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Lessons from 2009 lead to a different result in rematch

November 19, 2011 at 8:15AM
High School Football Tournament.
Class 2A - Moose Lake/Willow River (ML-WR) vs. Waterville-Elysian-Morristown (WEM). ML-WR running back Chris Gassert (38) advanced the ball around WEM defensive players.
Moose Lake-Willow River running back Chris Gassert (38) advanced the ball around the Waterville-Elysian-Morristown defense. (Star Tribune/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Moose Lake-Willow River's 35-14 victory over Waterville-Elysian-Morristown in Friday's Class 2A semifinal can be traced to three key moments.

Its origins, however, go back much further.

The game was a rematch of the 2009 championship game, won by Waterville.

That game was a point of emphasis in the Rebels' preparations, said coach Dave Louzek.

"We talked about that all week," Louzek said. "Last time we played them, they whipped us. That's a great team. We talked about staying competitive with them."

The Rebels have become a dominant program in the past half-dozen years on the strength of a relentless rushing attack. It didn't take them long to establish themselves. Just one play, in fact.

Junior Jake Disterhaupt took a handoff on the first play from scrimmage, veered left and outraced the Buccaneers defense to the end zone.

"That play isn't designed to be a big play," Disterhaupt said. "That really did a lot for our confidence."

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The rest of the first half was an exercise in ball control as both teams put together sustained drives that ended without points.

Waterville managed to tie the score 7-7 on a 4-yard run by Brady Ayers, but it was how Moose Lake-Willow River responded that made the biggest splash in the game.

The Rebels went 70 yards in 15 plays, getting a 10-yard touchdown reception by Disterhaupt with four seconds left in half. Instead of a tie game, they took a 13-7 lead into halftime.

"The biggest thing about that was the time management of our guys," Louzek said. "They made the plays they had to make in a two-minute offense."

Moose Lake-Willow River (13-0) then took control of the game on the opening drive of the second half when Disterhaupt intercepted a pass to stop a promising Waterville drive.

With momentum squarely on their side, the Rebels went 93 yards in 13 plays. Disterhaupt scored again, this time from 7 yards out, and Moose Lake-Willow River was never threatened after that.

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about the writer

Jim Paulsen

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Jim Paulsen is a high school sports reporter for the Star Tribune. 

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