The Official Newspaper for Foster County
The Official Newspaper for Foster County
Jake Otto doesn't get a lot of opportunities to touch the ball as a member of the Cards' kickoff coverage team, but he gets a good return on this play as L/E/M attempted to keep the ball from getting to CHS' explosive returners. Wrapping up Otto are Cody Amble (3) and Kadyn Hein (52).
Grady Shipman takes down Langdon/Edmore/Munich's Nik Kingzett on this tackle. Shipman finished with four solo and four assisted tackles in the loss.
Over the eight previous weeks of football, the Carrington Cardinals played their way near the top of an otherwise parity-filled Region 2, and gave themselves one shot to capture a regular-season crown.
However, the longtime regional power, Langdon/Edmore/Munich, proved themselves to be on a whole other level Thursday night, October 12.
L/E/M ran roughshod over the regional field all season to conclude their regular campaign at 9-0 with a 50-8 drubbing over the Cards at Cardinal Stadium.
"Just a really talented team without any real weaknesses," CHS Coach Kyle Smith said of the northern Cardinals. "If they continue to execute at that level and stay healthy, I can't see anybody beating them."
The visitors had not scored less than 34 points in any game this season, but for the first quarter and change, the hometown Cardinals gave Langdon a tussle.
Not ones to rest on their laurels, L/E/M set the tone early with a clutch fourth down conversion deep in their own territory, and their offense cashed in with a 10-yard connection from Rayce Worley to Mason Romfo. Nik Kingzett's two-point conversion made it 8-0, for the only score of the first quarter.
Langdon Area got on the board once again with another long drive, and Worley found Cole Welsh in the corner for another 20-yard score. Jax Johnson would follow for what would eventually be six consecutive extra point kicks.
Smith's team dialed up a winning combination on their next offensive series, mixing in a few nice runs from Corbin Clifton to finish with a Logan Weninger four-yard touchdown. McKade Zink caught the PAT pass from Josh Bickett, and the score read 15-8.
The Cards were poised to get the ball back, but Worley dialed up the deep throw with a picture-perfect pass to Kingzett for 63 yards. A few plays later, Worley called his own number, giving L/E/M the 22-8 advantage.
CHS hoped to make one stop before halftime, but once again L/E/M demonstrated their mastery of the two-minute offense with another over-the-shoulder throw to Romfo with time running out. All of a sudden, the score was 29-8 going into the halftime break.
All Smith could really do was give credit to the opponents' level of efficiency on offense.
"We were in very good position several times defensively to make plays, and they were still able to execute flawlessly," Smith said of Langdon Area. "You really have to tip your hat to them for how they played Thursday night."
On the other side of the ball, Carrington had little to no success in the second half either with the run or the pass, and much of that was courtesy of a speedy L/E/M interior line and defensive corps featuring 6'7", 360-pound nose tackle Nick Lowery in the middle of the trenches, among other luminaries.
"They're very big and physical up front, and very athletic in their back seven," said Smith. "They're very hard to move on the line, and with their speed at linebacker and in their secondary, it's tough to sustain drives."
Langdon would add three scores in the second half, on a short touchdown run from Welsh, a 71-yard sprint by Romfo and 12-yard run by Johnson, the Cardinal backup quarterback.
Worley looked very much the collegiate prospect that he is at the helm for L/E/M, completing 14-of-19 passing for 247 yards. Romfo accounted for 181 yards of total offense (97 yards rushing, 84 yards receiving) and three total scores.
Carrington would manage just 127 yards of offense for the evening, with Bickett going 6-for-11 for 50 yards. Clifton was the leading rusher with 32 yards on five carries, and also had an eventful evening on the X-side of the ball with 15 total tackles. Jaxon Schaefer also had six solo stops.
The Cards (6-2, 6-3) welcomed the Oakes Tornadoes (5-2 Region 1, 6-2 overall) last Saturday afternoon at Cardinal Stadium. The Tornadoes, led by Coach Greg Dobitz, boast a very impressive defense that held region champion Kindred to 21 points and #2 seed Central Cass to seven in their losses.
"We'll have our hands full with Oakes. They're very aggressive and talented on the defensive side, and offensively, they do a nice job mixing up the run and pass, and their play action game is as good as we've seen.
"Our kids will have to play their best game of the season to move on. Mainly by limiting their explosive plays, and to score points when we're in the red zone. I anticipate a large crowd, a nice fall day for a game, and a great atmosphere," concluded Smith.
In other playoff games involving Region 2 teams, L/E/M, the #3 overall seed in the postseason, played host to Lisbon, while Cavalier traveled to Central Cass and HWC hit the road to face second-seeded Kindred.
The opposite side of the bracket features top-seeded Velva/Drake-Anamoose/Garrison, and fourth seed Dickinson Trinity as hosts for opening round matchups.
Class A - Region 2 Football
Langdon/Edmore/Munich 50,
Carrington 8
L/E/M 8 21 14 7 - 50
Cgtn. 0 8 0 0 - 8
First Quarter
L/E/M: Mason Romfo 10 yard pass from Rayce Worley (Nik Kingzett pass from Worley)
Second Quarter
L/E/M: Cole Welsh 20 yard pass from Worley (Jax Johnson kick)
Carrington: Logan Weninger 4 yard run (McKade Zink pass from Josh Bickett)
L/E/M: Worley 1 yard run (Johnson kick)
L/E/M: Romfo 6 yard pass from Worley (Johnson kick)
Third Quarter
L/E/M: Welsh 3 yard run (Johnson kick)
L/E/M: Romfo 71 yard run (Johnson kick)
Fourth Quarter
L/E/M: Johnson 12 yard run (Johnson kick)
Carrington Statistics
Offense
Passing: Bickett 6-11-50 yards-2 INT
Rushing: Corbin Clifton 5-32; Weninger 7-16-TD; Gabe Clifton 3-15; Tate Wolsky 4-14; Bickett 3-1; Mc. Zink 1-0; Grady Idland 2-0; Grady Shipman 1-(-1)
Receiving: Shipman 3-33; C. Clifton 1-7; Weninger 1-7; Mc. Zink 1-3
Defense
Tackles (unassisted/assisted): C. Clifton (6-9); Jaxon Schaefer (6-3); Shipman (4-4); Brock Jungels (4-5); Carson Ova (4-3); Bickett (3-4); Mc. Zink (3-2); Wolsky (3-1); Aaron Neumiller (2-1); Maverick Zink (2-2); G. Clifton (1-0); Dylan Bachmeier (1-0); Jacob Hinrichs (1-1); Idland (0-1); Cody Otto (0-4); Jake Otto (0-7)
Sack: Neumiller
L/E/M Statistical Leaders
Offense
Passing: Worley 14-19-247-3 TD
Rushing: Romfo 7-97-TD
Receiving: Romfo 6-84-2 TD; Kingzett 4-72
