Esko Comes Up Short Against Deer River

Oct 27

Wes Vork-NSO

The Deer River football team played old fashioned, smash-mouth football on Tuesday night in their 33-21 win over Esko. During the regular season, the Eskomos had defeated the Warriors 26-13, but on Tuesday night Deer River pounded the ball on the ground to take the win.

Esko drew first blood on a 61-yard touchdown jaunt by Jacob Anderson, but the next five scores were by the Warriors as they raced to a 26-6 halftime lead.

The Warriors started their scoring onslaught with a Lucas Benson 71-yard touchdown run in the first quarter and after the extra point Deer River had a 7-6 lead. Then it became the Kenny Benham show as the star runner scored on a 19-yard touchdown run, a two-yard run and a one-yard run before halftime as the Warriors built their lead.

Deer River thwarted a possible Eskomo comeback when Thomas Schultz stepped in on a pass and took the interception 26 yards for a score and Benham tacked on the extra point kick, giving the Warriors a 33-6 lead.

Max Reinertson cut Deer River’s lead to 33-12 when he crashed into the end zone from the three yard line late in the third quarter. After Jake Stainbrook knocked through the extra point it was 33-13.

In the fourth quarter, Reinertson scored again, this time on a 24-yard touchdown run.
Spencer Sinnott added the two-point conversion pulling the Eskomos to within 33-21, but that was all Esko could muster the rest of the way.

Benham finished with 171 yards on 24 carries and Benson added 164 yards on 16 carries as the duo combined for 335 yards rushing on 40 carries an average of over eight yards per rushing attempt.

The Warriors will now play at Rush City on Saturday.

Kerry Rodd can be reached at kerry@northlandsportsonline.com