NEW PRAGUE —The Grand Meadow football team may have been a little shorthanded, but it didn’t matter as they used a power rushing attack and a swarming defense to upend Cleveland 52-14 in the Section 9 man quarterfinals in New Prague Saturday.

Despite missing two of their offensive linemen who started on opening night due to season ending injuries, the Superlarks (12-0 overall) grounded and pounded for 326 rushing yards in the win.

“We’ve had so many injuries this year,” GM head coach Gary Sloan said. “I tell the guys when somebody gets hurt that we feel bad for the guy and it makes us weaker, but we also tell the guys that it’s somebody else’s opportunity and you’ve got to step up and take advantage of it.”

GM senior Trent Tangen broke his foot earlier in the season, but on Saturday he was thrust back onto the starting offensive line. He and the rest of the GM linemen helped pave the way for Christophor Bain, who ran for 102 yards and three touchdowns, Zach Myhre, who ran for 113 yards, and Michael Stejskal, who ran for 87 yards and three touchdowns.

The Larks scored on their first six possessions of the game.

“I was really excited. I wasn’t really nervous at all,” Tangen said. “The first couple of plays I got my butt kicked, but then I started rolling and it was good.”

GM’s defense knew it had to stop Cleveland sophomore quarterback Carter Kopet to be successful and it certainly did that. Kopet, who threw for 37 TDs going into Saturday’s game, threw just one touchdown against GM’s second team defense late in the game and he threw for just 117 yards, while being sacked four times and throwing one interception.

“He’s a really good player,” said GM defensive lineman Connor Hartson. “He’s really elusive in the pocket and he was able to get away from us a few times. Near the end there, we got him a couple of times.”

Stejskal stepped up for the Larks on offense all night and he also made a huge play on defense when he scooped up a fumble forced by Zach Myhre and ran it back 44 yards for a score that put the Larks up 22-0 in the first quarter. Sloan said that Stejskal has taken on a big role for this year’s squad.

“He’s the leader. There’s no doubt about that. He’s so solid on both on offense and defense. He makes us go.” Sloan said.

GM has now won 34 straight games as a program and it will take on Waubun in the Class 9 man state semifinals in St. Cloud 5 p.m. Saturday.

Even though they’ve won two straight state titles and they are playing in their fourth straight state tournament, none of GM’s players are calling it routine. Hartson said the entire senior class is taking ownership of this year’s run.

“We’re the leaders on the team and the coaches respect our opinion more. We were suggesting some of the plays we ran today,” Hartson said. “It feels like our team.”

Slaon said this group is focused every day in practice and he sees the drive they have to equal the accomplishments of last year’s team.

“They were all an important part of our team last year,” Sloan said of his seniors. “Going into this year people didn’t think we’d be nearly as good as we were last year because we lost some important parts of our team. This is their opportunity to show that they’ve got a good class too. I think they’re very driven to try and finish this thing.”

SCORING SUMMARY

GM 22 14 14 0 — 52

Cleveland 0 0 0 14 — 14

First quarter

(GM) Michael Stejskal 2 run (Ojulu kick) (9 plays, 44 yards) 7:34

(GM) Christophor Bain 2 run (Ojuly kick) (4 plays, 47 yards) 5:02

(GM) Stejskal 44 fumble recovery (Stejskal run) (1 play, 44 yards) 3:33

Second quarter

(GM) Stejskal 3 run (pass failed) (8 plays, 58 yards) 10:01

(GM) Christophor Bain 1 run (Bain run) (16 plays, 90 yards) :10.4

Third quarter

(GM) Stejskal 3 run (Bain run) (13 plays, 76 yards) 6:43

(GM) Bain 14 run (Rieken pass from Stejskal) (6 plays, 58 yards) 1:13

Fourth quarter

(C ) Carter Kopet 2 run (Salmon kick) (10 plays, 80 yards) 9:34

(C ) Jaiden Zishka 1 pass from Kopet (Salmon kick) (5 plays, 28 yards) 5:39

GM STATS

Rushing: Zach Myhre, 19-for-113; Christophor Bain, 16-for-102, 3 TD; Michael Stejskal, 12-for-87, 3 TDs; Rian Leichtnam, 2-for-7; Kyle Oehlke, 1-for-4 Josh Graves, 4-for-6; Drew Copley, 3-for-4; Brenn Olson, 1-for-3

Passing: Stejskal, 4-for-8, 76

Receiving: Bain, 2-for-43; Wes Ojulu, 2-for-33

Sacks: Connor Hartson (2); Trevor Sloan (1); Josh Graves (1)

Interceptions: Brenn Olson (1)

Fumble recoveries: Stejskal (1)

Penalties: 3-for-25

CLEVELAND STATS

Rushing: 86

Passing: 117

Penalties: 1-for-15