Sutherland upends Plainsmen 22-20

Too many missed opportunities.

That’s how Head Coach Tanner Collins described Friday’s unexpected 22-20 loss to Sutherland in D1-11 district action.

“We couldn’t make a play when we needed to,” Collins said. 

    The Plainsmen converted on just one of their three two-point conversions, which proved costly in the end. 

    Couple that with a pair of incomplete passes where the Plainsmen were behind the defense. Those were touchdowns, Collins said, if they could have been completed. 

Another deep pass was stripped from the receiver at the last moment, squelching what would have likely been a touchdown as well.

Defensively, Collins said he was pleased with their effort. They missed a few assignments that resulted in some big plays, but that’s going to happen in eight-man football, he added. 

Opening drive score

The Plainsmen took the opening kickoff and moved from their own 15 to the Sutherland 20. 

    The Plainsmen faced a 4th-and-10 and went to the air. They caught a break when Sutherland was flagged for interference. 

With a first-and-goal from the Sutherland 10, the Plainsmen needed all four downs to get the score. Ethan Sihm crossed the goal line on a sweep around the left end with 6:26 left in the first quarter. 

The exchange on the two-point conversion fell to the ground, leaving the score at 6-0. 

    After forcing Sutherland into a three-and-out, the Plainsmen drive inside the Sutherland 20 before turning it over on downs. 

Sutherland moved into Plainsmen territory and got on the board with a 39-yard run, with back Tanner Drueke going in untouched. 

A successful two-point conversion gave them an 8-6 lead over the Plainsmen.

On the next possession, the Plainsmen missed on the first deep pass and were forced to punt. 

Triston Hite hit a towering punt that Sutherland fumbled away on their own 30.

Despite the break, the Plainsmen couldn’t push the ball in, turning it over on downs at the Sutherland 8.

The Plainsmen forced a punt, starting their next scoring drive from their own 15. 

After crossing into Sutherland territory, Hite hit Jeb Kohl on a sideline route good for 23 yards. 

With 16 seconds left in the half, Nolan Foster beat the defense to the corner of the end zone. 

He then took a pitch from Hite to the other corner for a successful two-point conversion and a 14-8 lead.

The two teams traded possessions to open the second half, with Sutherland needing just three plays on their second possession to tie the game 14-14. The score was set up on a 39-yard run by Drueke. 

Like the Plainsmen on their first conversion, Sutherland fumbled the ball on the ensuing conversion to keep the score tied. 

    The Plainsmen answered with a 14-play, 65-yard drive that included a crucial fourth down conversion to take a 22-14 lead. 

The only problem—Nolan  Foster got dropped in the backfield for the Plainsmen’s second unsuccessful conversion. 

With 7:01 left to play, Sutherland capped off a 15-play drive and added the conversion to take a 22-20 lead. 

    The Plainsmen got some help from the Sailors with three penalties that moved the ball into Sutherland territory.

With a third-and-two at the 23, the Plainsmen lost three yards on a fumble, setting up a fourth-and-six at the 27. 

Collins went to the air on a play designed to take advantage of man coverage. Unfortunately, the pass sailed five yards long, killing the drive.

Sutherland iced the game with a pair of first downs to run the clock out. 

Playoffs still in reach

With a win, the Plainsmen would have clinched the district championship and an automatic berth in the 32-team D1 playoffs.

Going into the final regular season game against Alma, the Plainsmen stand at 30th in wild card points with Alma at 29.

With a win, it’s likely the Plainsmen make the playoffs.  

It’s a winnable game, Collins said, but his team needs to show up and finish the job. 

Last season, the Plainsmen got upset 40-36 by a winless Alma squad. 

Alma comes in a 3-4 while the Plainsmen are 5-2. 

Game time on Haenfler Field is set for 6 p.m. MT.

It will also be parents night for fall sports.