By Brett Boese
Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN
When Drew Wohlfiel took the field on Saturday, something didn't feel right.
And by something, that meant just about everything.
Kasson-Mantorville's home game was being played at Rochester Regional Sports Stadium. The game was beginning at nine in the morning. And he was playing a position he'd practiced exactly twice in the last three years.
But the Mohawked running back with a weird number -- 84 -- made the most of the opportunity, zigging and zagging his way to 200 yards and two touchdowns in the KoMets' 31-14 victory over Rochester Lourdes, the three-time defending Section One, Class AAA champion.
Wohlfiel's initial carry in what K-M coach Ivan Kroulic describes as a "running back-friendly offense" went for a 76-yard touchdown on the game's first play from scrimmage.
"I got that ball, and I just had my eyes on that end zone," Wohlfiel said.
Wohlfiel, a converted receiver, got the start because none of K-M's top three running backs were able to suit up. He had Thursday and Friday to learn the position before being thrust into the spotlight. The situation was deemed so tenuous that Lourdes coach Mike Kesler actually wanted the KoMets to give him the ball.
All Wohlfiel did was account for 64 percent of the top seed's offensive production.
"They have so many weapons with their wide receivers and quarterback, but that kid, we wanted to make him make plays," Kesler said. "And obviously he did."
Wohlfiel and quarterback Bryan Ripley accounted for all four K-M touchdowns. The fourth-ranked KoMets averaged nearly eight yards a play. But the Eagles had their chances.
Adam Lentz scored on a 4-yard run late in the first half to bring the Eagles within 14-7. The Lourdes defense appeared to get a stop when it forced a fourth-and-1 deep in K-M territory, but the KoMets offense took the field after a time out and Ripley's hard count was able to draw an Eagles defender offsides.
Ripley took advantage of the opportunity later in the drive by scoring on a 9-yard scramble with just 13.7 seconds remaining in the half to extend the lead to 21-7.
"That's a possible 14-point swing," Kesler said. "That's huge."
After Wohlfiel's second touchdown run made it 28-7 in the third, Lentz hauled in a throw from Tyler Greguson for a 14-yard touchdown. A defensive stand got the Eagles the ball back with momentum, but K-M's defense finished the game by getting three stops on fourth down. Senior defensive end Charlie Snyder keyed the sequence with three fourth-quarter sacks.
"We love this field," he said. "This is our home field."
Lourdes junior Nic Jenson returned to action for the first time since suffering an injury against K-M on Sept. 18. He was targeted several times by Greguson, but finished without a catch.
The Eagles end their year 6-4 and saw their 10-game section winning streak snapped, but Kesler remains optimistic, with 16 starters returning next year.
"One thing we're not going to do is make excuses," he said. "Kasson is a good football team. They went out and earned it. ... But hey, it's been a great run."
The KoMets improve to 10-0 heading into Friday's game against the winner of No. 2 La Crescent and No. 3 Plainview-Elgin-Millville.
KASSON-MANTORVILLE 31, LOURDES 14
Lourdes 0 7 7 0 -- 14
Kasson-Mantorville 7 14 7 3 -- 31
First quarter
K-M Drew Wohlfiel 76 run (Chris Paradise kick), 11:39
Second quarter
K-M Bryan Ripley 7 pass to Shane McWirter (Paradise kick), 7:28
L Adam Lentz 4 run (Alex Kapraun kick), 2:38
K-M Ripley 9 run (Paradise kick), 0:14
Third quarter
K-M Wohlfiel 11 run (Paradise kick), 5:41
L Tyler Greguson 14 pass to Lentz (Kapraun kick), 1:09
Fourth quarter
K-M Paradise 31 FG, 4:27
TEAM STATISTICS
Lourdes K-M
First downs 19 15
Total net yards 318 363
Rushes-yards 46-174 35-211
Passing 144 152
Com-Att-Int 9-21-1 8-13-0
Fumbles-Lost 0-0 1-1
Penalties-Yards 7-52 3-35
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing
RL -- Adam Lentz 24-93, Tyler Greguson 17-42, David Keeney 4-28. K-M -- Drew
Wohlfiel 21-200.
Passing
RL -- Greguson 9 completions, 21 attempts, 1 touchdown, 1 interception.
K-M -- Bryan Ripley 8 completions, 13 attempts, 1 touchdown.
Receiving
RL -- Kapraun 3-59, Tom Schroeder 3-52, Lentz 2-17, Chris Griffin 1-16. K-M
-- Chris Paradise 4-76, Wohlfiel 2-31, James Peterson 1-38.
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