Dover-Eyota football team causing problems for some of state's best

Oct. 17—EYOTA — If the goal is to identify a .500-ish football team in southeastern Minnesota that nobody wants to play, the answer is easy.

It's 4-3 Dover-Eyota.

The roller-coaster ride that has been the Eagles' 2023 season has drawn both applause and head scratching. But in the last three weeks, the clapping has been sustained. That even includes after a loss on Sept. 29.

In fact, it was as a result of that loss — 20-13 to No. 2-ranked Caledonia — that folks really started to take Dover-Eyota seriously. That included the Eagles players themselves.

D-E was in position to win that game, leading Caledonia 13-0 late in the third quarter. But the Warriors, behind their superior depth, rallied and won in what's been their only close contest this season.

It was a confidence-building and empowering evening for Dover-Eyota. It's won both of its games since, including its best win in years Friday, beating No. 7-ranked Chatfield 20-8.

The good feelings hadn't been this good in a post-game Dover-Eyota locker room in a long time. That's because it had been forever since D-E had beaten Chatfield — possibly the school's biggest rival — in a football game.

"Our kids were so dialed in and ready to play them," said Dover-Eyota second-year head coach Jon Hauswald. "They really believed they could compete with them and beat them. I was just so happy for our kids, just to listen to them talk after that game. They'd just never been able to beat Chatfield before. Then to know all of the hard work that went into that Friday night and then to get the benefit of a positive outcome was really rewarding."

It represented one more surprising Dover-Eyota result in a season that's been dotted with them — good and bad.

The good started Sept. 1, the team's opener against annual heavyweight Lourdes. D-E won that game, 18-16. Lourdes hasn't lost since.

But Dover-Eyota has. It fell 48-26 one week later to powerful Cannon Falls. Two weeks after that it lost 27-25 to a St. Charles team that's now 2-5.

While that loss was unexpected, there were reasons for it. No. 1, according to Hauswald, was that St. Charles played extremely well. But D-E was also reeling with its health entering that game. Standout middle linebacker/offensive lineman and inspirational leader Andrew Wendt was out with an injury. Offensive lineman Aidan Gasper was just getting back into the fold and rusty after recovering from a neck injury that almost claimed his life last wrestling season. A few other players were dinged up, too.

Since then, the Eagles have gradually returned to health, and it's shown. This is a different team now, one that's proven it can hang with anybody.

"It wasn't until Week 5 against Caledonia that we felt like we were kind of back to health," Hauswald said. "That's been huge. Andrew Wendt has made a huge difference for us on both sides of the ball. He's a kid who's turned himself into a really good football player."

And then there's Gasper, a 6-3, 230-pound lineman. He missed the first two weeks of the season with that neck injury but has been in the lineup since. It's only been the last two weeks that he's looked back to form.

He's a huge piece.

"Aiden is a dream kid to coach," Hauswald said. "He'll do whatever you ask of him."

Gasper was set to be the team's student manager this season, figuring his neck injury would prevent him from playing but still wanting to contribute. But then his doctor gave him the green light to play.

Gasper didn't hesitate to say yes.

D-E is a different team with him out there. And D-E is a different team period right now, things flowing on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Levi Williams and running back Landon Lehnertz are pacing the offense, Williams having thrown for 1,017 yards and rushed for 463, and the grinding running of Lehnertz having produced another 461 rushing yards.

There is one regular-season game left for D-E, it hosting 3-4 Triton on Wednesday night. The Eagles' roller-coaster ride has shifted simply to a smooth joy ride.

But will it stay that way? A year ago, D-E was headed into its regular-season finale — also against Triton — after having hit a high-water mark, a 28-7 win over excellent team Goodhue. But that momentum was stuffed. The Eagles lost the next week to Triton, 14-7.

Until the ball is kicked off Wednesday night, Hauswald will be issuing that reminder.

The Cannon Falls offensive line rotates in seven guys: Lance Mlsna, Corbin Schroeder, Nick Barrett, Devin Snow, Magnus Swanson, Luke Huseth and Jaden Larson-McKay. That group proceeded to rotate the St. Charles defensive front every which way Friday en route to paving the way for a running attack that produced 566 yards of offense.

The Cardinals offered little deception and that worked against Mabel-Canton in a wild 51-50 win. That's because Hungerholt, a rugged junior quarterback, is on their side. Hungerholt did yeoman's duty, rushing 44 times for 312 yards and five touchdowns, and also passing for 179 yards and a touchdown.

The Bears' star senior running back — with plenty of help from his blockers — was almost impossible to corral Friday in a 47-0 rout of Faribault. Glynn, who'll play next year at the University of Sioux Falls, rushed for 228 yards on 27 carries, with five touchdowns.

Doyle, Denstad and Curley were defensive menaces against Plainview-Elgin-Millville and did their best work in the second quarter. That's when each scored a defensive touchdown — Doyle on an interception, Denstad and Curley on fumble recoveries. All three of those TDs went for at least 32 yards.

The individuals usually getting the most credit for Kingsland this season have been running back Beau Wiersma and quarterback Kaaleem Reiland. But on Friday it was Ayden Howard's night, with 74 yards receiving and a touchdown, and a big 75-yard interception return for a touchdown in a win over fellow top-10 ranked team Spring Grove.

(Editor's note: These rankings are considered "pound-for-pound" rankings, similar to many rankings systems in boxing and mixed martial arts. They represent the best teams in southeastern Minnesota, relative to the class they play in.)

Stewartville refuses to do anything to dissuade us from believing they are the cream of southeast Minnesota football. Just look at that defense. The Tigers have allowed a tiny 4 points per game. That includes six total points in their last four games. And yes, they can also score. Led by arguably the top quarterback in the area. Ayden Helder, Stewartville is averaging 48 points per game.

Caledonia did its biggest proving one week ago when it buried a strong Chatfield team 27-0. This resembles the Warriors teams that led the nation at one point with a 71-game winning streak. Nobody can figure out how to beat them and their defense is fast and punishing. Teams are averaging six points per game against them. Dover-Eyota's 13 points were the most Caledonia has allowed this season.

The Falcons just keep doing what they do, quarterback Chase Christian throwing for a high percentage, Jayce Kiehne catching a bunch of passes, and the Fillmore Central defense allowing just six points per game. Against overmatched Wabasha-Kellogg on Thursday, Fillmore Central limited it to minus-33 yards rushing. FC is ranked second in the state and is looking to get back to state for the second straight year.

The Knights have been challenged just once this season and that was in their opener, a six-point win over Mabel-Canton. They beat fellow top-10 ranked team Spring Grove 38-13 on Friday. Slowing down the Kingsland offense, led by the dynamic duo of running back Beau Wiersma and quarterback Kaaleem Reiland, has proved impossible. Kingsland is averaging 53 points per game.

The respect for Kenyon-Wanamingo has been well earned. The Knights have just one loss, that to an ultra-athletic Bethlehem Academy team. Quarterback Will Van Epps is a load as a ball carrier. In an impressive 6-0 win over defensive juggernaut Goodhue on Thursday, Van Epps banged for 127 yards rushing on 28 carries.

This is another absolute offensive juggernaut, and per usual, the Bombers do almost all of their work on the ground. Cannon Falls is averaging 51 points per game and has scored 71, 73 and 58 points in its last three. It ran for a ridiculous 566 yards on Friday in a win over St. Charles. Cannon Falls' one loss was to No. 2-ranked Caledonia.

The KoMets are ranked seventh in Class 4A and have a sparkling win on their resume, having beaten otherwise spotless Byron. This is another team that does almost all of its offensive work on the ground. It ran for 326 yards in a 36-6 win over Breck on Friday.

Let's see if the No. 8-ranked Cardinals and their star quarterback Camden Hungerholt have the energy to do anything more this season after what they went through Friday. L-O needed every ounce of itself to beat formidable Mabel-Canton 51-50 in a game that played like a rollercoaster. Hungerholt had to be the most exhausted. Here's what he did: 44 rushes, 312 yards, 5 touchdowns. He also threw for 179 yards and a TD.

Just one loss for Byron, which is ranked sixth in Class 4A and is outscoring its opponents by an average of 40-6. The Bears have star power led by running back Adam Glynn. They are also terrific up front on both sides of the ball.

We can't ignore what Dover-Eyota is doing anymore. Not after what it pulled off Friday, beating No. 7 Chatfield in decisive fashion, 23-8. D-E seems to play its best against the best. It beat Lourdes 18-16, just missed against No. 2-ranked Caledonia (falling 20-13) and beat No. 7 Chatfield. Eagles senior Levi Williams is among the best quarterbacks in southeastern Minnesota.