Sauk Centre Mainstreeters lose pure shootout on the gridiron tonight

It's a score you have to see or hear a couple of times before you can believe it.

At O'Gara Field tonight, the Mainstreeters football team lost 48-46 to Montevideo in both teams' West Central North Conference opener.

Senior halfback Terrence Ellis busted loose for a 69-yard touchdown run to open up scoring in a crazy first quarter that ended in a 20-20 tie. A good PAT kick by Josh Buschette made it 7-0 to give the underdog Mainstreeters an early lead.

Montevideo (2-0) scored its first touchdown to make it 7-6 after their PAT kick failed. Patrick Knoblauch then hit Roosevelt Austin for a 13-yard touchdown pass, and with another Buschette PAT kick the Mainstreeters were up 14-6. It would be the first of six trips into the end zone for Austin on the night.

Montevideo tied the game at 14-14, then Austin hauled in a 70-yard pass from Knoblauch for a 20-14 Mainstreeters' lead.

Montevideo scored again to make it 20-20, with their two-point conversion failing. Austin scored his third touchdown of the night on a 24-yard run, and Buschette's PAT kick this time made it 27-20. Before halftime, the Thunderhawks scored to make it 27-26 when the second quarter came to a close.

As wild as the first half played out, it was nothing compared to the final two quarters. Check back over the weekend to hear more reports from tonight's game.

As a team, the Mainstreeters gained 252 rushing yards against Montevideo, with Patrick Knoblauch hitting 6-of-15 passes for 106 yards. The Mainstreeters gave up no fumbles and no interceptions. Dylan Kohorst earned the game's only interception, while Michael Knoblauch earned two fumble recoveries and Zach Wolbeck getting one.

The Mainstreeters (0-2) travel to Hantho Township in western Minnesota to face host Lac qui Parle Valley next Friday night in week three. The Eagles are 1-1 after blanking Yellow Medicine East 33-0 tonight. They lost 41-12 to Montevideo in the opening week.

I'll better describe just where the LQPV high school (and Hantho Township) is next week.

Don't miss out on the Sept. 16 issue of the Sauk Centre Herald, which will have photos and a game story from tonight's action.

Area football scores on Sept. 9:
Belgrade-Brooten-Elrosa 23, Holdingford 14
Albany 28, Minnewaska Area 21 (the Huskies give up 15 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to make things interesting)
New London-Spicer 23, Morris Area/Chokio-Alberta 20 (OT!)
Plainview-Elgin-Millville 56, Melrose Area 133
Paynesville Area 46, Benson 40
Montevideo 48, Sauk Centre 46
United North Central 20, Royalton 19
BOLD 21, Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City 12 (A-C-GC lost despite rushing for 320 yards; they turned the ball over five times on downs)
Brainerd 31, Willmar 7
Dawson-Boyd 25, MACCRAY 7
Barnesville 41, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 0
Lac qui Parle Valley 33, Yellow Medicine East 0
Long Prairie-Grey Eagle 21, West Central Area 14 (LP-GE's 45-game losing streak dating back to the 6AAA playoffs in 2005 is snapped)
St. Cloud Cathedral 18, Milaca 13
Osakis 32, New York Mills 7
Ottertail Central 35, Wadena-Deer Creek 6

~RO