CASSELTON, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Valley City scored 35 second half points and held Central Cass to 47 total yards in second half on the way to a 35-7 win over the Squirrels Saturday night in Casselton.
The Hi-Liners scored two touchdowns 2:03 apart in the third quarter to take the lead for good at 14-7. Trailing 7-0 at the half, the Hi-Liners took the second half kickoff and marched 65 yards on seven plays, capped off by a Tate Sufficool quarterback sneak from a yard out. The big play came on a 53 yard completion to Avery Bennefeld inside the Squirrel 15.
Bennefeld would come up big on defense when he intercepted a Brendan Maasjo pass and returned it 48 yards for the touchdown. Austyn Thornton added both extra points giving the Hi-Liners a 14-7 lead midway through the third quarter.
Valley City would add three more scores in a 4:20 span in the fourth quarter. First, the defense would come up big again when Haydn Jones sacked Maasjo who fumbled. Derek Diegel picked up the ball and returned it 21 yards to the Central Cass 34. Five plays later, Max Fehr took it in from 5 yards out. Thornton’s extra point would make iot 21-7 Hi-Liners with 6:53 to go in the game.
The defense stopped the Squirrels on downs on the next possession giving the Hi-Liners another short field. Another five play scoring drive was capped off by Fehr’s second touchdown of the game, a 13 yard run. Thornton tacked on the extra point for a 28-7 lead with 2:25 to go.
On the ensuing kickoff, Peyton Zaun stripped Frosty Wisnewski at the 30 yard line and would return it for another touchdown just 12 seconds later. Thornton’s PAT finished off the scoring 35-7.
After a slow start, Fehr finished with 105 yards on 21 carries and two scores. Sufficool was four for seven passing for 93 yards.
Brendan Maasjo led the Squirrels going 18 for 26 for 166 yards with a touchdown and and interception.
The Hi-Liners, winners of five in a row, are 6-2 overall and 4-0 in the East Region. They travel to top ranked Hillsboro/Central Valley next Friday night. The winner will the top seed in the East Region, but both teams have already clinched a home playoff game.
Central Cass falls to 0-4 in the Region and 2-6 overall. The loss knocks them out of the playoff picture.