CROOKSTON FOOTBALL’S SEVEN TURNOVERS COSTLY IN LOSS TO OTTERTAIL CENTRAL

The Crookston Pirate Football team fumbled the ball 11 times, lost six fumbles, and threw one interception that was returned for a touchdown in a 32-0 loss to the Otter Tail Central (a co-op of Battle Lake and Henning) Bulldogs in a game played in Crookston.   

FIRST QUARTER – 
Crookston started the game with the ball, and the first play of the game was a sign of how the rest of the game would go for the Pirates.  Crookston fumbled the ball on the first play, and Ottertail Central recovered the ball at the Pirate 45 yard line.  The Crookston defense came up with a big three and out and forced Ottertail Central to punt.  
The Pirates had a better start to their second series with running plays of seven and six yards for a first down.  Two plays later, Easton Tangquist ran for 10 yards and another first down.  Ethan Boll ran for six yards, but the next two plays were for a loss of yards, including a botched snap and fumble.  The Pirates were forced to punt after a seven-play 21-yard drive.  Ottertail Central’s second series had a good start with a Drew Durbin 13 yard run, but two plays later, they fumbled, and Crookston’s Jaxon Wang recovered the ball with less than four minutes to go in the opening quarter.  Three plays into the drive, Crookston picked up a first down before fumbling the ball and losing two yards.  Two plays later, they had to punt again.  At the end of the first quarter, the teams were scoreless. 

SECOND QUARTER-
Ottertail Central started a drive three seconds into the quarter and moved down the field with their junior quarterback Tanner Arndt breaking off a couple of big gains and on the 11th play of the drive, Arndt found Brady VanErp running across the field on a 33-yard pass for a touchdown, and the Bulldogs took a 6-0 lead.
Crookston fumbled on their next drive, and Ottertail Central recovered the ball again.  Once again, the Bulldogs weren’t able to take advantage, and they took a 6-0 lead into halftime.
Crookston only had 44 yards on offense (all on the ground) while Ottertail Central had 208.  “They were teeing off on us,” said Crookston Coach Scott Butt. “We were struggling to stop them, and I will say this, they were getting off the ball faster than we were and causing a lot of problems.”

THIRD QUARTER
Ottertail Central started the second half with the ball, and five plays later, they scored when the elusive Tanner Arndt scampered 34 yards for a touchdown and a 12-0 lead.  Crookston was forced to a three-and-out on their next drive, and earlier in the game, they lost their center Cade DeLeon to injury.  The second center, Greg Gonzalez, was injured, so the Pirates were using Brooks Butt as their third center, and he got hurt.  The Pirates were forced to punt, and the snap went over the punters head, and Ottertail Central had the ball on the Crookston 15 yard line.  Ottertail Central converted a fourth down, and two plays later, Drew Durbin scored on a three-yard run, and after the two-point conversion, they led 20-0.  
Fumbles hurt Crookston throughout the game, but the big dagger came on the next Pirate series when they attempted their first pass of the game, and Brady VanErp jumped the route and intercepted the pass for a 54-yard return for a touchdown and a 26-0 lead with 3:02 remaining in the quarter.  

FOURTH QUARTER
Crookston’s drive at the end of the third quarter started with a penalty, and they fumbled again, and Ottertail Central recovered the ball at the Pirate 46 yard line.  The first three plays went for a total of 21 yards before Arndt found VanErp for a 25-yard pass for a touchdown and a 32-0 lead eight seconds into the fourth quarter. 
Crookston fumbled the ball a couple more times, and Ottertail Central was able to get their bench in and run time off the clock as they won the game 32-0.  “We struggled tonight.  We turned the ball over, got banged up, and couldn’t get anything going on offense,” said Coach Butt. “I really don’t know what to say.  Ottertail Central has some very big and strong players, and they were too much for us upfront.  They have some great athletes too.”

Crookston drops to 1-2 on the year and will host Pillager in their last home game of the season on Friday, October 30, at 6:00 p.m.
Ottertail Central improves to 2-2 on the year.

1st Quarter
No scoring

2nd Quarter
6:25 – OTC – Brady Van Erp 33 yd pass from Tanner Arndt (run failed)

3rd Quarter
9:26 – OTC – Tanner Arndt 34 yd run (pass failed)
4:38 – OTC – Drew Durbin 3 yd run (Tanner Arndt pass to Tyson Misegades)
3:06 – OTC – Brady VanErp 54 yd interception (pass failed

4th Quarter
11:52 – OTC – Brady VanErp 25 yd pass from Tanner Arndt (run failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATS

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