, Oct. 6, as they take on another Skyway Bronze Subdistrict and Section 6AAAA opponent, the Delano Tigers. Game time is set for 7 p.m. on the Delano campus.
