Football

        Parker Fulton scored four touchdowns, and the Gobbler defense stifled the Moose Lake-Willow River Rebels offense in a 27-14 Gobbler win at Veterans Field Friday night. The first quarter was scoreless and featured five punts as the two teams fought to a 0-0 draw. The Gobblers struck first in the second as they drove 51 yards in 7 plays with Fulton scoring his 4th touchdown of the season on a 30-yard scamper at the 9:00 mark. The PAT failed and it was 6-0. After another three and out by the Rebels the Gobblers moved 67 yards in 10 plays with Fulton going in from a yard out. Bo Sanford tossed a pass to Nolan Dotzler for the PAT and a 14-0 lead with just :44 left in the half. The game nearly turned around on the next play though as Braden Strand took the kickoff and raced 70 yards to put the Rebels on the board. The PAT kick was good, and it was 14-7 at the break.

       Aitkin took the second half kickoff and went 62 yards in 10 plays to paydirt as Fulton scored on a 13-yard run. The PAT failed and it was 20-7 with 6:12 left in the third. The big play on that drive awas a 28-yard strike from Sanford to Teagan Vogtlin. The Gobblers executed an onside kick, and Evan Redepenning covered it at midfield, but the offense went three and out, missing a chance to bury the Rebels. MLWR moved the ball downfield but the Gobblers stopped them on a 4th down play and Aitkin took over at the 25-yard line. Later in the final period Aitkin went 35 yards in four plays to score their final touchdown of the night, a 21-yard run by Fulton, his 7th of the season and when Dotzler booted the PAT it was 27-7 with just 1:04 left in the game. The Rebels weren't quite done though as another long kickoff return set them up at the Gobbler 25. A 16-yard pass play gave them their second score of the game and after the PAT kick it was 27-14. Aitkin ran the clock out and moved their record to 3-0 while the Rebels dropped to 2-1.

Rebels       0  7 0 7  14

Gobblers  0 14 6 7 27

      I got a little dose of leadership at last weeks Gobbler football game against Mora. Aitkin was in control when Jack Jacobson raced some 50 yards into the end zone to extend the lead. But wait, laundry on the field and a penalty wiped out the big run. The player who was penalized was Tolo May and he was visibly upset as he sat down on the bench. But guess who the first player to reach him was. Yes, it was Jack and he had something to say to Tolo, but it wasn't what you might think it would be. Tolo picks it up, "When Jack came over he didn't come back to tell me about the penalty, he came and told me he knew how I felt about the other team, but I had to do the talking with my pads. He wasn't angry but he needed me to lock in and what he did helped me a lot because he came to me with understanding and that brotherly love we are always talking about." Prior to that Tolo said the other team was being a little chippy and after one of those hits on Bo Sanford, Tolo got it in his head and started to get chippy back and he knew that was not in the best interest of the team. He continues, "Everybody should know how good leaders we have and how close of a team we are. We are there for everybody through the rough and the smooth moments." Jack didn't say much but he commented, "I just wanted him to know what a big piece of our team he is."

     The lesson here is that when you have leaders like Jack Jacobson you don't worry about team camaraderie or togetherness because these guys have the same goals and they don't yell, they stay calm and make each other better every day. That's what a good team does, nice job gentlemen, continue to lead by example!  I was probably the only person to see this interaction, but I thought it was so important that you should know about it too. Gobbler Proud I am!

      The Aitkin JV/C Gobblers scored a rain-soaked 6-0 victory Monday at Mora. Coach Rob Williams fills us in, "The boys played a physical. hard-nosed football game. We won the toss and drove 65 yards on the opening possession but stalled out at the 10-yard line taking the entire first quarter. After stiffing Mora on their next possession, the offense drove 70 yards and Quinton Rikala punched in the game's only touchdown. The defense stepped up and played a great game, keeping Mora out of the end zone including a goal line stand at the end of the game. Quinton Rikala stood out, running the ball hard effectively on the offensive side while Greysen Christensen stood out on the defensive side of the ball. We are now 2-0 and will host Little Falls at Veterans Field next Monday."

        The Aitkin Gobblers won their second straight game last Friday with a 40-6 win over the Mora Mustangs. Let's take a look at the stats. Aitkin outgained the Mustangs 397-169 and first downs were 15-8. Rushing yards were pretty even at 184-169 but passing yards were 213-0. Parker Fulton rushed for 130 yards on 15 carries while Jack Jacobson had 40 yards on 8 carries. Bo Sanford was on target hitting 11-12 for 213 yards and two touchdowns. Nolan Dotzler had four catches for 147 yards and two scores while Eli McNevin had 2-29 and Fulton had 2-14. Jacobson caught one for 10, Aydin Franzen had 1-9 and Aiden Flanagan had 1 catch for 4 yards. Fulton led the defense with 8 tackles, Jacobson and Tolo May each had 4, and Damien Maciel, McNevin, and Quinton Rikala each had 3. Now let's hear from the players.

Damien Maciel-"I thought we had a good game against a decent team. We went out there with nothing to lose and all the energy was great and fueled everyone up and kept us going. I'm proud of my team for another awesome win."


Parker Fulton-"Our defense was outstanding only giving up a few first downs and the offense was moving the ball and that starts with the big guys up front. Our passing and running games complimented each other. This week is a tough test in Moose Lake/Willow River."


Jack Jacobson-"It was a great team win and a lot of guys figured out today what they can do which helps out so much. It is such a fun experience playing with the younger guys and being the leader. This week we play Moose Lake and I'm not going to let them take another win from us."


Bo Sanford-"I thought we played a fantastic game from our offense to our defense to our coaches and our fans. It was great energy. Now we have a game we have been waiting for and it will be a test, but we will be ready."


Nolan Dotzler-"Good team win, we came with fire and set the tone right away with a first drive touchdown. That's what Aitkin football does. Then we just kept rolling, our defense did their job, and it went the way we expected it to."


Tolo May-"I'd say the defense did their job well. We kept the opponents at zero until close to the end. Offense looked good today as well. We had some iffy plays and need to tighten up on our penalties but other than that it was a good game."


       How about a couple of the coaches.


Greg Hills-Defensive coordinator-"At this point we are playing fundamentally sound football at all three levels. We are playing physical football and have good size and speed to go along with experienced and talented players" What is the biggest challenge that MLWR will bring, "Stopping their running game with all their misdirection and not letting them hit big plays. They have a solid core of running backs."


Head Coach Alan Hills-"We were pretty balanced again in this one, we cleaned up a few things from last week and we have a few more things to work on, but it was much better than last week. When we get the ball we expect to score. I think Bo is playing with a lot of confidence this season and he is more willing to take what the defense gives him. He was 11-12 yesterday and is throwing the ball well. We fly to the ball on defense and when you have linebackers like Tolo, Parker, Eli and Jack behind our d-line we are a tough team to score on. The Rebels are a team that we need to beat. They are a hurdle that we need to get over on both the physical and mental side. They are a good football team, and we know that, so we need to beat them to get over the hump. They are a solid team, and we need to come ready to play and we will."


       The Rebels are also 2-0, beating International Falls 26-0 and Barnum 13-2.



  

       On a rare Saturday game due to the weather Friday night the Aitkin Gobblers hosted the Mora Mustangs at Veterans Field and came away with a 40-6 victory, their second of the season. Parker Fulton scored three touchdowns and rushed for over 100 yards to lead the locals and Bo Sanford hooked up with Nolan Dotzler for two long touchdown passes in the win. Atkin opened the scoring the best way possible. They took the opening kickoff and went 70 yards in 13 plays eating up over nine minutes in the process. Fulton scored from five yards out and after the PAT it was 8-0. They scored again in the second quarter, going 46 yards in just four plays with Fulton going in from the five. Dotzer hit Eli McNevin in the corner of the end zone for the PAT and with 10:05 left in the half it as 16-0. Two minutes later Aitkin struck again after taking over at their own 35-yard line. On the first play Sanford hit Dotzler, who left the defender in the dust and raced down the sideline for the touchdown. Jack Jacobson supplied the PAT for a 24-0 Gobbler lead. That was the end of the scoring for the first half, but the Gobblers scored on their first possession of the third. Fulton scored again this time on a 64-yard run and when McNevin ran the PAT it was 32-0. Dotzler again out battled a defender and Sanford hit him on a 62-yard touchdown play. That was the fourth play of the drive that went 77 yards. Tyce Jorgensen got the extra point pass from Sanford and the lead ballooned to 40-0. Mason Koverman scored a late touchdown for the Mustangs making the final 40-6. Fulton talked about his teams big win, "I thought it was a great game all-around. The defense was outstanding only giving up a few first downs and the offense was moving the ball well. That starts with the big boys up front, they played great. Passing game and running game complimented each other very well. We have a tough test this week with Moose Lake/Willow River."

Mustangs      0  0 0 6   6

Gobblers       8 16 8 8 40

      The Aitkin JV/JH Gobbler football team opened the season with a 30-6 win on the road at Moose Lake/Willow River Tuesday. Coach Rob Williams liked what he saw in the first game, "I was very proud of the blocking from our offensive line. We have a solid group of running backs that all contributed and ran the ball very well. Our QB's took great care of the ball and connected on several key passes throughout the game. Defensively, I felt we did a great job of winning the battle on the line of scrimmage and often had penetration into their backfield. Our linebackers and DB's filled well and swarmed to the ball to finish plays. Quinn Roettger was a vocal leader on the field and played well. Very proud of our running backs including Quinton Rikala, Logan Wilhelm, Aydin Franzen, Carson Crain, Luke Jacobson and Bryden Melz."

      The Aitkin Gobblers won their 9th straight season opener Friday night with a 29-0 shutout of the C-I Rangers in C-I. The stats bore out the result as the Gobblers outgained the Rangers 233 yards -105. First downs were 16-7 and penalties were 4-31 yards for Aitkin and 8 for 71 yards for the Rangers. Bo Sanford was 9-12 through the air for Aitkin for 105 yards with one touchdown and one interception. The Gobblers put up 128 yards on the ground led by Parker Fulton who had 54 yards on 10 rushes, Jack Jacobson had 41 yards on 6 lugs and Sanford added 22 yards on 6 carries. Nolan Dotzler led the receiver corps with 3 catches for 65 yards and a touchdown while Eli McNevin had 2 grabs for 22 yards and four other receivers each had one catch, Jacobson, Fulton, Teagan Vogtlin and Camden Hagman. Fulton led the defense with 10 tackles, McNevin had 7 stops, Damien Maciel had 6, Isaiah Fowlds had 6 and Tolo May had 4 tackles. McNevin and Teagan Vogtlin each had one interception. That's a look at the stats, now let's hear from the players.

Bo Sanford "It was a great way to start the year, nothing better than beating C-I. I thought we did our job as a team. We made the plays that were needed and that gets the job done."

Jack Jacobson "The first game has always been a learning game, but we kinda figured it out in the 2nd quarter and turned it up. Defense played lights out and offense did what we needed to do, yeah, a great start to the season with many more to come."

Tolo May "Defensively we did our job. When you can hold a team to zero points, I'll always say the defense did their job. I feel like we played a very good game on the defensive end and it was really fun to see our defensive line get in on some plays like we did. I can't say I've seen our D line get as much done before as they had last night. Hopefully they can keep that up. Our linebackers did a great job at stuffing anything that came up the gut and flying to the ball wherever it was. The defensive backs were also getting the job done and a few deflected passes and a pick-six can prove that."

Nolan Dotzler "It was an all-around great game, a little slow starting but once we got that flow going it never stopped and we just kept the train rolling until the end."

Parker Fulton "I thought it was a slow start, but we picked it up and found our groove. Defense was great all night."

Damien Maciel "I thought it was a great win. We went out there and left it all on the field. Everyone was super hyped and had amazing energy. We had a few hiccups, but we fixed them along the way as a team and kept going overall. I'm really proud of my teammates for working hard and bringing positive energy to the game."

      The last word belongs to Coach Alan Hills, "I think we got off to a little bit of a slow start, jitters maybe but the second half we settled in and although we gave up a couple of big plays, we were able to rebound and keep them off the scoreboard. We got a huge game out of nose tackle Damien Maciel and also defensive ends Tyce Jorgenson and Will Vogtlin. We had players in new roles and they adapted well. On offense we have a ton of skill players, Jack, Nolan, Parker and Bo just to name a few, we probable have another 6 guys that I could name. It's tough sometimes to get them as many touches as they need. Bo was 9-12 for a little over 100 yards and Nolan just understands how to get open. Other teams expect us to run so we surprised the Rangers by throwing on the opening down of the game and were able to complete a 30-yard pass to get us started." Hills expects a tough game in the home opener Friday against Mora, "They have a new coaching staff this year and they will probably run a more modern version of the wing-t, a more power game and lots of 3-5 on defense. They put up a ton of points against Proctor Friday so we know they will be a much better team than last year. Our kids know they have to be prepared to play well every game. If you want that top spot going into the playoffs you have to take advantage of every opportunity. It will be great to play in front of the home crowd."

       The Aitkin Gobblers broke open a tight game with a pair of 4th quarter touchdowns in a 29-0 win on the road at C-I. It was the first game of the season and one the locals needed to get the season off to a good start and also retain possession of the "Stump". Aitkin took the opening kickoff and went 66 yards in 6 plays. They opened the possession with a 34-yard connection from Bo Sanford to Nolan Dotzler. Five plays later Jack Jacobson went 13 yards for the score. The PAT missed and it was 6-0 after one period. The following C-I possession ended after six plays and after a short Ranger punt the Gobblers took over at the C-I 45. It took 13 plays but cashed in on a Sanford touchdown from 6 yards out. Dotzler caught a pass for the PAT and it was 14-0 at the break.

      The third quarter was scoreless, but the Gobblers put it away in the final period. They went 65 yards in just five plays culminating in a 30-yard strike from Sanford to Dotzler who outran the Rangers to the end zone. Sanford ran the PAT and it was 22-0 with 9:15 remaining. The following kickoff resulted in a nice runback by the Rangers and the ensuing 15-yard penalty set them up at the Gobblers 37. Eight plays later Eli McNevin jumped the pass route and raced 83 yards for the final touchdown of the game. He was excited to get a chance after tipping the previous pass that landed in the arms of a Ranger receiver, "I am just glad I got the opportunity to be able to be on the field to make that play. We waited for that play all week. They ran it in practice a ton and we were just waiting for the play to happen. I'm just glad I actually got it compared to the pass before." 

Dotzler kicked the PAT and that made the final 29-0. Gobbler senior Parker Fulton after the win, "I thought it was kind of a slow start, but we picked it up and found our groove. Our defense was great all night." Dotzler whose 4th quarter touchdown broke the Rangers back, echoed those thoughts, "It was an all-around great game, a little slow at the start but once we got that flow it never stopped and we just kept the train rolling till the end."

Gobblers 6 8 0 15 29

Rangers   0 0 0  0  0