Kruse 90-yard kick return sparks TMB
A first-quarter touchdown is by no means enough to guarantee a victory, but it can do wonders for a team’s confidence, especially when the timing is just right.
After the MACCRAY Wolverines countered TMB’s first-quarter score with a touchdown of their own, Jackson Kruse fielded MACCRAY’s kick-off at the 10 and with perfect blocking on front of him, raced 90 yards for a touchdown. The big return not only broke an 8-8 tie, it seemed to light a fire with the Panthers, who would outscore MACCRAY 22-8 after, en route to a 38-16 win in both team’s season opener.
“I think that saved us,” TMB head coach Ryan Kruse said. “We could’ve dropped down energy-wise after they scored … the fact that we get that score right away, that was big.”
Kruse is also TMB’s quarterback, and he did plenty of damage from that position as well. With a number of runs designed for him, Kruse rushed for 135 yards and also passed for 255 yards — 164 to receiver Emery Xiong.
“They spent some time in the summer doing this,” coach Kruse said. “Last year, they both kind of were right there to make some plays and didn’t always make them. Tonight, it was a dierent story, and it was fun to see.”
The fun started on TMB’s second drive after both teams failed to score on their opening possessions. The drive started with a 20-yard strike from Kruse to Xiong. The 12-play drive was capped o with a 10-yard Kruse- to-Xiong touchdown pass. Kruse carried in the two-point conversion.
MACCRAY responded well with a score and two-point conversion of its own, but the Wolverines’ momentum was short-lived. The ensuing kicko fell in Kruse's arms, and the sophomore used a big opening to find daylight and sprint untouched into the end zone for a 14-8 lead. Nolan Verlinde made it 16-8 with the two-point conversion.
After that, it was a dierent game. After The Wolverines scored their second touchdown in the second quarter, to keep pace with TMB, but the Panthers were clearly riding momentum gained from Kruse’s return.
The Panthers broke the 1616 tie shortly after a failed on-side kick that was recovered
by Noah Johnson. After two Kruse runs, he connected with Braden Morgan over the middle with a 44-yard touchdown pass with 8:33 left in the first half. A run by Xiong put TMB up 24-16.
Morgan's first-half contribution wasn’t limited to that touchdown reception.
Down by eight again, the Wolverines were able to drive to TMB’s 20-yard line, but the drive ended when Morgan picked o a Lucas Janssen pass in the end zone to thwart the drive. Because of that turnover, the Panthers were able to carry their eight-point lead into halftime.
The Wolverines shot themselves in the foot to open the second half. After driving down to the TMB 18, Janssen put the ball on the ground, and Brody Hauger recovered, giving TMB the ball at its own 20.
A 19-yard pass from Kruse to Ty Yackley brought the
ball down to 32, and after a 15-yard illegal participation penalty on MACCRAY, Xiong caught his second touchdown - a 34-yarder - to boost the Panthers' lead to 30-16; Verlinde’s conversion made it 32-16.
The Kruse-to-Xiong connection was clicking all night.
“We put a lot of work in this summer,” Xiong said. “Just me, him and a few other guys going out to the field and working. We want to be good, and that’s what it takes.”
The TMB defense continued to get stronger as the second half wore on, and the Panthers put the finishing touches on their win when Kruse ran it in from 26 yards out.
Yackley and Verlinde both had six tackles, and Oakly Bornitz had five. TMB outgained MACCRAY 388 yards to 231.
“We had better communication in the second half, and the coaches got on us, so that made a dierence," said Xiong.
The win notwithstanding, the Panthers weren’t perfect by any means. Defensively, they missed numerous tackles
in the first half, helping MACCRAY sustain drives and stay within striking distance. TMB seemed to group tackle better in the second half, however.
“I think we did a better job up front (in the second half) taking up blocks,” coach Kruse said. "I think our D-line improved in the second half, and that allowed us to get more guys to the ball.”
TMB also committed eight penalties for 62 yards, including an unsportsmanlike conduct 15-yarder.
“Obviously, there are things we need to clean up,” Xiong said. "A lot of penalties and a lot of stupid stu like that. But we felt confident coming in and we feel confident coming out.”
Xiong finished with seven grabs, including the two touchdowns, and Morgan had two catches for 49 yards and a score. Kruse was 14-- for-21 for 255 yards and three touchdowns.
