2 weeks Ago By Pat Ruff
ROCHESTER — John Marshall met its match. But what a match it was with fellow top-10 ranked team Mankato East on Friday night at John Drews Field. In a football game loaded with big plays, East had more of those than JM in the final quarter and emerged a 35-28 winner over the previously unbeaten Rockets.
ADVERTISEMENT JM entered 3-0 and ranked seventh in Class 5A, while East was 2-1 and ranked 10th. JM, which took a 21-20 lead into the second half, came up scoreless in the third quarter, same as the Cougars. But East owned the final 12 minutes.
It got in the end zone twice then, JM once. The final Cougars’ touchdown was set up by massive play with running back Logan Kleist running through a gaping hole up the middle. He sailed 60 yards, then three plays later plunged in from the 8-yard line to give East a lead it wouldn’t relinquish.
Though JM felt it did some proving that it could play with an excellent team Friday night, it was also kicking itself. The latter was brought on by mistakes big and small throughout the contest. That included JM being whistled for 11 penalties, a problem that has dogged it early this season.
Clean those things up and JM believes it can go from a good team to a great one. Mankato East 35, John Marshall 28 Mankato East 7-13-0-14 — 35 ADVERTISEMENT John Marshall 7-14-0-7 — 28 First quarter JM — Ty’Shawn Beane 21 run (Ben Rieder kick), 10:36. ME — Boston Meyer 14 pass from Ganden Bosch (Hayden Tischler kick), 7:24.
Second Quarter ME — Logan Kleist 7 run (Tischler kick), 10:53. JM — Chris Garcia-Lara 85 kick return (Rieder kick), 10:38. ADVERTISEMENT ME — Brogan Madson 9 pass from Gosch (kick failed), 5:25.
JM — Kyle Hikes 3 run (Rieder kick), 1:43. Fourth Quarter ME — Bosse 1 run (Tischler pass from Gosch), 8:02. JM — Denard Simpson 22 pass from Savy Vath (Rieder kick), 4:31.
ME — Logan Kleist 8 run (Tischler kick), 2:06. ADVERTISEMENT.
