Cromwell Comes Up Just Short in Overtime

Sept 3

Kerry Rodd-NSO

It has been a long time since a Cromwell football team started the season with a loss, but that is exactly what transpired on Friday night when the Cardinals fell 27-26 in overtime to Nevis.

Dylan Mattson got the Cards on the scoreboard first with a 2-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but a missed conversion opportunity left the door open for Nevis who responded with a Dylan Stenberg touchdown run of nine yards and a Sean Howes kick to take a 7-6 lead in the first quarter and that’s how things stayed through halftime.

Jordan Suhonen busted into the end zone from the 1-yard line in the third quarter as Cromwell took the lead 12-7, but they again were unable to convert the extra point run.

On the ensuing kickoff Nevis got a spark when Stenberg returned the kick 75 yards for a score and Howes extra point kick made it 14-12.

The next drive saw the Cards get the lead back when Suhonen scrambled in from the 16-yard line to make it 18-14; and then Suhonen, a senior, added the two-point conversion run to push the lead to 20-14.

Nevis bounced back when Howes caught a 10-yard pass for a score from Zach Anderson, but the extra point kick failed and the score was even at 20-20.

In overtime the Cards scored first when Suhonen hooked up with Tyler Sulkowski for a three yard touchdown pass, but Nevis stuffed the point after run to keep it at 26-20.

Nevis scored on their overtime possession when Anderson found Stenberg in the end zone from five yards away to tie the game at 26-26, but Howes ended the game when he booted his third extra point of the night giving the Cards their first loss of the season.

Suhonen ran for 75 yards from Cromwell and Mattson finished with 66 yards rushing for the Cards.

Kerry Rodd can be reached at kerry@northlandsportsonline.com