Hot night, Cold start

Quinton Johnson needed an ice pack and water as he tried to cool down on the sidelines Thursday against B.O.L.D. Roosevelt Austin (35) also needed a break during Sauk's 54-14 loss.

The Sauk centre football squad opened play Thursday hoping for a hot start to the season.

It was plenty hot, with game time temperatures reaching the mid-80s, but it was opponent B.O.L.D who sizzled their way to a 54-14 win.

B.O.L.D scored the first two TDs of the game and never trailed. The closest the Streeters got was after Patrick Knoblauch connected with Terrence Ellis for a 73-yard touchdown pass. Knoblauch hit Ellis on a quick screen and Ellis raced down the sideline, flying by B.O.L.D. defenders on his way to the end zone.

But B.O.L.D. answered with another touchdown before Knoblauch hooked up with Roosevelt Austin on a 20-yard pass play. Austin broke several tackle son his way to the stripe to bring Sauk to within a touchdown at 20-14. B.O.L.D. would add another touchdown before halftime, but Sauk was still very much in the game.

Terrence Ellis makes his way around end in Thursday's battle against B.O.L.D. Ellis had several good runs, including a 73-yard TD pass from Pat Knoblauch.

However, it was evident the heat was getting to Sauk players. Several players had to come out of the game for breathers and water breaks. With humidity at a high, it appeared the Streeters started to run out of gas midway through the second quarter.

A break at halftime didn't help as B.O.L.D. scored four more times in the final two quarters on their way to an easy win.

Despite the loss, there were several bright spots for Sauk. Terrence Ellis stood out, with runs of 31 and 20 yards and his 73-yard TD reception. Pat Knoblauch threw some good passes and finished 7-for-15 on the night for 130 yards. Sam Fischer made a statement early in the game with his tenacious defense, which caused B.O.L.D. to pretty much run the opposite of where Fischer lined up. Coming off major knee surgery, Fischer looked strong on both sides of the ball.

Senior lineman Sam Fischer tries to strip the ball from an opponent in Thursday's battle. Fischer looked solid in his first game back since suffering a knee injury in the second game of the season in 2010.

Tailback Roosevelt Austin also put together some solid runs, breaking several tackles along the way.

Roosevelt Austin, Sauk's leading rusher in 2010, scored one touchdown on Thursday.

The hope is the bright spots will shine through next Friday when Sauk takes on Montevideo at home at 7 p.m.

INJURY REPORT: Several players had to come out of Thursday's game due to muscle cramps and fatigue. Senior wide receiver/defensive back Derek Holm suffered a shoulder injury in the second quarter and sat out the remainder of the game. His status is uncertain.

For more on Thursday's game be sure to pick up a copy of the Sauk Centre Herald, which hits newsstands next Wednesday, Sept. 7.

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