Rebels state faceoff with Trojans

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By Joel Herrig,

Murray County News Sports

The MCC Rebels have done something no one expected when the season began. The Rebels made their way to the State Football Tournament for the first time in 16 years. The Rebels packed up the bus and trailer and made their way to New Prague, the host for this quarterfinal match up with the 10-1 Rushford Peterson Trojans. The Rebels played a game that resembled their season filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, moments that made you smile and those that made you groan. In the end the Rebels put forth the effort that fans and a community can be proud of but the season came to an end.

The Trojans have been led by 2,000 yard rusher Noah Carlson, a four time state track champion with college scholarships coming in for both football and track to Division One schools. The Rebels knew coming into the contest that he was the guy they had to slow down and that was not an easy task. Carlson and the Trojans started the game with the football and MCC stopped his very first run for no gain.

His very next run went ten yards and a first down. The Rebels slowed Carlson as his first five carries netted him 17 yards but the drive was not finished at that point. Landon Skalet, the young QB for the Trojans, created a big play in the passing game on a third down and long situation hitting Jake Paulson with a terrific pass for 50 yards and a first down.

The drive ended in the arms and on the feet of Noah Carlson on an 18 yard dash to the end zone. The two point conversion was missed making the score 6-0 with 7:59 remaining in the first quarter.

The Rebels answered the score by the Trojans with a 68 yard drive of their own. Zach Aanenson, Cole Bassett, Kellan Johnson, and Ethan Swanson all touched the ball in positive ways on the drive. Gaining yards in short bursts that moved the chains one first down after another. The Rebels longest play on the drive was nine yards as MCC marched down the field for a score. Kellan Johnson finished the drive with a two yard touchdown run and Mason Woldt’s extra point made the score 7-6 with under a minute to play in the first.

The teams scored touchdowns on their first possessions of the game and used up the entire first quarter. The second wouldn’t be much different. The Trojans used five minutes to score at nearly the same time on the clock in the second as it was in the first. With 7:58 remaining in the half Carlson finished a drive on a three yard run.

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