Tracy-to-Tollefson connection results in 193 yards, three touchdowns

By JIM LUTGENS

Editor/Publisher

If you were in a fantasy football league involving area high school players, Spencer Tollefson would have been a good guy to have on your squad last Friday.

The NRHEG senior hauled in five pass receptions for 193 yards and three touchdowns as the Panthers blew out Sibley East 32-12 in the 2014 football opener at Arlington.

“We were very pleased with our team’s effort tonight,” said NRHEG coach Dan Stork. “Sibley East plays a very physical brand of football and have a great deal of size on their line of scrimmage, and we handled it well.”

The Panthers were dominant from the start, taking their opening possession 61 yards in 16 plays to paydirt. Trevor Tracy passed to Tollefson on fourth-and-three for an 11-yard touchdown. The PAT kick failed.

It remained 6-0 until midway through the second quarter, when fullback Trey Hoppe scored on a nine-yard run. Again the PAT was no good and NRHEG led 12-0.

This time Sibley East answered, covering 11 plays in 52 yards to narrow the gap to 12-6.

The Panthers made up for it three plays later, when the Tracy-to-Tollefson connection struck again, this time from 66 yards out. Tracy’s PAT pass to Tollefson was good, leaving the Panthers on top 20-6 at halftime.

The second half opened with more NRHEG domination. The Panthers held the Wolverines on three plays and, after a punt, three plays later Tracy and Tollefson hooked up on a 60-yard touchdown pass.

After a fumble, Nick Bartness ran 62 yards for a score on the Panthers’ first play.

The Wolverines scored late in the fourth quarter.

Tracy finished 5-for-8 for 193 yards and three scores, everything going to Tollefson.

“Tracy was on fire tonight,” said Stork. “And Spencer did a great job of getting open down field.”

Bartness was the Panthers’ leading rusher with 91 yards on six carries. Jason Jongbloedt ran 14 times for 52 yards and Hoppe totaled 31 on eight tries.

Hoppe led the defense with 10 tackles, including six solos. Bartness and Zeke Erickson has nine tackles apiece, Wyatt Fitterer eight. Sophomore Jack Schultz had eight tackles and the Panthers’ lone sack.

NRHEG is on the road again this Friday at Lake Crystal.

NRHEG 32, Sibley East 12

NRHEG 6    14    12     0        32

SE 0     6      0     6         12

Scoring

1st Quarter

NRHEG — Tollefson 11 pass from Tracy (Kick failed)

2nd Quarter

NRHEG — Hoppe 9 run (Pass failed)

SE — Bates 1 run (Run failed)

3rd Quarter

NRHEG — Tollefson 66 pass from Tracy (Tollefson pass from Tracy)

NRHEG — Tollefson 60 pass from Tracy (Pass failed)

4th Quarter

SE – Bates 2 run (Kick failed)

Team Statistics

NRHEG  SE

First downs  12 15

Yds. Rushing 192 177

Yds. Passing 193 39

Passes 5-8-0 6-11-1

Total yds. 57/191 54/218

Turnovers 1 2

Penalties 5-50 4-25

Individual Stats

NRHEG rushing: Bartness 6-91, Jongbloedt 14-52, Hoppe 8-31, Tracy 1-9, Perry Peterson 3-12, Tollefson 1 —3

NRHEG passing: Tracy 5-8-0, 193

NRHEG receiving: Tollefson 5-193

SE rushing: Bates 16-72, Bullert 13-55, T.Schmidt 9-22, Fredin 3-11, Durham 2-7, P.Schmidt 1-5, Riffenburg 2-4

SE passing: Bullert 6-11-1, 39 

SE receiving: Bates 5-26, Riffenburg 1-13

NRHEG defense: Hoppe 10 tackles; Bartness 9; Erickson 9; Fitterer 8; Schultz 7, 1 sack; Palmer Peterson 6; Jensen 5; Mrotz 4, Sletten 3, Stenzel 2, Agrimson 2, Cordell Peterson 2; Perry Peterson 1, 1 int.; Wayne 1, Jongbloedt 1, Herrmann 1, Maxon 1.

NEXT: Friday – NRHEG at Lake Crystal/Wellcome Memorial, 7 p.m.