2 weeks Ago By Staff reports
GRAND RAPIDS — Mountain Iron-Buhl secured its spot in the state IX-Player football semifinals for the second time in three seasons after a 38-6 dismantling of No. 4 seed Stephen-Argyle Central on Thursday at Noble Hall Field. The Rangers (12-0) will take on the lowest-seeded south bracket team, either Hills-Beaver Creek or Renville County West, next Thursday, Nov.
11, at U.S. Bank Stadium.
ADVERTISEMENT Early in the first half, MIB, which entered the game averaging over 67 points per game, got off to a slow start offensively with three consecutive drives failing to cross midfield. The Rangers ultimately hit paydirt on their fourth possession with a 15-yard option run by quarterback Micaden Clines early in the second quarter. Clines added his first of three successful two-point conversion attempts to give MIB an 8-0 lead.
Thanks to multiple fourth-down stops on defense, MIB’s 8-0 advantage was preserved into the final two minutes before halftime when an interception in the red zone by Izaiah Alto led to an 80-yard touchdown run by Caleb Rossi, extending the Rangers lead to 14-0. The Rangers received the second-half kickoff and proceeded to drain half of the third quarter clock on their way to a back-breaking third touchdown, a 14-yard run by Derik Dahl. Dahl and Clines each added touchdown runs in the fourth quarter to extend the Rangers’ lead to 38-0.
With the score out of reach, the Storm found the end zone on their final drive to prevent the shutout..
