Kickoff Returns Key 28-21 Anna Win over Minster

By Bruce Monnin

MINSTER  -  In a close played game between evenly matched opponents, it was the beginning and end of the game which provided the difference in the Anna Rockets’ 28-21 win over the Minster Wildcats.  They biggest plays in the game for the victors was their kickoff returns.

Anna’s Zach Ambos received the opening kickoff and returned it 87 yards for a 7-0 lead thirteen seconds into the contest. 

Neither team reached paydirt again until the second quarter, when the Rockets capped off an 11-play, 66-yard drive with a one-yard run by Carter Siegle.   Minster followed with Broghan Stephey connecting with Zach Fortman for a 66-yard completion which set up Stephey for a one-yard scoring run to make the score 14-6 at intermission.

The teams again traded scores in the third quarter.  After stopping a fake punt, Minster drove 42 yards, capped by a 19-yard touchdown pass from Stephey to James Niemeyer.  A two-point conversion play saw Stephey pitch to Niemeyer who then passed to Chase Couse in the end zone.  Anna responded with their own 19-yard score from Siegle to Justin Richards to lead 21-14 going into the final period.

The Wildcats used almost two-thirds of the fourth quarter on an 85-yard scoring drive, which featured a 41-yard pass from Stephey to Jack Kohne.  Austin Wellman scored from one yard out to tie the game 21-21.  But the Rockets returned the ensuing kickoff to the Minster 32-yard line, then drove for the winning score on a Siegle quarterback sneak from one yard away for the final 28-21 tally.

Minster started their last drive on their own 35-yard line with 40 seconds remaining in the game.  A 43 yard completion to Devan Wuebker brought the Wildcats to the Rocket 22-yard line, but a pass to Kohne in the end zone was knocked away at the last moment to preserve the Anna victory.

Anna held Minster to just 3 yards net rushing, but the Wildcats did get 281 yards passing from Stephey.  Minster held the Rockets to just 236 total yards, but the difference was the 189 yards Anna gained on their four kickoff returns.

Next week Friday 4-5 Anna will host 9-0 Marion Local.  1-8 Minster hits the road to take on 8-1 Versailles.

Score by quarter          1 2 3 4 Total

Anna                            7  7 7  7 28

Minster                         0          6          8          7          21

First Quarter:

ANN – Zach Ambos 87 yd kickoff return (Zach Ambos kick); 11:47

Second Quarter:

ANN – Carter Siegle 1 yd run (Zach Ambos kick); 8:46

MIN – Brogan Stephey 1 yd run (kick blocked), 6:22

Third Quarter:

MIN – James Niemeyer 19 yd pass from Brogan Stephey (Chase Couse pass from James Niemeyer), 7:34

ANN – Justin Richards 19 yd pass from Carter Siegle (Zach Ambos kick); 0:14

Fourth Quarter:

MIN – Austin Wellman 1 yd run (Brogan Stephey kick), 4:27

ANN – Carter Siegle 1 yd run (Zach Ambos kick); 0:47

Team statistics             ANN                 MIN

First downs                   14                     10

Rushes - yards              38-108              22-3

Passing yards               127                   281

Comp - att - int              11-15-0             15-24-0

Total yards                    235                   284

Punts - average             1-41.0               4-28.8

Fumbles - lost               1-1                    0-0

Penalties - yards           6-50                  7-70

Time of possession       25:47                22:13

Individual statistics

Rushing:  Anna, Schmidt 20-80, Axe 11-34, Siegle 6-0, Richards 1-(minus 6); Minster, Wellman 5-8, Stephey 16-0, Team 1-(minus 5)

Passing:  Anna, Siegle 11-14-0-127, Ambos 0-1-0-0; Minster, Stephey 15-24-0-281

Receiving:  Anna, Axe 3-43, Richards 3-38, Ambos 2-20, Carey 1-17, Fox 1-9, Schmidt 1-0; Minster, Wuebker 5-80, Niemeyer 4-39, Fortman 2-83, Couse 2-35, Kohne 1-41, Wellman 1-3