The Crookston Pirate Football team’s Tate Hamre scored six touchdowns to lead his team to a 68-0 victory over the Cass Lake-Bena Panthers on Crookston’s homecoming at KROX Radio Stadium in Crookston. Crookston snaps a 22 game losing streak where they had been outscored 1,039 to 158. Crookston hadn’t won a game since October 29, 2022 when they beat Pelican Rapids in the Section 8AA semi-finals.
1st Quarter –
Crookston won the toss and decided to take the ball and that paid off as the Pirates started the game with the ball at their own 25 yard line and handed the ball to Jaron Knutson for a 14-yard run, Tate Hamre ran for 24 yards and a pair of first downs. After a loss of three yards, Hamre ran to the outside and sprinted down the sideline for a 40 yard touchdown. After the two point conversion was converted, Crookston led 8-0.
Cass Lake-Bena started its first offensive series from their own 49 and on the second play of the drive they fumbled and Crookston’s Paul Thornhill recovered the ball on the 50 yard line. Crookston’s Knutson ran for two yards before Hamre ran to the outside and a 48-yard touchdown and he also converted the two-point conversion for a 16-0 lead with 8:28 left in the opening quarter. Cass Lake-Bena tried to answer with a drive that started at their own 35 yard line. They ran three plays that lost a total of eight yards and elected to punt. The punt was only eight yards and Crookston had the ball at the CLB 35 yard line. Crookston’s Knutson ran for 25 yards before Hamre scored on a 10 yard run for a 22-0 lead with 5:52 left.
Cass Lake-Bena ran five plays before they threw a pass and Crookston’s Dexter Janek picked off the pass and the Pirates had the ball back. Crookston’s Knutson ran for one yard before Hamre ran for 70 yards and another touchdown and after a two-point conversion, the Pirates led 30-0 lead and that is how the quarter would end.
2nd Quarter –
Cass Lake-Bena ran three plays and on a fourth down and short play they tried a fake punt and the Pirates stopped the play and Crookston took over at their own 50-yard line. The Pirates advanced the ball 15 yards on a pass interference call. Knutson ran the ball for nine yards and four yards. After an incomplete pass, Knutson ran for another 14 yards before Hamre scored on a nine yard run and after the two point conversion they led 38-0.
Cass Lake-Bena ran two plays before they dropped back to pass and Knutson intercepted a pass and returned it to the Panther 27 yard line. Crookston ran a few plays before Hamre scored his sixth touchdown of the game on a 15-yard run and the Pirates led 46-0 with five minutes left in the half.
Cass Lake-Bena fumbled the ball and Nolan Johnson recoverd the ball. Crookston added one more score when Knutson ran for an 87 yard touchdown for a 52-0 lead, which they took into halftime.
3rd Quarter –
The teams decided to play an eight-minute quarter in the third quarter. The quarter was a quick one and it wasn’t a good start for Cass Lake-Bena as they fumbled on the first play and Crookston’s Zachariah Ali recovered the ball on the 48-yard line. Crookston ran one play and fumbled the ball. The ball bounced around with a handful of players trying to recover it and finally Cass Lake-Bena’s Darold Madigan recovered the ball. Once again, Cass Lake-Bena ran three plays and fumbled the ball and Crookston’s Ali recovered the ball.
The Pirates handed the ball off to Mico Roche who carried the ball twice for a total of 14 yards.
4th Quarter –
The fourth quarter was 12 minutes of running time. Crookston had the ball at their own 43-yard line and Jose Arriaga ran the ball for 14 yards, 22 yards and then three yards. After a short run, Arriaga ran for 20 yards down to the three yard line. Arriaga scored on the next play and Asher Wieland converted the two-point conversion for a 60-0 lead with 10:12 left in the game.
Cass Lake-Bena took the kickoff and a big hit forced a fumble and Crookston’s Kolton Bahrenfuss recovered the ball. Crookston started with the ball at the Panther 29 yard line and lost six yards before Knutson ran for a 35 yard touchdown and Crookston led 68-0 after a Taylor Wieland two-point conversion. The rest of the game flew by and Crookston held on for a 68-0 victory and they were able to sing, “You are my Sunshine,” for the first time in 23 games.
Crookston improves to 1-3 on the year and will host Ada-Borup-West on Friday, September 26 at 7:00 p.m. at KROX Radio Stadium. Cass Lake-Bena drops to 1-3 on the year.
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
| Cass Lake-Bena | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crookston | 30 | 22 | 0 | 16 | 68 |
SCORING-
1st Quarter –
10:17 – Crookston – Tate Hamre 40 yard run (Tate Hamre run)
8:28 – Crookston – Tate Hamre 48 yard run (Tate Hamre run)
5:52 – Crookston – Tate Hamre 10 yard run (run failed)
2:11 – Crookston – Tate Hamre 70 yard run (Tate Hamre pass to Jose Arriaga)
2nd Quarter –
9:37 – Crookston – Tate Hamre 9 yard run (Jaron Knutson run)
5:24 – Crookston – Tate Hamre 15 yard run (Jaron Knutson run)
2:48 – Crookston – Jaron Knutson 87 yard run (run failed)
3rd Quarter –
No scoring
4th Quarter –
10:20 – Crookston – Jose Arriaga 3 yard run (Asher Wieland run)
6:12 – Crookston – Jaron Knutson 35 yards (Asher Wieland run)
| TEAM STATS | Crookston | Cass Lake-Bena |
| Rushing Yards | 464 | 16 |
| Passing Yards | 0 | 29 |
| Total Yards | 464 | 45 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 2-1 | 7-5 |
| First Downs | 7 | 0 |
| Penalties-Yards | 3-40 | 4-30 |
| Punts | 0 | 1- 8 yards |
INDIVIDUAL STATS
| Crookston | Cass Lake-Bena |
| Rushing | Rushing |
| Tate Hamre – 7 carries, 216 yards, 6 TD | Tristan Brown – 8 carries, 46 yards |
| Jaron Knutson – 14 carries, 179 yards, 2 TD | Scotty Brown – 3 carries, -3 yards |
| Jose Arriaga – 6 carries, 61 yards, TD | Adrian Brown – 4 carries, -5 yards |
| MIko Roche – 2 carries, 13 yards | Wambli McArthur – 9 carries, -23 yards |
| Passing | Passing |
| Tate Hamre – 0/3, 0 yards | Adrian Brown – 5/11, 29 yards, 3 INT |
| Receiving | Receiving |
| Wambli McArthur – 3 catches, 18 yards | |
| Scotty Brown – 1 catch, 7 yards | |
| Tristan Brown – 1 catch, 4 yards |
