By 
It was another case of everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Aberdeen Central.
The Golden Eagles lost the turnover battle, lost two more starters to injury and lost their high school football game against Sturgis 40-0 on Friday, Oct. 2 at the Brownell Activities Complex.
Central is now 0-6, while the Scoopers improved to 3-3.
Aberdeen Central quarterback Jackson Berry throws a pass into the flat during the third quarter of Central’s 40-0 loss to Sturgis Friday, Oct 2 at the Brownell Activities Complex. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
“It’s kind of been that theme for tonight and for the whole year,” said Central head coach Justin Briese. “Give the kids credit. They keep coming back to work, keep their heads up and keep playing hard, but, yeah, it’s hard not to be frustrated.”
Sturgis took a 7-0 lead early in the second quarter on a 5-yard touchdown run by Zhoel Irion. On the Golden Eagles next possession, running back Porter Lozenski took a direct snap and ran for 8 yards before he was hit out of bounds and left the game with a knee injury.
MORE: No. 22 Northern State holds off Bemidji rally, improves to 5-1 with Duluth up next
Later in the half, Central linebacker Gannon Wolf left the game with an ankle injury. The Eagles were already without starting quarterback Jace Byram.
“Yeah, just another case of guys going down at a time when you can’t afford it,” Briese said.
The second Sturgis score came off a 45-yard interception return when Central quarterback Jackson Berry’s pass bounced off intended receiver Paden Appl and into the hands of Gage West, who took it to the end zone. Berry was intercepted three times.
“Again, a bad bounce, a couple guys out of position, and it turns into points for them,” Briese said.
Sturgis made it a 27-0 lead on a 65-yard run by Irion.
“It was a combination of our D line not fitting right and our linebackers not fitting right, and on top of that, we missed tackles,” Briese said. “We told the guys at halftime, ‘Here’s what they are doing, and we prepared for it.’ We just didn’t execute it in our gaps correctly.”
Central moved the ball inside Sturgis territory in the second half, but could not finish drives. With 3:30 left in the third quarter, offsetting penalties negated a Berry to Carter Lust 34-yard touchdown. Later, Apple looked like he was headed for a 28-yard touchdown run, but an official ruled he stepped out of bounds at the 11.
That’s just how the season has gone for the Eagles.
Aberdeen Central’s Carter Lust breaks to the outside on a kick return during the fourth quarter of the Eagles game against Sturgis Friday, Oct. 2 at the Brownell Activities Complex. The Scoopers won 40-0. Aberdeen Insider photo by Robb Garofalo.
Lust had two punt returns and a kick return he took across midfield. He also broke off a 34-yard run that set up what at first appeared to be Appl’s 28-yard touchdown.
“I know if I can get 5 yards of space I can just take off, and I can get more yards and make a play. We moved the ball, and it could have been a case of a guy not making a block, but at that point it’s up to me to make that play, and I almost got a couple breakaways,” Lust said.
MORE: Ugly incident mars Aberdeen’s NAHL split with Austin
The Golden Eagles host 3-3 Watertown on Friday, Oct. 9.
“Right now, we really have nothing to lose,” Lust said. “Everyone thinks we can’t do it, but we put in the work and we gotta keep our heads high and get the job done.”
Friday, Oct. 2 football scoreboard
Ipswich 44, Northwestern 8: Ipswich led 30-0 after the first quarter en route to the road win in Mellette. Shay Knust led the Tigers, rushing for 83 yards on five carries and scoring three rushing touchdowns. Ipswich out-gained Northwestern 314 yards to 192. Damian Larson’s 10-yard run accounted for the only points for the Wildcats.
Deuel 41, Groton Area 0: Aiden Sievers carried the ball 10 times for 197 yards as the Cardinals picked up a shutout at home. They ran for 224 yards while holding Groton to just 28. Sievers rushed for three touchdowns and threw a 57-yard touchdown pass to Gavin Kloos.
Gettysburg 52, Leola/Frederick 18
Friday, Oct. 9 area football schedule
- Watertown at Aberdeen Central, 7 p.m. at the Brownell Activities Complex.
- Aberdeen Roncalli at Milbank, 7 p.m.
- Warner at Leola/Frederick, 7 p.m. in Frederick.
- Lemmon/McIntosh at Ipswich, 7 p.m.
- Mobridge-Pollock at Groton Area, 7 p.m.
- Northwestern at Sunshine Bible Academy, 7 p.m. in Miller.
