2 weeks Ago By Staff reports
RED WING — The Rochester Lourdes football team was looking for three things here Friday night: create some turnovers, find a spark in the offense, and get out of Red Wing with a victory. The Eagles checked all three boxes, holding off Red Wing late for a 7-6 victory, spoiling the Wingers’ homecoming. The victory was a big one in Lourdes’ football history, too, as head coach Mike Kesler passed Joe Mayer for the most all-time wins by a head coach.
Kesler now has 165; Mayer finished his outstanding coaching career with 164. ADVERTISEMENT Lourdes, which entered the game minus-5 in turnovers this season, forced two on Friday. It also found a spark offensively, as first-year starting QB Abe Lovely passed for 114 yards.
Mix in strong play all night by the Eagles’ defense and special teams, and it all added up to a narrow victory. “It was just a great high school football game,” said Eagles coach Mike Kesler, who The record-setting win for Kesler also may have added a few gray hairs to the current coach’s hairline. Lourdes had taken a 7-0 lead with just more than 11 minutes to play in the fourth quarter when Caleb Akinbolu scored his first touchdown of the season on a 6-yard run.
Ed Lovely added the PAT kick, which turned out to be the game-winning point. With the clock ticking down in side of 4 minutes, Red Wing QB Calvin Nelson powered in from 1 yard out to pull the Wingers within 7-6. Red Wing decided to attempt the two-point conversion to earn a Homecoming victory.
Lourdes’ defense was up to the task, though, as its front seven flowed to the ball and stopped the Wingers’ rushing attempt. ADVERTISEMENT Red Wing had one last chance to get the ball back, but Lourdes converted a fourth-and-1 play from its own 48-yard line with 1:15 remaining. The Eagles were then able to run out the clock and take a happy bus ride home.
Red Wing (0-4 overall) was led by Hunter Greeley’s 10 carries for 52 yards, while Nelson passed for 33 yards and rushed for 28 and a TD. Akinbolu led Lourdes (2-2 overall) with 24 rushing yards and a TD, while Abe Lovely passed for 114, and Robert Baudhuin had 62 yards receiving. Red Wing plays at P-E-M next week, while Lourdes is at Cannon Falls.
LOURDES 7, RED WING 6 Lourdes 0-0-0-7 — 7 Red Wing 0-0-0-6 — 6 ADVERTISEMENT Fourth Quarter LRDS — Caleb Akinbolu 6 run (Ed Lovely kick) 11:00. RW — Calvin Nelson 1 run (run stopped) 3:46. TEAM TOTALS LRDS — RW First Downs 5 – 13 Total net yards 140 – 199 ADVERTISEMENT Rushes-yards 28-26 – 47-151 Passing yards 114 – 48 Comp.
-att.-int. 5-6-0 – 6-10-0 Fumbles-lost 1-1 – 2-2 Penalties-yards 6-26 – 2-6 INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS Rushing ADVERTISEMENT LRDS — Caleb Akinbolu 12-24, 1 TD; Max Pederson 3-3; Ed Lovely 4-2; Abe Lovely 8-(minus-6).
RW — Hunter Greeley 10-52; Calvin Nelson 12-28, 1 TD; Wesley Christiansen 12-28; Isaac Wiles 6-25; Keegan Knutson 2-7; Calen Beard 2-2; Cale Anderson 2-2. Passing LRDS — Abe Lovely 5-6-0, 114 yards. RW — Calvin Nelson 4-8-0, 33 yards; Cale Anderson 2-2-0, 15 yards.
Receiving LRDS — Robert Baudhuin 1-64, Caleb Akinbolu 1-26, Deacon Langsdale 1-17, Ed Lovely 1-6, Max Pederson 1-2. RW — Brock Kajewski 3-39; Keegan Knutson 2-9; Calen Bears 1-0..
