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Behind bruising rushing attack, Bemidji beats Sartell in style on homecoming

christian babcock, the bemidji pioneer, minn.
·4 min read

Sep. 29—BEMIDJI — Ephram Boucher ran the ball. Then he ran it again. And then again.

The Bemidji High School football team gave its emerging star running back the ball six consecutive times on a second-half drive against Sartell, advancing 54 yards to the end zone entirely on Boucher's legs. That third-quarter march symbolized the Lumberjacks' rushing excellence on a Friday night where BHS took control of a dominant 41-14 homecoming victory with a near-perfect second-half performance at Chet Anderson Stadium.

"Ephram is starting to play really confidently, and he's starting to believe that he's a great back, which he is," said Jacks head coach Bryan Stoffel. "And each week, he continues to get better and better and better. At halftime, I told him, 'Get ready, buddy. We're going to feed you, and you're going to be a superstar.'"

Bemidji (3-2) outscored the Sabres 28-0 in the second half, and much of that success can be attributed to the running game. The Lumberjacks scored four of their six touchdowns on the ground, and their two passing touchdowns were simplified by how heavily Sartell's safeties were gearing up for running plays.

"It's paramount to what we're trying to accomplish," Stoffel said. "Everything you saw in the pass game was because we were able to run the ball so successfully. That forces a team to have to bring their secondary into the run fit, and before you know it, they're in a position where they can't defend deep with what they're trying to do. So credit to the offensive line and credit to (quarterback Peyton Neadeau) for executing at that high level and getting us some room in behind."

In addition to opening up lanes for long TD catches by Braden Luksik and Dawson Degelder, Bemidji's rushing success allowed its defense long periods of rest. That enabled the Lumberjacks to stiffen up in the second half and allow Sartell (0-5) no margin for error.

"It's senior homecoming for us seniors," said defensive end Lucas Caron, who posted a sack and a fumble recovery. "We can't lose it, you know? We've got to do our best to win. We can't lose. And we came out and we shut them out (in the second half)."

In the first half, Bemidji struggled to stop Sartell early on. The Sabres drove the ball into BHS territory on each of its first three possessions, getting as close as the 4-yard line. But each time — twice thanks to timely Sartell penalties — the Lumberjacks kept the Sabres off the board.

Two Jacks turnovers, though, gave the Sabres a 14-13 halftime lead. Neadeau threw two second-quarter interceptions, one of which gave Sartell the ball at the 1-yard line. The second, which occurred 16 seconds before the half, was returned for a 22-yard touchdown that put the Sabres up one and BHS behind the eight-ball emotionally.

But by virtue of 268 rushing yards, Bemidji constricted the life out of the game in the second half, coupling improved discipline with a potent mix of explosive pass plays and grinding rushing efficiency.

"I'm getting more confidence with the ball, getting more confidence with my (offensive) line," said Boucher, who carried 18 times for 128 yards and two scores a week after posting 201 rush yards against St. Cloud Tech. "I'm trusting them, trusting the hole, trusting the read of my quarterback. Maybe getting a little faster too."

The supremacy of the Jacks' rushing attack empowered BHS to breathe easier in the second half after competing down to the wire in one-possession games all season.

"We bent at times tonight, but we didn't break," Stoffel said. "When we took control of the game on offense, the defense did their part and got us the ball back, and then we were able to make a run. So it's great complimentary football, and I thought when we needed them to step up and give us the ball back, they did a fantastic job of it."

Bemidji 41, Sartell 14

SAR 0 14 0 0 — 14

BHS 0 13 21 7 — 41

First quarter — No scoring.

Second quarter — BHS TD, Boucher 28-yard run (2-pt. conversion no good), 6-0 BHS; SAR TD, Mathiasen 1-yard run (2-pt. conversion no good), 6-6; BHS TD, Luksik 39-yard catch from Neadeau (Stone PAT), 13-6 BHS; SAR TD, Schmidt 22-yard interception return (2-pt. conversion good), 14-13 SAR.

Third quarter — BHS TD, Degelder 6-yard run (2-pt. conversion good), 21-14 BHS; BHS TD, Boucher 4-yard run (Stone PAT no good), 27-14 BHS; BHS TD, Degelder 50-yard catch from Neadeau (Stone PAT), 34-14 BHS.

Fourth quarter — BHS TD, Degelder 1-yard run (Stone PAT), 41-14 BHS.