Football: Cougars use big plays to down Packers
Published 1:45 am Saturday, September 26, 2015
Austin’s Jayden Erie brings down Mankato East’s Kaje Warren in Mankato Friday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
MANKATO —The Cougars made the two biggest plays of the night right before halftime and near the start of the second half and the Packers didn’t have an answer.
The Austin football team lost its sixth consecutive game when it fell 42-27 in Mankato East Friday night.
Austin’s Jon Gallagher tries to shed a tackle on a kick return in Mankato East Friday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
The Cougars (4-2 overall) took a 28-7 lead with 3:08 left in the first half when they picked off a Jakob Crouch pass in the flat and ran it back 35 yards for a score. East took a 28-14 lead when Caje Warren broke a tackle in the backfield on a third and 20 screen play and he went 91 yards for a TD with 8:16 left in the third quarter.
Crouch led the Packers to back-to-back scoring drives where he hit Nate Conner for a 47-yard TD pass and Elijah Andersen for a 26-yard TD. Austin head the ball trailing 35-27 early in the fourth quarter, but it committed a holding penalty that backed it down to its own 10-yard line and the Packers weren’t able to get any more offense the rest of the night.
“We didn’t play a consistent game. We had times when were doing really good things,” Austin head coach Brett Vesel said. “We just have to work. I think we made progress again, we just have to continue to do more.”
Brandon Edgar ran for 134 yards for the Packers (0-6 overall), but Austin struggled to block East’s Logan Swanson for much of the night.
“They are a good team. They got a heck of a lineman in number 59,” Vesel said. “He’s a stud and he’s the best guy that we’ve seen all year. He was tough to block, he made some plays for them and it affected us all the way across the board offensively.”
While the Packers still don’t have a win, the team is focused on competing and getting better every week. Vesel said the squad has been putting in work.
“I love the attitude and I love my guys. They work really hard,” he said. “It’s tough when you’re 0-6, but they want to work hard and they want to win. We’re just getting a few bad breaks right now and we’ve got to clean them up.”
Austin will host Red Wing 7 p.m. Friday in its Homecoming game.
SCORING SUMMARY
Austin 0 14 7 6 — 27
East 7 21 7 7 — 42
First quarter
(M) Kaje Warren 38 run (LeBert kick) (7 plays, 76 yards) 4:00
Austin’s Jakob Crouch pitches the ball on a lead option at Mankato East Friday. Rocky Hulne/sports@austindailyherald.com
Second quarter
(M) Logan Swanson 2 run (LeBert kick) (8 plays, 47 yards) 10:54
(A) Jakob Crouch 12 run (Conner kick) (7 plays, 62 yards) 5:29
(M) No. 34 3 run (LeBert kick) (3 plays, 71 yards) 4:44
(M) No. 49 35 interception return (LeBert kick) (1 play, 35 yards) 3:08
(A) Jon Gallagher 5 run (Conner kick) (8 plays, 76 yards) :58
Third quarter
(M) Warren 91 pass from Richard Kamara (LeBert kick) (3 plays, 81 yards) 8:16
(A) Nate Conner 47 pass from Crouch (Conner kick) (6 plays, 62 yards) 6:05
Fourth quarter
(A) Elijah Andersen 26 pass from Crouch (kick failed) (9 plays, 88 yards) 11:17
(M) Warren 31 run (LeBert kick) (1 play, 31 yards) 8:49
AUSTIN STATS
Rushing: Brandon Edgar, 23-for-134; Jakob Crouch, 10-for-25, TD; Jon Gallagher, 1-for-5, TD; Nate Conner, 2-for-1; Elijah Andersen, 1-for-(-6)
Passing: Crouch, 14-for-38, 212, 2 TD, 2 INT
Receiving: Jason Stoulil, 7-for-82; Nate Conner, 2-for-56, TD; Jany Gash, 4-for-48; Elijah Andersen, 1-for-26, TD
Fumble recoveries: Jesse Synoground (2)
Sacks: Damien Ryks (1)
Penalties: 6-for-35
EAST STATS
Rushing: 341
Passing: 52
Penalties: 12-for-95
