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CITY (NewsDakota.com)–After a home shutout and a come-from-behind road win to start the season 2-0, the Hi-Liner football team had a lot of confidence starting Region I play.
Wahpeton did also, and it showed.
Powered by a defense that scored twice and limited Valley City to just 26 yards of total offense in the first half, the Huskies dominated the Hi-Liners for a 40-8 win at Skip Butte Alumni Stadium in Wahpeton Friday night.
The effort was total. Wahpeton used field position for the first two scores, and held Valley City to just 14 offensive plays in the first 24 minutes, before pulling away with touchdowns on an interception return and fumble return in the third quarter.
The Huskies returned the opening kickoff to their own 45, and although they were stalled after a first down, their punt pinned Valley City inside their own 20. A Hi-Liner three-and-out gave the Huskies the ball at their own 46.
Quarterback Preston Kath hit Brock Lingen with an option pitch to finish a 10-play drive with a 28-yard scoring scamper for a 7-0 lead.
After stalling the Hi-Liners again, a huge punt return set Wahpeton up at the Hi-Liners 13, and Zayne Medhaug scampered in a play later for a 13-0 Huskie edge.
The Hi-Liners picked up some rhythm with back-to-back 11-yard plays, but stalled again, and lost playmaker Joey Halgrimson in the process, the second-straight game he has been lost to injury.
Despite a holding penalty that pushed the Huskie starting point to their own 10, Wahpeton was on the move again. A 34-yard run by Medhaug sprung their 15-play, 90 yard march, with Kath plunging in for the score. Medhaug ran in a two-pointer, and the Huskies took a 21-0 lead to the break.
Three second-half Hi-Liner turnovers led to all of Wahpeton’s second-half scoring. Ben Sorenson was picked off on Valley City’s second drive, with the return ending at the Hi-Liner 35. Tyler Grippentrog scored on the sixth play of the drive on a 12-yard run.
Sorenson was again picked off on the first snap of the ensuing possession, with Medhaug running the pick in from 25 yards. After a Greg Dyck carry started the next Hi-Liner touch, a fumbled snap would be scooped and ran in from 29 yards by Huskie linebacker Jack Christensen. Wahpeton led 40-0 with 44 seconds left of the third quarter.
The lone Hi-Liner score came with 1:54 left of the game, when Dustin Lindgren scored from two yards out. He also ran in a two-point try for the 40-8 final score.
The Hi-Liners fall to 2-1 overall, 0-1 in Region I (eastern division) play. The Huskies move to 3-0, 1-0 in Region 1 action, and will likely take over the top state AA ranking, after entering the game ranked second. Top-ranked Fargo Shanley fell to Grafton Friday night.
Next up for Valley City is a home date with Griggs-Barnes County at Hanna Field next Friday night.