MAPLETON &8212; The ninth-ranked New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva football team held off a late charge from Maple River to pick up the 34-27 victory Friday night.

The win kept the Panthers perfect on the season at 4-0.

NRHEG had an 18-7 halftime lead and stretched it to 26-13 after three quarters. However, Maple River scored a pair of touchdowns to pull within seven in the fourth, and had the tying score called back due to a penalty late in the game.

Maple River scored with about seven minutes to go in the fourth quarter and followed that up with an onside kick which it recovered and put into the end zone with five minutes remaining to cut the lead to seven.

The Panthers would run some time off with their next possession before having to punt.

Maple River would find the end zone once more, but offensive pass interference negated the score. With the second chance, the NRHEG defense stepped up and sacked the quarterback on fourth down to secure the win.

The NRHEG offense was led by the determined running of Blake Kerkhoff who racked up 273 yards on 25 carries.

Justin Tufte got the scoring started for the Panthers with a 4-yard run to pay dirt in the first quarter.

Kerkhoff followed that up with a 45-yard burst to the end zone and dashed 64 yards on the first play of a drive in the second quarter for his second score.

&8220;Blake had an awesome night and he did it with a lot of cutbacks,&8221; NRHEG head coach Dan Stork said. &8220;He has 4.5 40 speed so when he gets in the open field he is hard to catch.&8221;

Panther quarterback Dakota Tracy ran the ball in from six yards out in the third quarter, and Kerkhoff would complete the Panthers&8217; scoring in the fourth ramming the ball in from a yard out.

While the Panther offense was humming on the ground, NRHEG could not slow Maple River&8217;s ariel attack which accounted for 403 yards on the night.

&8220;We had no answer for their passing game tonight,&8221; Stork said.

Tracy finished the night with 60 yards rushing and 80 yards through the air. He connected with Keith Billing on a 65-yard pass, but he also threw his first interception of the season.

The Panthers are on the road once again Saturday when they travel to New Ulm to face Minnesota Valley Lutheran.