The Fertile-Beltrami Falcon Football team recorded almost 600 yards and cruised to a 60-32 over Border West at the Wheaton Athletic Complex in the season-opener for both teams.
1st Quarter
The Falcons elected to defer on the opening kickoff. Border West started at their own 35. The drive began with a 13-yard pass to Brayden Andrews. After a two-yard carry and a one-yard QB keep by Holden Rimke, Rimke ran once again, this time for eight and the first 1st down of the game. Brody Nachbor continued the rushing assault with a six-yard carry followed up by a 24-yard catch to get the Buccaneers in the red zone. Then, on 3rd and 9, an incomplete pass by Rimke brought 4th down, and the Buccaneers ran it in on a 10-yard run by Brody Nachbor. Two-point attempt fails.
The Falcons started on their own 26, but an illegal motion penalty bumped them back to the 21. Jonah Harsted responds with a gain of 14. Isaiah Wright then ran for another 14 yards for a first down. After a Falcon Holding penalty, Wright gets another 18-yard rush. After a 10-yard completion to Wright, a false start bumped the Falcons back again. Right After that, Another hold bumped them back more. After an incomplete pass, on 3rd and 9, the Falcons get a 19-yard rush from Wright. A 2-yard run from Herstad scores for the Falcons. The two-point conversion was successful.
Brody Nachbor opened the next drive with a 23-yard carry. After a first down, the Buccaneers get into the red zone on a 12-yard catch by Jude Olson. The Buccaneers then got 1st and goal on a 3-yard Rimke run. On 3rd and goal from the 17, after a false start, a Rimke pass was knocked down by Caleb Stoltman. On 4th and goal, Rimke completed a 17-yard pass to Nachbor for the touchdown.
Starting on the 35 yard line, the Falcons start with a 13-yard run to Halsted, followed by an 11-yard run to Wright. On an ensuing 2nd and 5, Bryer Strem runs for 36 yards to the endzone for another Falcon touchdown.
2nd Quarter
To start the 2nd quarter, the Buccaneers started with an 18-yard completion to Nachbor. On second and two, Rinke takes it himself for 30 yards. Then, a sack made it 2nd and 12. Then, on 3rd and 9, Stoltman knocked down another pass to bring up 4th down. An incomplete pass to Nachbor caused the Bucs to turn it over on downs.
Jonah Harsted starts the next Falcon drive with a 15-yard run, then a 13-yarder for back-to-back first downs. On 2nd and 7, Wright gets the ball again for another 19 yards. After a holding call to make it 1st and 20, Preston Hanson brings in a catch for 17 yards. After a 5-yard Wright run, Easton Petry runs for 13 to make it first and goal. After a false start, Wright runs it in from 10 yards for another TD. The two point conversion attempt failed, keeping it at 22-12.
To start the next Buccaneers drive, Nachbor runs ahead for 12 yards. Then, on 2nd and 7, Peyton Forcier makes a 10-yard catch for a first down. Jude Olson makes a 14-yard catch for another first down. After an incomplete pass and a 3-yard run, a screen for a loss made it 4th and 10. An incomplete pass caused them to turn the ball over on downs once again.
Harsted opens the drive with a 13-yard run. Then, after an 8-yard Petry run, the Falcons get another 13 from Harsted. Then, Bryer Strem pulls some magic, staying on his feet for a 35-yard receiving TD. The two-point conversion was successful, making it 30-12.
The next Bucs drive started on their own 39. It started with an incomplete pass to Forcier, but then it was followed by a 61-yard TD rush by Brody Nachbor. The two-point conversion failed, keeping the score at 30-18.
The next Drive for the Falcons started at the 30 but was bumped back because of another false start. However, Strem runs for 18 yards to cancel the penalty out. Harsted then runs for another 18-yard gain. After a 12-yard run by Wright, an incomplete pass to the end zone makes it 2nd and 10. Then, Harsted runs again, this time for 21 yards, to make it 1st and goal. Then, Isaiah Wright runs right through the Bucs for a 6-yard score. The two-point conversion was a success to make it 38-18.
The final drive of the first half began with a kick return to the 41. The Buccaneers then completed a 49 yard pass to make it 1st and goal. However, a run play that was stopped at the 2 yard line ended the half at 38-18.
3rd Quarter
The 3rd quarter started with a Harsted kick return to the 30-yard line. The drive started with a 6-yard run by Harsted. On 3rd and 1, a 5-yard QB sneak moves the chains. Then, Wright barreled ahead for 14 yards and another first down. After Wright ran for another 8 yards, he fumbled the ball before recovering it to make it 3rd down. Wright followed with an 8-yard first-down carry. Harsted then runs for 13 yards. After that, Petry takes it himself for another 6 yards. Strem completed the drive with an eight-yard run for a touchdown.
Border West gets a reverse kickoff to start the drive in Falcon territory. On 2nd and 6, a backward screen loses three yards. An incomplete pass then makes it 4th down. On 4th down, Border West decides to punt, only going 15 yards.
Fertile-Beltrami’s Wright began the next drive with a gain of 6 yards. On 3rd and 2, Petry takes a QB sneak for 7 yards and a first down. Harsted takes another rush for 14 yards and another first down. Wright then catches a 24-yard pass to set up 1st and goal. Wright then runs again, this time for seven yards and another score. The two-point conversion failed, and the Falcons led 52-18.
Andrews opens the next drive for the Bucs with two catches for 15 yards. After that, however, Joseph Sorenson makes a remarkable one-handed interception to give the ball back to the Falcons.
Harsted opened the next drive with another 13-yard run. Creed Tollefson then came in for the first time and gets a 13-yard run for another first down. After a holding call bumped the Falcons back, a three-yard rush made it 2nd and 17.
4th Quarter
The 4th quarter began with a Falcons 4th and 5, which ended with a turnover on downs for the Falcons.
The next Buccaneers drive begins with a 5-yard carry. Then Rinke rushes for 15 yards and a first down. However, right after a 30-yard carry, Nachbor fumbles the football, giving the ball back to the Falcons.
Briley Raaen started the next drive with a 2-yard carry. On 3rd and 1. Caleb Sather gets stuffed, bringing up 4th and 1, which was converted on a QB sneak. Fertile-Beltrami continued to run inside, doing so again with a seven-yard run and another first down. Then, Creed Tollefson turned off the jets, scoring a 55-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion was a success, making it 60-18.
Owen Deal comes in as the new QB for Border West after returning a kick to the 47-yard line. Tryg Olson ran for four yards, followed by a two yard gain. Deal had a 17-yard run for another first down. Tryg Olson finished the drive with a 16-yard run. The two-point conversion attempt was a success, making it 60-26.
After a successful onside kick, Border West gets the ball back. Tryg Olson comes right back out and runs for 15 and a first down. Deal then makes a throw with his left hand for 15 and another first down. Deal ran it in from nine-yards on the final play of the game. The two-point conversion failed, marking the final score at 60-32.
Fertile-Beltrami improves to 1-0 on the year and will host Park Christian on Friday, September 5. Border West drops to 0-1 on the year.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Fertile-Beltrami | 16 | 22 | 14 | 8 | 60 |
| Border West | 12 | 6 | 0 | 16 | 32 |
1st Quarter –
8:54 – Border West – Brody Nachbor 10-yard run
5:14 – Fertile-Beltrami – Jonah Harstad 2-yard run
1:32 – Border West – Holden Rimke 17-yard pass to Brody Nachbor
0:09- Fertile-Beltrami – Bryer Strem 36-yard run
2nd Quarter –
7:04- Fertile-Beltrami – Isaiah Wright 10-yard run
3:16- Fertile-Beltrami – Easton Petry 35-yard pass to Bryer Strem
2:53- Border West – Brody Nachbor 61-yard run
0:42- Fertile-Beltrami – Isaiah Wright 6-yard run
3rd Quarter –
7:45- Fertile-Beltrami – Bryer Strem 8-yard run
3:06- Fertile-Beltrami – Isaiah Wright 7-yard run
4th Quarter –
5:45- Fertile-Beltrami – Creed Tollefson 55-yard run
0:43- Border West – Tryg Olson 16-yard run
0:00- Border West – Owen Deal 9-yard run
| TEAM STATS | Fertile-Beltrami | Border West |
| Rushing Yards | 572 | 324 |
| Passing Yards | 101 | 184 |
| Total Yards | 673 | 508 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 2-0 | 2-1 |
| First Downs | 23 | 13 |
| Penalties-Yards | 7-55 | 2-10 |
| Punts | 0 | 1 |
INDIVIDUAL STATS
| Fertile-Beltrami | Border West |
| Rushing | Rushing |
| Josh Harsted- 16-180 yards | Brody Nachbor- 15-176 yards |
| Isaiah Wright- 16-170 yards | Holden Rinke- 10-67 yards |
| Creed Tollefson- 5-80 yards | Tryg Olson- 4-35 yards |
| Bryer Strem- 5-72 yards | Gunner Hennessey- 4-19 yards |
| Easton Petry- 5-36 yards | Owen Deal- 2-15 yards |
| Caleb Sather- 4-34 yards | |
| Passing | Passing |
| Easton Petry- 9-13-0 101 yards | Holden Rinke- 12-19-1, 184 yards |
| Receiving | Receiving |
| Bryer Strem- 3-39 yards | Brayden Andrews- 8-131 yards |
| Isaiah Wright- 3-35 yards | Jude Olson- 3-16 yards |
| Preston Hanson- 2-21 yards | Peyton Forcier- 1-10 yards |
| Drew Gullickson 1-3 yards | |
