Wildcats outlast Redskins in OT

FORT LORAMIE - There was a 90-minute weather delay halfway through Friday night's high school football season opener between Minster and Fort Loramie.

However, the only lightning that struck the field came in the form of Minster quarterback Jared Huelsman.

The junior, making his debut at quarterback after having played running back last season, passed for 130 yards and two touchdowns and carried the ball 30 times for 211 yards and two more touchdowns, including the game-winner in overtime to give the Wildcats a 26-20 victory over their Shelby County neighbor.

"(Huelsman) is one of our best players. We had to put him in the best situation possible and let him go play," remarked Minster coach Geron Stokes. "He's a gamer. His leadership and toughness and work ethic meant we knew that was coming."

A late evening went even longer when the game went into overtime. Fort Loramie took the first possession in the extra period, but was stopped four yards shy of the goal line. Minster then gave it a shot in its first attempt from the 20-yard line. After penalties backed up the Wildcats 11 yards to the 31, a 10-yard Huelsman run was followed by a circus catch at the four yard line by Bryce Schmiesing.

Two plays later, Huelsman ran the quarterback sneak from the one-yard line for the game-ending touchdown. 

Stokes told his team after the game, "If you guys come out and fight as hard in practice Monday as you did to win this game, we're going to become a good team."
   "We were awful from a football standpoint," added Stokes, "but we found a way to win. That was a big time character win for us."

The game started out as an offensive showcase, with each team scoring on their first two possessions. Minster ran the ball 12 times on their first turn with the pigskin, 11 of those carries by Huelsman, who also crossed the goal line on a seven-yard run. A bad snap caused the extra point to be missed.
   Fort Loramie responded with a nine-play drive, capped by a 31-yard touchdown pass from Austin Siegel to Jake Ward on fourth down and nine. Three plays later, the Wildcats came back with their own big play - a 53-yard touchdown pass from Huelsman to Jonathan Niemeyer to retake the lead at 13-7.

The Redskins did not stay behind for long, though. Four plays later, Ward broke through the middle of the line and outran the Minster defense for a 47 yard touchdown. After that play, the defenses took over with the teams trading punts.
   The Wildcat offense got back into gear late in the second quarter when Huelsman ran three times for 49 yards before completing a 21-yard touchdown to Niemeyer to retake the lead at 20-14. Minster was driving again before halftime, reaching the Fort Loramie 29-yard line with 30 seconds remaining when the lightning delay occurred. They couldn't go any further when action resumed and Minster remained up by six points at the half.

The extended break seemed to take the wind out of the offenses, as the only second half score came with a minute remaining in the game. From the Minster 24-yard line, Siegel found Ward open over the middle, but he fumbled as he was hit just before the goal line. Cody Gasson jumped on the loose ball, and the Redskins had tied the game 20-20. Fort Loramie tried for the go-ahead extra point, but Jack Heitbrink broke through the line and blocked the kick to keep the game tied at the end of regulation.
   The victory gives Minster a 10-4 lead in the series against Fort Loramie.
   Minster opens the home portion of the schedule next Friday against another Shelby County team in Lehman. Fort Loramie faces another MAC team next Friday with a road trip to defending Division VII state champion Fort Recovery.