Minster Uses Fast Start to Defeat Versailles, 34-19

By Bruce Monnin

MINSTER — After suffering two difficult losses to highly ranked opponents in the last two weeks, the Minster Wildcats needed to regroup for their home contest against the 3-1 Versailles Tigers. They successfully did so, posting a 20-0 lead in the first quarter before surviving the rest of the game for a 34-19 win.

The Minster defense had a dominating start to the game, forcing Versailles to punt without earning a first down on each of its first three possessions. The offense was equally efficient, scoring touchdowns on each of their first three times touching the ball.

Minster coach Geron Stokes was pleased with his team’s start. “I loved our focus and competitiveness. We were ready to go. Credit that to our seniors.”

The first Wildcat drive took just five plays, capped off with a hard seven-yard touchdown run by Evan Huelsman. The next Minster possession lasted just three plays, as Josh Nixon found Bryce Schmiesing for a 46-yard completion. The ball was fumbled just before Schmiesing crossed the goal line, but Eli Wolf fell on it for the touchdown which put the Wildcats ahead 13-0.

The third drive also took only five plays. This time Nixon found Wolf for a five-yard scoring completion. Wolf had two receiving touchdowns for the game, the 16th and 17th of his career. This allowed him to pass his brother Ethan for the most career receiving touchdowns in Minster history. Wolf ended up with six receptions for 123 yards, as he also set a new school record for career receiving yards with 1495, breaking the 31-year-old record previously held by Greg Heitkamp.

Just as the Wildcats were starting to feel comfortable with their 20-0 lead, Versailles quarterback Jared Niekamp found Jace Barga behind the Minster defense. His pass was on target for an 80-yard Tiger touchdown to close the gap to 20-7 before the end of the first quarter.

“That’s too good of a team to do that with. We gave them life,” commented Stokes on the play. “We got undisciplined, and their kids made a play. Next thing you know we had a ball game on our hands.”

The Wildcat offense looked to respond and drove all the way to the Versailles five-yard line. However, a holding penalty and a failed fourth down conversion gave the ball back to the Tigers. Versailles would drive deep into Minster territory twice in the second quarter, but each time had to settle for Zach Steinbrunner field goals, leaving the Wildcats with a 20-13 halftime lead.

Minster tried to open up their advantage at the start of the third stanza, driving to the Versailles 27-yard line before fumbling the ball away. Their next possession went better, as they punched the ball into the end zone on a nine-yard pass from Nixon to Wolf. This only score of the third quarter put the Wildcats on top, 27-13.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Tiger offense got back on track, with Collin Peters ripping off big runs before scoring from three yards out. Minster immediately responded, with Huelsman finishing off the drive with a ten-yard scoring carry for the final 34-19 score.

Schmiesing was the focus of the Wildcat offense in the first half, catching eight passes for 150 yards. In the second half Minster turned more to the running game, with Huelsman toting the ball 23 times for 109 yards and two scores for the game.

“He is a tough kid, a warrior,” adding Stokes about the breakout performance of his running back. “He works his tail off in practice and he deserves those carries.”

The win gives Minster three consecutive wins over Versailles for the first and only time in the history of the 37-game series.

Next week Friday, 3-2 Minster will travel to face 3-2 Delphos St. John’s. 3-2 Versailles returns home to face 3-2 St. Henry.

Score by quarter 1 2 3 4 Total

Minster 20 0 7 7 34

Versailles 7 6 0 6 19

First Quarter:

MIN – Evan Huelsman 7 yd run (Jason Schultz kick), 8:37

MIN – Eli Wolf 0 yd fumble return (kick failed), 5:51

MIN – Eli Wolf 5 yd pass from Josh Nixon (Jason Schultz kick), 2:59

VER – Jace Barga 80 yd pass from Jared Niekamp (Zach Steinbrunner kick), 2:39

Second Quarter:

VER – Zach Steinbrunner 30 yd FG, 6:47

VER – Zach Steinbrunner 26 yd FG, 0:39

Third Quarter:

MIN – Eli Wolf 9 yd pass from Josh Nixon (Jason Schultz kick), 7:02

Fourth Quarter:

VER – Collin Peters 3 yd run (kick failed), 4:28

MIN – Evan Huelsman 10 yd run (Jason Schultz kick), 3:06

Team statistics MIN VER

First downs 19 14

Rushes - yards 37-213 35-105

Passing yards 273 219

Comp - att - int 14-27-2 11-23-1

Return yards 77 66

Punts - average 3-33.0 7-36.0

Fumbles - lost 2-1 0-0

Penalties - yards 7-67 4-40

Time of possession 24:16 23:44

Individual statistics

Rushing: Minster, Huelsman 23-109, Schmiesing 1-55, Nixon 6-26, Dues 4-13, Stechschulte 3-10; Versailles, Peters 22-71, Schmitt 3-15, Niekamp 9-14, Barga 1-5

Passing: Minster, Nixon 14-27-2-273; Versailles, Niekamp 11-22-1-219, Peters 0-1-0-0

Receiving: Minster, Schmiesing 8-150, Wolf 6-123; Versailles, Steinbrunner 3-33, Barga 2-103, Dieringer 2-26, Peters 2-25, Marchal 1-32, Borchers 1-0