Pirates win Homecoming game
The Prairie football team pulled away from a good Council team in the second half to win 34-20 in the Homecoming game at Cottonwood Friday, Sept. 11.
Prior to the game, announcer Pat Holthaus read a remembrance to Sept. 11, 2001, on the 25th anniversary of that tragic day and asked for a moment of silence before queuing up the National Anthem.
Prairie won the toss and Sam Rehder recovered Council’s onside kick at the Council 48 yard line.
Quarterback Kade Quintal picked up 16 yards on a keeper to move the ball to the 32. Marshall Weber picked up 4 up the middle and Payton Stamper gained 6 around the left side for another first down. Stamper ran 2 more times for 6 and 7 yards to set up first and goal at the 9. Stamper picked up another 7 to move the ball to the 2. The next 2 plays moved the ball inside the 1 to set up fourth and goal. Stamper then took a pitch around the left side for the touchdown. Quintal passed to Cooper Riener for the 2-pointer to make it 8-0.
Council came right back with their own scoring drive. They alternated carries between their quarterback and tailback using read option and took 9 plays to go 66 yards. Quarterback Jim Tucker scored the touchdown from 8 yards out and then Tucker passed for the tying 2-pointer.
Rehder again recovered an onside kick try by Council at the 50. Prairie needed just 6 plays to score again. Quintal picked up 5 yards on a run and then threw his first pass of the game for 14 yards to Stamper. The next 3 plays netted just 3 yards setting up fourth and 7 at the 28. Quintal passed out on the right side to Riener who took the ball to the end zone for a 28 yard scoring play. The 2-point pass fell incomplete leaving Prairie with a 14-8 lead.
Council took over after the kickoff at their own 42. They moved the ball down to the Prairie 12 before a holding penalty set them back. After 3 incomplete passes, they turned the ball over on downs to the Pirates at the 22. Prairie tried 2 passes and the second one was underthrown and intercepted at the 26. 3 plays later, backup quarterback Thaine Bauer went 26 yards for the tying touchdown. Bauer tried to run in the 2-pointer but Riener tackled him short of the goal line to leave the score tied at 14 with 34 seconds left in the half.
Council squibbed the kickoff with Weber covering at the Prairie 45. A penalty set the Pirates back and they got only as far as the Council 46 after a 19 yard run by Weber before the half ran out.
Council received the second half kickoff and started at their own 25.
Bauer stayed in at quarterback and the running game wasn’t quite as effective as when Tucker was running the show. Council got to the Prairie 48 before Bauer tried a screen pass to Tucker that Rehder smelled out and turned into a 7 yard loss. Council wound up turning the ball over on downs at their own 49.
Prairie faced a fourth and 9 and benefitted from a defensive holding penalty for a first down at the Council 38. On the next play Quintal passed deep to Isaiah Warren who caught the ball, had it knocked loose and then caught it again in the end zone for a touchdown. The 2-point run came up short but Prairie now led 20-14.
Council threatened to at least tie it up again as they took the ball from their own 47 and moved the ball deep into Pirate territory. They had a first and goal at the 10 and wound up facing a fourth and goal at the 2. Bauer tried to run the ball in but was stopped for no gain as Prairie took over at the 2.
On Prairie’s first play on offense, Stamper took the ball into traffic on the left side and squirted through into the open field. He raced down the left sideline until he was caught by the defense at the Council 17 yard line after an 81 yard gain.
Prairie wound up facing fourth and 4 at the 11 when Quintal found Riener open on the right side for a touchdown, Riener’s second of the game. Quintal then passed to Riener on the left side for the 2-pointer and a 28-14 lead.
Council’s ensuing possession ended early when Riener intercepted Bauer’s pass at the Prairie 40 yard line and returned it 36 yards to the Council 24.
Two runs netted 4 yards then Council was called for encroachment. That set up third and 1 at the 15. Quintal then passed to a wide open Riener on the right side and Riener was able to walk into the end zone for his third touchdown of the game. The 2-point try failed but Prairie now led 34-14 with 1:23 left to play.
Council managed to answer with a score as Bauer ran for 46 then passed for 26 to Tucker Armichardy to move the ball to the 1. Bauer scored on the next play but Rehder and Ashton Martin teamed up to stop the 2-point run and leave Council with a 14-point deficit with just 45 seconds left.
Warren recovered the onside kick at the 50 and Prairie was then able to run out the clock.
The Pirates had 166 yards rushing on 24 attempts led by Stamper who had 108 yards on 10 carries with a touchdown. Weber picked up 28 yards on 6 carries and Quintal had 26 on 7 carries.
Quintal completed 5 of 12 passes with 1 interception for 106 yards. 4 of his 5 completions went for touchdowns. Riener caught 3 for 54 yards and 3 touchdowns. Warren caught 1 for 38 yards and a touchdown. Stamper had 1 catch for 14 yards.
Council gained 209 yards rushing on 47 attempts led by Tucker with 77 yards on 19 attempts Bauer added 69 yards on 12 carries.
Tucker completed 4 of 8 pass for 32 yards while Bauer was 3 for 7 with 1 interception for 23 yards.
Lane Mader led the defense with 13 tackles. Martin had 12 with Stamper having 11 and Stamper 10. Rehder had 9 tackles. Trajan Elven had 6. Riener had 5 plus an interception. Corbyn Tacke had 3 and Rowan Elven and John Seubert each had 1.
Prairie is now 3-0 on the season. This week it is a battle of unbeatens as Prairie travels to Kendrick for their final non-league game of the year Friday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m.
Prairie 14 0 6 14 -34
Council 8 6 0   6 -20
P-Stamper 1 run (Riener pass from Quintal) 8:36 1st
C-Tucker 8 run (Hatfield pass from Tucker) 3:05 1st
P-Riener 28 pass from Quintal (pass failed) 1:09 1st
C-Bauer 26 run (run failed) 0:34.1 2nd
P-Warren 38 pass from Quintal (run failed) 2:59 3rd
P-Riener 11 pass from Quintal (Riener pass from Quintal) 4:17 4th
P-Riener 15 pass from Quintal (run failed) 1:23 4th
C-Bauer 1 run (run failed) 0:44.9 4th