Lynx ride high into playoffs on heels on 42-30 win

Jill Meier

Journal editor

 

The The post-season starts now.

And Brandon Valley heads into the final stretch of their 7-2 season fully believing they have what it takes to go the distance. That belief stems from Thursday’s 42-30 road win over O’Gorman, highlighted by a big numbers night for Braiden Petersen and relentless play by the Lynx offense and defense.

“The guys just did a good job,” BV head coach Chad Garrow said. “It’s a team effort and the whole team was there tonight.”

As for Petersen, the senior phenom turned in yet another record-setting performance for the Lynx, thanks to openings created by BV’s offensive line. Petersen’s record-breaking night resulted in 35 carries, 340 yards and five touchdowns, four of which came in the second half.

“We just kind of challenged them (the O-line) in the second half to do the right things and be in the right places,” Garrow said. “Braiden just needs a little crease, and my message to him at halftime was to be more decisive, hit it downhill and we did that in the second half. It’s hard to hold him down and tonight that showed.”

Although the Knights held a 10-0 advantage after a quarter of play, the Lynx got on the board early in the second stanza when Thomas Scholten connected with Cade Terveer on a 23-yard TD pass.

Late in the first half, BV was able to further close the gap when Tanner Niewenhuis intercepted an Isaac Struck pass. The Lynx made the Knights pay for the turnover when Petersen strutted into the end zone to make it a 17-14 game at the half, O’G’s favor.

“That was big, it was huge,” Garrow said.

The Knights charged into the second half, wasting little time in finding the end zone on a five-play, 80-yard scoring drive that was capped off by Penn Johnson’s 5-yard scamper across the goal line for 24-14 game.

But the Lynx responded right away, once again putting the ball in Petersen’s capable hands. The senior raced 58 yards to get back within three of the Knights, 24-21. 

“They got a touchdown right away but we responded with a big run by Petey, and so you’re right back in the game,” Garrow said.

BV claimed the lead (28-24) for the first time on another long haul down the field by Petersen, this one, a 73-yard hustle to the end zone.     

The Lynx chewed up valuable clock time – 5 minutes, 54 seconds - on a fourth-quarter drive that resulted in another Petersen score, this one from a yard out, to make it a 35-24 game.

With just over two minutes to go, O’G made it a 35-30 game when Struck found Canyon Bauer on a 25-yard TD pass play. The ensuing two-point conversion failed.

The Lynx put the exclamation point on the victory – and secured the third seed for the playoffs – when Petersen high-tailed it to the end zone on a 17-yard scamper. With 16 ticks left on the clock, the 42-30 victory was all but over.

“We kept it close and the guys kept believing and won it in the end,” Garrow said.

BV starting quarterback Thomas Scholten, who completed 5-10 for 75 yards and a score, was sidelined after the first half by a shoulder injury. He was relieved by Ty McCann in the second half. Garrow was unsure if Scholten will be able to play in Thursday’s playoff opener against Rapid City Stevens. 

“Our guys know that we’re going to win or lose by how much we can loosen up Petersen and things like that, and a lot of times we have to scheme to do different things to get him loose,” he said.

The No. 3-seeded Lynx will host No. 6 Stevens at 6 p.m. Thursday. Garrow and company, which defeated the Raiders 30-14 on the West River team’s turf in late September, remain optimistic heading into the post-season despite Scholten’s unknown status. “Keeping everybody healthy is a big thing, so hopefully we get everybody healthy for next week,” he said.

Washington and Roosevelt are the only two teams to defeat BV this season. As the 3-seed, the Lynx avoid a semifinal match with top-seeded Washington, but could meet up with No. 2 Roosevelt.

“I guess I don’t care whether we’re playing Roosevelt or Washington, because we’ve got to beat them all whether we’ve got them in the semifinals or the championship,” Garrow said. 

 

BV 0 14 7 21 – 42

O’G 10 7 7 6 – 30

Brandon Valley/O’Gorman

First downs: 16  19

Rushes: 41/321  30/204

Passing: 74  245

Att/Comp/Int: 12/6/0  34/25/1

Total off. Plays/Yds.: 53/395  64/449

Penalties/Yds: 2/15  2/20

 

Individual leaders: RUSHING-BV-Braiden Petersen 35/340/5, Cade Terveer 2/7/0; O’Gorman-Wittry 7/118/0, Isaac Struck 13/50/0; PASSING- BV-Thomas Scholten 10/5/0, 75 yds., 1 TD, Ty McCann 2/1/0 -1 yd.; O’Gorman-Struck 34/25/1 245 yds; RECEIVING- BV-Adam Niessink 2/24, Carter Olthoff 2/24/0, Terveer 2/16/1; O’Gorman Bauer 10/126/2, Tibbets 6/81/1, Katan 4/31/0; DEFENSE- BV-Jesse Steffel 11, Andrew Hanson 9, Terveer 7, 1 sack, Mason VanWesten 6; O’Gorman-Niedringhaus 7, Wittry 7, Binstock 6, Billion 5. 

 

Scoring Summary

First Quarter

O’G — Tibbets, 22-yard pass from Struck (Pujado kick), 6:32, 0-7.

O’G — Pujado 27-yard field goal, 0:48, 0-10

Second Quarter

BV — Cade Terveer, 17-yard pass from Thomas Scholten, 9:30, 7-10.

O’G — Bauer, 78-yard pass from Struck (Pujado kick), 8:02 7-14.

BV — Braiden Petersen, 3-yard run (Jorey Sorenson kick), 3:21, 14-17. 

Third Quarter

O’G — Penn Johnson, 5-yard run (Pujado kick), 10:34, 14-24.

BV — Petersen, 58-yard run, (Sorenson kick), 4:48, 21-24.

Fourth Quarter

BV — Petersen, 73-yard run (Sorenson kick), 10:23, 28-24. 

BV — Petersen, 1-yard run (Sorenson kick), 2:33, 35-24.

O’G — Bauer, 25-yard pass from Struck (PAT no good), 1:20, 35-30.

BV — Petersen 17-yard run (Sorenson kick), 0:16, 42-30.

 

11AAA STATE QUARTERFINAL PAIRINGS

 

#8 RC Central (2-7) at #1 SF Washington (9-0)

#7 Watertown (3-6) at #2 SF Roosevelt (8-1)

#6 RC Stevens (5-4) at #3 Brandon Valley (7-2)

#5 Aberdeen Central (5-4) at #4 O’Gorman (6-3)