West grinds out a 13-6 win over Hucthinson

Pfeiffer paces Scarlets with 106 yards rushing

Denny Weller

MANKATO — Top-ranked and defending Class AAAA champion Mankato West relied on a stellar defensive effort Friday night at Todnem Field to grind out a 13-6 win over Hutchinson in the Section 2 championship game.

West came up with four turnovers and stopped a trio of fourth-and-short plays to overcome a sluggish offensive performance. The Scarlets (10-0) managed just 150 total yards against a physical Hutchinson defense, with senior running back Andy Pfeiffer gaining 106 yards, including a game-winning 9-yard TD run with 5:37 to go.

“We made less mistakes and we took advantage of some of their turnovers,” West coach Mark Esch said. “I felt like we could run the ball, we should have probably run the ball a little more. We would have liked to punch it in a little more but we did enough to win.

“Our defense played awesome. They’ve been great all year so we expected that from them tonight.

“Our front four is very physical and they don’t get driven often the line very easily. Our linebackers read their keys so well and they get to the right spot so quickly.”

Hutchinson (9-2) used a rugged ground game to move the Scarlets’ 21-yard line with the game’s opening possession. Junior linebacker Drew Weber then stopped Mike Hantge on a fourth-and-one to set the tone for a bevy of huge defensive stops by the Scarlets.

After an Adam Athey sack stalled another Tigers’ drive, Athey’s 29-yard punt pinned Hutch deep in its own territory. An errant snap on a punt attempt resulted in an incomplete pass moments later, setting up a 38-yard field goal into a stiff breeze by the Scarlets’ Ken Ouren with 1:56 left in the first half.

West, which failed to convert after a Jimmy Vosburg hit and Evan Jones fumble recovery gave them a late first-half threat, extended its lead to 6-0 when Ouren nailed a 35-yarder after Kyle Larson recovered a muffed punt midway through the third quarter.

“I told coach Burmeister I could hit from 35-40 yards out into the wind,” Ouren said. “Our blocking was perfect and so were the snaps and holds. I had a lot of time to kick the ball. ... It was fantastic.”

Hutchinson, which totaled 282 total yards, tied things late in the third quarter when Jaedon Scott turned a fourth-and-two play into a 65-yard TD scamper. That capped a 95-yard, 10-play drive that featured some slick ball-handling from junior quarterback Jack Haffley.

West tallied the game-winner after Weber drilled Scott on a fourth-and-one from the Tigers 36-yard line. Pfeiffer then did the rest, ripping off runs of 9, 16, and 3 yards before spinning off a tackle and scooting 9-yards for a score.

“Our line stepped up when we needed to run the ball,” said Pfeiffer, who was playing for the first time in three weeks. “My line gave me a hole, I broke a tackle and then the wide receivers did a great job of blocking to give me a lane.

“I don’t think we really found our groove offensively but we showed a lot of heart. We had a lot of missed opportunities on offense but Ken came through with two big field goals.”

Hutchinson’s final chance was turned back when Weber, who was in on a team-high 22 tackles, picked off a pass over the middle with under a minute remaining. Junior defensive back Tyler Henderson collected 17 stops and Athey came up with 15. Brandon Klemme added an interception.

“I thought our defense stepped up big time,” Athey said. “Both teams weren’t doing much offensively so it came down to the defenses. We knew they were going to run it right at us and we adjusted because the first guy never got the ball, he was just there to block.

“They’re a great team and their defense played a great game too. This was the toughest battle I’ve ever been a part of. We faced a lot of fourth and shorts and we stepped up almost every time and stopped them.”

West’s high-powered passing game was shut down totally, with sophomore quarterback Philip Nelson completing 6 of 18 for 33 yards. Scott rushed for 118 yards for the Tigers, who amassed 251 yards on the ground.

“They were cheating their linebackers a lot and they were able to get some pressure off the edge,” Esch said.

West plays a state quarterfinal game at 7 p.m. Friday against Northfield at Lakeville North High School.