The Fergus Falls Daily Journal

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Friday’s Class A State Championship Matchup

Defense is the name of the game for the Trojans. Jim Reinhardt’s club has not allowed more than 16 points in a game all season. It all starts on the line where the Trojans have four standouts in Brent Morcomb, Lee Johnson, Jeremy Agrimson and Zac Johnson. Inside linebacker Alex Mierau is the club’s leading tackler and made a club-high nine stops in last Friday’s 37-12 win over Mahnomen. The Trojans held Mahnomen to 145 yards on the ground and 94 through the air. OTC head coach Don Seipkes compares the Trojans to Norwood-Young America, who knocked the Bulldogs out of the state playoffs last year. Offensively, the Trojans have to run the ball to be effective. Tyler Viste is the club’s breakaway threat. The 200-pounder rushed for 124 yards against Mahnomen and scored on runs of 24 and 57 yards. Dan Boyum is a 230-pound hard-nosed back that prefers to hit the inside holes. Quarterback Tyler Drinkall gives the option-minded Trojans a third rushing threat. The Trojans are every bit of a “smash-mouth” kind of team that prefers to wear their opposition down with their size. The Trojans play in the tough Three Rivers Conference that produced four state qualifiers this year. Otter Tail Central Reinhardt was very impressed with OTC’s backfield Saturday morning as they completely out-classed one of Rushford-Peterson’s Three Rivers Conference rivals, Goodhue, in a 47-21 win. The Bulldogs scored three times in the first five minutes and 10 seconds of the game and made the Wildcats play catch-up ball. Kyle Belmont hit on six of his 10 passes and led the Bulldogs with 91 yards on 11 carries. Craig Lachowitzer, Jordan Pieper and Jason Speer rushed for 81, 73 and 50 yards respectively. OTC’s backfield put four touchdowns on the board with Pieper scoring twice. The game’s most spectacular plays were on defense. Lachowitzer returned an interception 27 yards for six just 11 seconds after OTC scored their first touchdown. Speer and Belmont combined for a spectacular full-field interception return with no time left in the first half. Defensively, the Bulldogs held the defending Class A state champions to a single TD in the first half and held the Wildcats to only 19 passing yards. The Bulldogs will take a 12-game winning streak into the Prep Bowl finals. &045;&045;Brian Hansel Offense SE Andy Olson15712 or Scott Trosdahl15612 OT Zach Henry22612 OG Matt Jensen17511 C John Muehlberg21912 OG Derek Frederick20412 OT Brad Anderson22212 TE Jacob Tysver17212 QB Kyle Belmont19712 SB Jason Speer17712 SB Craig Lachowitzer17811 FB Jason Pieper19812 DefenseDE John Muehlberg21912 DT Brad Anderson22212 DT Zach Henry22612 DE Alex Magnuson21811 OLB Jacob Tysver17212 ILB Jordan Pieper19812 ILB Derek Frederick20412 OLB Craig Lachowitzer 17811 CB Andy Olson15712 CB Jason Speer17712 S Kyle Belmont19712 Rushford-Peterson OffenseTE Tony Rislove16511 OT Jonathan O’Donnell23511 OG Zac Johnson21511 C Casey Howe18011 OG Ben Johnson20012 OT Lee Johnson24012 TE Alex Mierau19512 QB Tyler Drinkall17011 HB Tyler Vitse20012 FB Dan Boyum23012 TE Tyler Johnson19511 DefenseDE Brent Morcomb19012 DT Lee Johnson24012 DT Jeremy Agrimson25012 DE Zac Johnson21511 OLB Tyler Vitse20012 ILB Alex Mierau19512 ILB Dan Boyum23012 OLB Kyle Stewart15012 CB Tyler Drinkall17011 CB Tony Rislove16511 STyler Johnson19512