The second week of the high school football season was not kind at all to our area teams as six of the seven suffered loses heading into week three. New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva, under head coach Dan Stork, continues to be the cream of the crop in Southern Minnesota, Northern Iowa as the Panthers improved to 2-0, the only undefeated team left in the area.

Three other teams started the season with a win but dropped to 1-1 with a week two loss, they are: Albert Lea, Alden-Conger, and Northwood-Kensett. Glenville-Emmons, United South Central, and Lake Mills remain winless at 0-2 on the year.

New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva at Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial

LAKE CRYSTAL – Last week the Panthers moved a step closer to returning to the section championship game when they dismantled Martin County West 48-14 and improved to 2-0 for the third year in a row.

Senior running back Greg Ramaker had another all-world performance for NRHEG last week with 209 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, but it was the coming out party of senior Payden Peterson that have the Panther coaches breathing a sigh of relief.

Peterson completed 50 percent of his passes for 115 yards and two scores as NRHEG may have found a passing game as they travel to Lake Crystal to take on the Knights this Friday.

In years past these two teams have been in separate divisions of the bloated 19-team Gopher Valley Conference, the Panthers in the AA division with LC-WM in the A division. NRHEG last faced the Knights in 2005 in the first round of the sections and came away with a narrow 36-31 win. But don’t look for a close game this time around because LC-WM (0-2), who has given up 111 points, or 55.5 per game, probably is not the team to stop the Panther machine from rolling up big numbers once again.

Key stats: Started season 2-0 for third consecutive year. Rushed for 325 yards as a team last week. Greg Ramaker 209 yards a week ago, 47 carries for 480 yards in two games, or 10.2 yards per carry with seven TD’s, a score every 6.7 times he touches the ball.

Alden-Conger at Truman

Alden-Conger dropped to 1-1 on the year after a hard fought 41-32 loss at home to Westbrook-Walnut Grove in week two. After punishing Madelia on the ground to the tune of 297 yards in week one, the Knights unveiled a wide open passing attack in week two with Lucas Kleinschrodt completing 15 of 42 passes for 185 yards and three TD’s.

Truman came into the Southern Confederacy Conference in 2006 and has compiled a 6-8 conference record in that time with two loses, 62-19 in 2006, and 45-12 in 2007, courtesy of the talented Knights.

The Bluejays are also 1-1 this season but gave up 56 points in a week one loss before squeaking by last week with a 9-8 win over Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton. If the Knights are able to put together the ground and air attacks that netted them 78 points in the first two weeks, the Bluejays could be in trouble as A-C looks to move to 2-1 on the year.

Key stats: 1-1 to start the season. 78 points in first two weeks or 39 per game. E.J. Knight 22 tackles last week, Lucas Kleinschrodt 19 tackles and a fumble recovery. David Troska kickoff and punt return for TD in first two games, three TD’s on the year.

Albert Lea vs. Mankato West

The Tigers undefeated season came to an end last week with a 38-13 loss to Mayo in Rochester, though much better than the 60-0 setback A.L. suffered at the hands of the Spartans in 2007.

This Friday A.L. will play host to a talented Mankato West team that is 2-0 and has aspirations for a Big Nine title after finishing third in 2007 and 2006. The Tigers are 0-4 against the Scarlets in their last four meetings with all but a 35-6 blowout in 2004 being respectably close.

Although A.L. was shutout a year ago 21-0 by Mankato West the Tigers has historically played the Scarlets close, 20-14 in 2005 and 20-6 in 2006. Unfortunately for the Tigers though Mankato West is on a roll this year with 75 points in the first two weeks alone, or 37.5 per game compared to A.L.’s 9.5.

Key stats: Started season at 1-1. Luke Grossman 20 tackles in two games, 22 carries for 98 yards on the year, 85 yard kickoff return. Matt Tiegs 25 for 90 yards in two games.

Northwood-Kensett vs. Riceville

NORTHWOOD, Iowa – The Vikings of Northwood-Kensett ran into a hornets nest last week in No. 3-ranked Emmetsburg in a physical 44-7 loss and dropped to 1-1 on the year after two road games.

Believe it or not the Vikings are 16-5 on the road since 2004 and 14-6 in Northwood. This weeks opponent, the Wildcats of Riceville are 1-1 with a 12-2 win last week in Elgin and have beaten N-K twice since 2004, 20-6 and 26-18 in 2005.

Look for this veteran Vikings team to take what they learned against Emmetsburg and take out a little frustration on the Wildcats, a team head coach Dave Capitani has beaten just once in his 20-year career.

Key stats: Started season at 1-1. 6-4 after a loss since 2004. 257 yards rushing in two games. Defense five takeaways. Scored 13 points in first two games, or just 6.5 per game.

Lake Mills at St. Ansgar

By now most should know that the Bulldogs lost more than a football game in Forest City last week. Besides falling 28-6, Lake Mills junior Tyler Olson suffered a severe neck injury on the opening kickoff but has now regained some movement in his arms and sensation in his legs.

After falling to 0-2, the first time since 2004, the Bulldogs will have their hands full this week with St. Ansgar (1-1). LM is 0-4 against the Saints the past four years but only nine points separate the two teams in their last two meetings, 10-7 and 27-21 wins for the Saints.

With good news coming to the Bulldogs from Olson, maybe the emotional high that Lake Mills will surely have will be enough to break its winless streak against the Saints and improve to 1-2 on the year.

Key stats: Started season at 0-2. Lost four in a row to St. Ansgar. Jake Brekken 32 tackles in two games, 40 carries for 143 yards for the year. Team has five turnovers on the offensive side of the ball.

United South Central at Martin County West

With a hard fought 14-8 loss to Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop last week, the Rebels fell to 0-2 on the year and have been out scored 42-10 in its first two games.

Next up for the Rebels and head coach Brent Schimek will be Martin County West, a team that is coming off a 48-14 humiliating loss a week ago at the hands of USC’s rival, NRHEG.

USC has lost three of the last four against the Mavericks including a 42-0 shutout in 2005, but the Rebels did beat MCW last season 18-7 for their only win of the regular season to finish 1-7. USC might just be better than they were last year; the only thing that could stand in its way to a 1-2 season would be some untimely injuries.

Key stats: Started season at 0-2, only second time in five years. Matthew Wood 34 carries for 140 yards on the season. Riley Swearingen 20 of 41 for 298 and two TD’s in two games. Riley Stenzel two TD receptions in two games.

Glenville-Emmons vs. Leroy-Ostrander

GLENVILLE – As assistant coach Jim Smith said about the Wolverines, “The kids came to fight, they didn’t lay down.” G-E doesn’t lay down for anyone but that didn’t keep them from suffering their 14th consecutive loss in a 54-0 rout courtesy of Grand Meadow a week ago.

This Friday the Wolverines will face another 0-2 squad, Leroy-Ostrander in Glenville for homecoming. Both these teams have lost to Grand Meadow and Lyle/Pacelli to find themselves winless on the year, G-E by a total of 104-14 and L-O by 69-27.

Facing another winless team should get the guys from G-E fired up, especially in front of the homecoming crowd. But the Cardinals have beaten the Wolverines 48-8 and 48-26 in their last two games so it may still not be enough for G-E to get its first win of the year.

Key stats: Started season at 0-2, fifth time in last five years.