Minster Opens with Big 34-0 Win Over Fort Loramie

By Bruce Monnin

FORT LORAMIE — Last year, in the first game for new Minster Wildcats’ coach Geron Stokes, the Fort Loramie Redskins scored a touchdown in the final minute of the game to defeat the Wildcats, 21-18.

This year, once they got rolling Minster scored on five out of six possessions to put the game out of reach. This early scoring and a stout defense let the Wildcats exact a little revenge in their 34-0 victory.

“The kids were excited for this game, especially the nine seniors,” remarked Minster coach Geron Stokes. “We wanted this one.”

Neither offense had much success to start the game until Fort Loramie quarterback Andy Grewe connected with Grant Olberding on a 37-yard pass to enter Wildcat territory. The drive continued to the Minster 28-yard line before they turned the ball over on downs in the face of a stiffening Wildcat defense.

Two plays later Minster broke the scoring deadlock as quarterback Josh Nixon went deep and found Jacob Dues streaking for a 63-yard touchdown reception. A bad snap on the extra point left the score 6-0.

Midway through the second quarter, the Wildcat air attack went back into action. A 31-yard pass to Eli Wolf and a 23-yard reception by Bryce Schmiesing set up a 12-yard scoring shovel pass to Jason Schultz, making the score 13-0.

Nixon went deep again on the next Minster possession, hitting Wolf for a 41-yard bomb. Sam Dues powered for three yards into the end zone on the next play and the rout was on, 20-0.

Fort Loramie appeared to be ready to reduce their deficit before halftime, as they drove down to the Minster one yard line. A holding penalty pushed them back to the 15-yard line, then Jonathan Niemeyer intercepted the ensuing pass to stop the Redskins’ last scoring opportunity of the night.

“We talk about that a lot,” said Stokes of the big defensive stop. “We have to dig our cleats in the ground and fight when the other team is close to scoring.”

With the clock ticking down towards half, Josh Nixon completed five passes of more than ten yards, the last one a 12-yard scoring toss to Schmiesing. Instead of only being ahead by two scores, the Wildcats took a 27-0 lead into the locker room.

Fort Loramie received the ball to start the second half, but a Sam Dues interception and 29-yard return had Minster poised to score again. Dues did the honors, running it in from eight yards out to increase the Wildcat lead to 34-0.

With a lead over 30 points, a new OHSAA rule this season allowed the clock to run continuously for the rest of the game, and the contest ended with the same 34-0 score.

Next week Friday 1-0 Minster hosts 0-1 Sidney Lehman while 0-1 Fort Loramie travels to face the 0-1 New Bremen Cardinals.

Score by quarter 1 2 3 4 Total

Minster 6 21 7 0 34

Fort Loramie 0 0 0 0 0

First Quarter:

MIN – Jacob Dues 63 yd pass (kick failed), 1:18

Second Quarter:

MIN – Jason Schultz 12 yd pass from Josh Nixon (Jason Schultz kick), 6:17

MIN – Sam Dues 3 yd run Jason Schultz kick), 4:45

MIN – Bryce Schmiesing 12 yd pass from Josh Nixon (Jason Schultz kick), 0:36

Third Quarter:

MIN – Sam Dues 8 yd run (Jason Schultz kick), 10:49

Team statistics MIN FL

First downs 13 8

Rushes - yards 22-44 29-24

Passing yards 283 150

Comp - att - int 17-24-0 9-25-2

Total yards 327 174

Fumbles - lost 0-0 1-0

Penalties - yards 5-70 1-14

Time of possession 21:29 26:31

Individual statistics

Rushing: Minster, S Dues 11-36, Stechschulte 3-4, Nixon 5-3, J. Huelsman 3-1; Fort Loramie, Grewe 10-15, Pleiman 2-6, Siegel 10-6, Ahrns 1-0, Cordonnier 6-(minus 3)

Passing: Minster, Nixon 17-24-0-283; Fort Loramie, Grewe 9-25-2-150

Receiving: Minster, Wolf 7-127, Schmiesing 6-52, J Dues 2-78, S Dues 1-14, Schultz 1-12; Fort Loramie, Olberding 4-85, Ratermann 1-35, Cordonnier 1-14, Gaier 1-6, Siegel 1-5, Wehrman 1-5