POTOSI — With last Friday night’s nail-biting 20–12 Homecoming victory over visiting Benton/Scales Mound, Potosi is one win away from clinching a WIAA playoff bid.
The Chieftains (4–2, 4–2 Six Rivers) now have to win one of their final two conference road games to assure themselves of a playoff bid. This Friday night they travel to Belmont (2–4, 2–3), and next Saturday go to South Wayne to take on Black Hawk (4–2, 4–2).
Friday night, Potosi rode the shoulders of senior halfback Teagan Friederick, who rushed for 208 yards on 23 carries and scored all three of the Chieftains’ touchdowns.
Friederick first scored on a 67-yard scamper midway through the second quarter.
Benton/Scales Mound (3–3, 2–3) tied the game at 6–6 when senior Kyle Pulvermacher scored from a yard out late in the half.
Potosi lost starting quarterback Tyler Udelhoven to a wrist injury midway through the second quarter.
Back-up Cole Menne completed a 33-yard pass to sophomore Alex Udelhofen to set up the Chieftains’ second score of the night.
Friederick scored from 36 yards out and Menne completed the two-point conversion pass to Jacob Udelhoven to make it 14–6.
With just seven seconds remaining in the third quarter, Friederick found the end zone again, this time from five yards out to extend the Potosi lead to 20–6. But the visiting Zephyrs didn’t fade.
Potosi booted the ensuing kickoff out of bounds, and on the very last play of the third quarter Benton/Scales Mound senior quarterback Kyle Wienen tossed a 65-yard TD pass to junior Jeremiah Bailey.
Potosi’s offense struggled in the fourth quarter and was forced to punt twice, while Benton/SM put together two drives deep into Chieftain territory in the final minutes to cause some tension on the home sideline.
The Zephyrs drove to the Potosi 25-yard line with less than two minutes to play, but were turned away by the Potosi defense.
On third down, Potosi senior safety Trenton Bauer broke up a long pass at the goal line. On fourth down, defensive end Nathan Friederick came up with a huge sack to force a turnover on downs.
Coach Mark Siegert’s squad looked to run out the clock, but on what appeared to be a game-ending first down, Teagan Friederick lost a fumble. Benton/Scales Mound recovered near the Potosi 40-yard line with less than a minute to play.
The Zephyrs managed to move the ball down to the 21-yard line with six seconds remaining, but a fourth-down passing attempt fell incomplete to end their final chance.
Potosi finished the game with 315 yards of total offense, gaining 228 yards on 37 rushing attempts. Menne was 2 of 2 for 87 yards passing after replacing Udelhoven.
Junior linebacker Tanner Collins led the Potosi defense with 18 total tackles and one forced fumble, while senior defensive back Bauer was close behind with 17 stops. Nathan Friederick was in on 13 stops, while junior linebacker Menne had 10.
Potosi 20, Benton/Scales Mound 12
(from Friday, Sept. 25 @ Potosi)
Benton/SM 0 6 6 0 — 12
Potosi 0 6 12 0 — 20
Second quarter
P: Teagan Friederick 67 run (kick failed)
B/SM: Kyle Pulvermacher 1 run (kick failed)
Third quarter
P: T. Friederick 36 run (Jacob Udelhoven pass from Cole Menne)
P: T. Friederick 5 run (kick failed)
B/SM: Jeremiah Bailey 65 pass from Kyle Wienen (pass failed)
Team Statistics
First downs — B 10, P 7. Rushing — B 36-110, P 37-228. Passing — B 6-16-1, 186, P 2-3-0, 87. Fumbles-lost — B 0-0, P 1-1. Penalties-yards — B 5-40, P 9-72.
Individual leaders
Rushing — B: Kyle Pulvermacher 18-75; P: Teagan Friederick 23-208. Passing — B: Kyle Wienen 8-16-1, 186; P: Cole Menne 2-2-0, 87. Receiving – B: Jeremiah Bailiey 3-93; P: Jacob Udelhoven 1-54, Alex Udelhofen 1-33.
