Homecoming win clinches playoff berth for Eleva-Strum
CENTRAL - If you want to understand the 2024 Eleva-Strum High School Football Team, you need to understand what the letters "FPR" stand for.
Fast. Physical, Relentless.
It's on t-shirts the players wear. It's chanted by the students during games. It's even painted white into the hillside across from Central's athletic complex.
Fast. Physical. Relentless.
"When our coaching staff started out here a few years ago we realized the players were not picking up the concepts and plays we were trying to instill on offense and defense as well as we would have liked," E-S head coach Nick Stowell said, commenting on the history of "FPR". "We felt there was too much reading and reacting to the action unfolding trying to do things right rather going all out to play fast, physical and relentless. I've said it to them, we don't care if you hit the wrong person, even you're own player. We can correct that and teach you what you need to do and in time you'll learn but in a game that's about running and hitting at great speed you've got to play with that mindset. You can't be back on your heels."
Eleva-Strum certainly wasn't back on their heels against rival Augusta in its Homecoming game last week Friday, Sept. 27. The Cardinals built up a lead throughout the ballgame on their way to a 36-0 shutout victory with running clock for the fourth quarter. The win gave E-S four Dairyland Conference wins this season to go with their non-Dairyland win over Colfax. The 5-1 Cardinals have clinched their first WIAA playoff berth since 2019.
There was so much going on during Homecoming week, like all Homecoming weeks, but so much at stake as well with the playoff berth, conference title race and even the school's 75th anniversary celebration all at stake. But the despite ups and downs throughout the game against an Augusta team while winless still played as hard as it could with limited numbers, the Cardinals handled all these potential distractions using "FPR" not just as a motto or ideal but a way of holding each other accountable.
"We've stressed to them that we want them to be 'FPR' in the classroom, in the community with the people they know," Stowell said. "So long as they keep their eye on that, as a standard of conduct for themselves, they can achieve a lot."
Junior lineman Daniel Segerstrom said the team's focus was very good throughout the week leading up to the game.
"We had our Homecoming fun but when we came to practice or get ready for tonight's game and we came ready to work and we came ready to play." Segerstrom said. "We were locked in."
Indeed, the Cardinals went up right away, scoring on their first drive on junior running back Brock Stendahl two-yard run and then added a bad snap and blocked punt for a score by junior linebacker Reede Brown and quickly 16-0 after two-point conversion runs by junior running back Luis Kinser and senior quarterback Brennan Hanner. Hanner also threw a 14-yard TD pass to Brown, who is a tight end on offense, and senior linebacker Tylor Iverson returned an interception 60 yards for a TD in the second quarter for a 30-0 halftime lead. E-S snagged the running clock late in the third quarter with a short-yardage TD run by Stendahl. He finished with 126 yards rushing on 24 carries. Senior back Ty Fjelstad rushed for 43 yards on six carries, Hanner threw for 71 yards on 3-of-6 passing, Kinser rushed for 39 yards on five carries but led the team in receiving with 68 yards on two receptions. Segerstrom was the Cards' leading total tackler with 10 while sophomore defensive back Bo Windjue had nine tackles.
"We like the way the offense has developed this season," Stowell said. "We have players with speed, players with power. We can attack from many different ways and several players we can go to gain yards or make big plays. We've gotten good line play up front and we hope to keep improving."
It was nice for Central to have a breather win last week after back-to-back heart-stoppers over Melrose-Mindoro and Whitehall to get them into the playoffs. But their schedule rises in difficulty as they close the season starting this week at Blair-Taylor Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m., and back-to-back home games with the league's top two teams in Cochrane-Fountain City and state ranked and defending DC champs Alma/Pepin. The last things E-S wants is to stumble into the playoffs on a three-game losing streak but Stowell is confident at least the team won't lose their focus or feel as though their mission has been accomplished already.
"I fully expect us to be be back here Monday ready to go to work to win next week as we've been doing all season," Stowell said.
Segerstrom is also looking forward to this opportunity to play for a league title for the first time in a decade.
"It's something I've dreamed about being a part of, a conference championship team and now we have that opportunity in our last three games." Segerstrom said.
Unfortunately when it comes to the playoffs, Fall Creek's chances took a big hit last week Friday, Sept. 27. The Crickets were blanked for the second week in a row 12-0 by Elk Mound in their own Homecoming game at Schultz Field.
FC quarterback Josh Wright threw for 105 yards and running back Cullen Kramer had 96 yards rushing in balanced effort on offense (105 yards passing and 117 rushing) but two critical turnovers and an inability to finish drives prevented FC from reaching the endzone. Logan Jermome started for the Mounders with a 12-yard TD run, an interception and two sacks. Teammate Parker Rhude also collected a turnover and rushed for 99 yards on 12 carries, scoring a three-yard TD run late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
Fall Creek will try to salvage their playoff hopes this week at Durand-Arkansaw this Friday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. at Bauer Built Stadium. The Panthers will be looking to secure a third Cloverbelt Conference win to reach the playoffs as well.
It's Homecoming week at Augusta and the Beavers hope that will fire them up to get their first win of the season against equally winless Independence/Gilmanton this Friday, 7 p.m. at Centennial Field.
