ADAMS —The Rebels nearly started their season with a phenomenal comeback, but they couldn’t quite finish the job in a 28-20 loss to Rushford-Peterson in Adams Friday.

Southland trailed 28-12 with under two minutes left in the game when Cole Erie burst in for a one-yard score to make it 28-20 with 1:35 left in the game and Jackson Koenigs recovered a bouncing on-side kick right near the sideline to give Southland the ball at RP’s 35-yard line.

Southland got as deep as RP’s 17-yard line with under a minute left, but their last rally came to a close when quarterback Trent Reinartz was sacked and he lost a fumble on a fourth and six play.

“The line did a good job for the most part. I should’ve held on to the ball (on the last play). I should’ve stepped up and gotten the ball off,” Reinartz said. “(The comeback) was fun. We just kept playing hard and we gave ourselves a chance to win. We couldn’t quite get there.”

Reinartz threw 42 times in the loss as he completed 21 of those passes for 167 yards. Nick Finbraaten was his go-to receiver as he hauled in nine passes for 96 yards. In past years, the Rebels (0-1 overall, 0-1 SFA Blue) have been a power rushing team, but they are looking to air it out more this season.

“We’ve got good receivers and when you pass like that it opens up the running game,” Southland head coach Shawn Kennedy said. “It’s our job to change our offense and defense to the personnel we have and shame on us if we don’t do that.”

Southland’s defense shut out the Trojans (1-0 overall, 1-0 SFA Blue) in the second half, but it’s offense came up short on a couple of long drives.

The Rebels opened the second half by driving to the RP 6-yard line, but Marvin Heimer was held to a four-yard run on fourth and six. In the fourth quarter, the Rebels had two drives stall inside the 15-yard line of RP.

The Rebels also committed three turnovers in the loss.

“We shot ourselves in the foot,” Kennedy said. “We have a lot of things to work on, but I never thought we were out of this game at all. I don’t think people expected us to hang with these guys. If we don’t have those turnovers, it’s a different ball game.”

RP took the lead in the first half on three big plays. Freshman Noah Carlson broke off an 87-yard kick-off return for a TD to tie the game at 6-6 and Carlson bursted down the sideline for an 83-yard TD run on third and seven with just two seconds left in the first half to make it 28-12.

“That was just poor tackling by us, but we came back and did our best,” said Reinartz.

The Trojans’ other big play came on a 24-yard TD run by Cole Kingsley on a fourth and eight.

Southland got its first half scores on a one-yard run by Isaac Kloeckner and a 49-yard run by Heimer.

With a big roster turnover from last season, Kennedy was pleased with what his squad brought to the table on Friday.

“I’m proud of how we finished, we just need to work on the little things,” he said. “I wouldn’t want to coach any other team and I love those kids with all my heart.”

SOUTHLAND STATS

Rushing: Marvin Heimer, 11-for-104, TD; Isaac Kloeckner, 7-for-28, TD; Nick Finbraaten, 5-for-29; Cole Erie, 1-for-2, TD; Trent Reinartz, 8-for-(-10); Passing: Reinartz, 21-for-42, 167, 2 INT; Receiving: Finbraaten, 9-for-96; Alex Ruechel, 5-for-57; Michael Schmitz, 1-for-13; Kloeckner, 5-for-8; Heimer, 1-for-3; Interceptions: Ruechel (1); Reinartz (1); Sacks: Josh Anderson (1); Boyd Mortensen (1); Jackson Koenigs (.5); Erie (.5); Penalties: 5-for-30

RP rushing yards: 255; passing yards: 20; penalties: 19-for-143

SCORING SUMMARY

RP 14 14 0 0 — 28

Southland 6 6 0 8 — 20

First quarter

(S) Isaac Kloeckner 1 run (kick failed) (9 plays, 42 yards) 4:05

(RP) Noah Carlson 87 kick return (kick failed) (1 play, 87 yards) 3:52

(RP) Cole Kingsley 4 run (Vix pass from Koenen) (8 plays, 41 yards) :04

Second quarter

(S) Marvin Heimer 49 run (pass failed) (1 play, 49 yards) 11:51

(RP) Kingsley 24 run (Paulson kick) (8 plays, 37 yards) 2:52

(RP) Carlson 83 run (Paulson kick) (3 plays, 86 yards) :02

Third quarter

No scoring

Fourth quarter

(S) Cole Erie 2 run (Josh Anderson from Reinartz) (5 plays, 30 yards) 1:36