WATERVILLE &045; It was a tough way to end the season for the NRHEG football team.

But it was definitely a nice turnaround for first-year head coach Dan Stork and the Panthers.

After going 1-8 the previous two seasons, the Panthers fell just short of a berth in the section championship game as they were edged 14-7 by WEM in a Saturday semifinal at Waterville. The Panthers finished 6-4, while the 7-3 Bucs advanced to the title game Friday at top-seeded Triton.

“It was a tough one to take,” said Stork of Saturday’s loss. “We definitely had our chances. Once again, we didn’t get it into the end zone.”

Two of the best chances came early. The Panthers took the opening kickoff and drove to the WEM 15-yard line before fumbling. After holding the Bucs on three plays, they again drove but threw an interception in the end zone. It was their only turnovers of the day.

Brett Vollbrecht scored on a 1-yard run in the second quarter for WEM. The Panthers’ Justin Hove blocked the PAT kick.

It remained 6-0 until the fourth period, when Bjorn Peterson scored on a 4-yard run for the Panthers. Dan Lewer kicked the PAT.

The Bucs converted a fourth-and-4 on the winning 11-play drive, capped by a 6-yard pass from Vollbrecht to Dave Kunelius. Vollbrecht also threw for the conversion.

The Panthers outgained WEM 192-153.

Joe Balfe had 91 yards on 19 carries for NRHEG. Peterson was 6-for-12 passing for 60 yards.

The defensive leaders were Kaleb Jacobson 14 tackles, Chris Hager 10 tackles, Anders Mattson 8 tackles, Matt Holland 7 tackles, 1 sack, Hove 6 tackles, Taylor Greenwood 5 tackles, Jake Bushlack 3 tackles, 1 interception.

Stork said it was an extremely enjoyable season.

“They’re a fun bunch of guys, and all the credit should go to them,” he said. “They put in a lot of extra time, they wanted to improve, and their work paid off.”

NRHEG

0

0

0

7 &045; 7

WEM

0

6

0

8 &045; 14

First Quarter

No scoring

Second Quarter

WEM – Vollbrecht 1 run (kick blocked)

Third Quarter

No scoring

Fourth Quarter

NRHEG – Peterson 4 run (Lewer kick)

WEM – Kunelius 6 pass from Vollbrecht (Lee pass from Vollbrecht)

NRHEG

WEM

First downs

10

10

Rushing yds.

132

108

Passing yds.

60

45

Total yds.

192

153

Pen.-yds.

4-35

1-10

Turnovers

2

1

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing – NRHEG, Balfe 19-91; Peterso 8-67; Kormann 2-5.

Passing – NRHEG, Peterson 6-12-1, 60.

Receiving – NRHEG, Groth 1-23; Christensen 2-22; Bushlack 1-11; Olson 1-4.

(Contact Jim Lutgens at sports@albertleatribune.com or 379-3437.)