BELLE PLAINE – Moundridge fought off a late comeback attempt to secure a 24-16 win in Belle Plaine on Friday night to advance to the second round of the 1A playoffs.
Belle Plaine was trying to win its first playoff game since 1999 after finally ending a long losing streak. Both teams would have to fight the penalty bug, as the offenses stalled out in a scoreless first quarter. Belle Plaine would get on the board first at Mattix Bruner intercepted a Moundridge pass and ran it back 65 yards for a touchdown.
Moundridge would answer with a 57-yard touchdown run from running back Tione Wilson late in the second quarter and the teams headed to the locker room knotted up at 8.
Wilson would carry the Moundridge offense, and on the first play from scrimmage in the second half, he broke free for a 60-yard touchdown run to put Moundridge in front 16-8. Moundridge stifled the Belle Plaine running attack throughout the thikrd quarter, and the Wildcats would add to the lead with a seven-play, 73-yard drive capped off by a 2-yard Alex Rose run to lead 24-8 at the end of three quarters.
Belle Plaine refused to go away quietly. Bruner would carry the Dragons on his back running the ball, and the Dragons would pull to within one score at 24-16 with 2:30 left in the game. Moundridge took advantage of a penalty-aided first down to run out the clock and advance to the next round of the playoffs where they will face No. 1 seed Sterling. Belle Plaine’s season comes to an end with a 2-7 record.
