Versailles Defeats Minster by An Extra Point, 21-20

By Bruce Monnin

MINSTER — Versailles Coach Bob Olwin summarized his Tigers’ game against the Minster Wildcats as “a gut-wrenching nail-biter all night”. While the game was tight throughout, the final score came down to the last two extra point attempts of the contest. Versailles scored their last touchdown with 9:45 remaining in the game. Chad Winner’s extra point kick was tipped by the Minster defenders but had enough strength to flutter over the crossbar for a 21-14 lead. Minster responded with a score of their own with less than two minutes remaining in the game, but their extra point attempt bounced off the right upright to leave Versailles with the 21-20 victory.

“I’ve had it go the other way a lot of times,” added Olwin. “I tell the kids that if you play hard, you get some bounces.”

Minster used an early break to take the first lead. On the second play of the game, Troy Kauffman forced a Versailles fumble which Jay Eilerman recovered on the Tiger 21-yard line. The Wildcats had trouble moving the ball on the Versailles defense, until on fourth down a scrambling Adam Niemeyer found Daniel Gusching in the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown strike. Sophomore Ethan Wolf, kicking in place of the injured Devon Poeppelman, converted the extra point for the 7-0 lead.

Minster had a chance to expand the lead later in the quarter after a Niemeyer 54-yard run took the ball to the Versailles’ 24-yard line. This time, the Wildcats were unable to convert on fourth down and lost their last chance to put some distance between themselves and the Tigers.

Late in the second quarter it was Versailles’ turn to score. A 35-yard completion from Nick Campbell to Aaron McNeilan brought the Tigers to midfield. They proceeded to successfully complete a 45-yard double pass from wide receiver Damian Richard to McNeilan which reached the Wildcat one-yard line. Campbell pushed it over the goal line and the extra point made the halftime score 7-7.

Despite gaining negative 19 yards rushing in the first half, Versailles decided to fight a strong third quarter headwind by going to the ground game along with some short screen passes. “We told the line at half that if we were going to win it was going to be on them,” stated Olwin.

Not only did they take over five minutes off the clock, but the Tigers were able to score after a twelve play, 84-yard drive. After lulling the Wildcats with all the short plays, they scored on a 37-yard-deep pass from Nick Campbell to his brother Mitchell. Another successful extra point made the Versailles’ lead 14-7.

The score was again tied 14-14 late in the third quarter. After the Minster defense held Versailles inside their own ten, a short punt gave the Wildcats the ball at the Tiger 29-yard line. Minster then brought out Gusching to run their version of the “Wildcat” offense. After three successful running plays, Gusching found Wolf on an 18-yard touchdown pass and the extra point was shaky but good.

Versailles retook the lead early in the fourth quarter. With the wind at their back, they returned to the passing game. Campbell completed six of seven pass attempts on the drive for 78 yards, the final completion a six-yard touchdown to Ethan Bruns. Winner’s tipped extra point made the score 21-14 with under ten minutes left to play.

Versailles had a chance to put the game late, driving to the Minster 24-yard line while using as much of the clock as possible. Their drive was stopped on fourth down when Campbell was sacked for the fifth time on the night by the Minster defense, giving the Wildcats the ball 67 yards from the end zone with just 3:27 remaining in the game.

Minster would only need two of those minutes, as they went to a hurry-up offense and found a rhythm they had not shown all night. Niemeyer completed five out of seven passes to bring the Wildcats to the 25-yard line. They completed the drive with three running plays, with Niemeyer scoring from three yards out to make the deficit a single point.

The Minster coaches considered gambling the game on a two-point conversion attempt but decided instead to try to send the game into overtime. The stubborn right upright ended those hopes and gave Versailles a much-needed win after they recovered the ensuing onside kick.

Next week Friday, 6-2 Versailles hosts a huge Region 20 game against 5-3 Anna, a must win game for both teams. 5-3 Minster will hit the road against 3-5 Parkway in what is also a needed game for the Wildcats’ playoff hopes.

Score by quarter 1 2 3 4 Total

Versailles 0 7 7 7 21

Minster 7 0 7 6 20