OLPE — Olpe’s Linden Stueve didn’t think the second time around would be as easy as the first.
Canton-Galva had just scored on a 3-yard touchdown run by quarterback Ted Regehr to pull to within one point of Olpe midway through the fourth quarter of Tuesday’s Bi-District State playoff game, with the PAT still to come.
On Canton-Galva’s first try, Stueve broke free on the right side and would have easily blocked the kick, but a false start penalty halted play and moved Canton back five yards.
On Canton’s second attempt, Stueve again came around the right side of the line virtually untouched, getting to the kicker just as easily as the first try to block the extra-point attempt to keep Canton from tying the game.
Olpe went on to score a touchdown on its next drive to put the game away, winning the Bi-District title, 21-13, over Canton-Galva.
“On the one where they false started, I got through there, and I knew I could do it again,” Stueve said. “I thought they’d key on that and get me blocked, though. I guess we were fortunate that they didn’t.”
On the ensuing kickoff after Stueve’s block kept the score 14-13, Cole Krueger gave Olpe (7-3) favorable field position with a 41-yard return to set Olpe up at the Canton-Galva 49-yard line.
Olpe, helped along by three CGHS penalties, used six plays to find the end zone, with Krueger taking it in from four yards out on a bruising run up the middle to help make it 21-13 Olpe after the extra point.
“I just lowered my head and ran,” Krueger said. “I didn’t see much.”
The Olpe defense held from then on, turning back Canton-Galva (4-6) on its final two possessions, the last of which ended when Olpe’s Bradley Argabright made a diving interception on a pass that had deflected off the hands of Canton’s Brett Williams.
Despite Olpe being out-gained by Canton-Galva, 256-238, the Olpe defense held when it needed to most. Olpe held CGHS on fourth down three times and forced Canton’s only punt late in the fourth quarter with Canton needing a score to potentially tie the game.
“We dug in there at times defensively and made some key stops,” Olpe coach Chris Schmidt said. “We did that old saying of bending but not breaking.
“We did that enough to get away with a victory.”
Olpe got on the scoreboard first when Krueger scored his first touchdown of the night on an 11-yard burst up the middle that helped give Olpe a 7-0 lead with less than two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
Olpe went up 14-0 on its next possession, as quarterback Matt Redeker hit a wide-open Argabright down the left sideline after Canton’s cornerback bit on the play action, and Argabright avoided a tackle at the goal line for a 40-yard TD.
Canton-Galva answered with a 12-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a five-yard TD run by Tony Arendt that pulled Canton to within a score at 14-7.
Canton had a golden opportunity to tie the game just before halftime when Redeker was hit as he attempted a pass on the final play of the half, and the ball sailed high into the air to a wide-open Canton player, Andrew Westbrook.
With nothing but grass around him and a clear path to the end zone, Westbrook dropped the interception, missing out on what would have been a sure touchdown.
Redeker finished the night 8-for-9 for 127 yards and a touchdown through the air.
CGHS ran a whopping 47 plays to Olpe’s 24 in the second half, but could only find the end zone once on Regehr’s touchdown scramble that made it 14-13 with 9:34 left to play. However, Stueve’s blocked kick followed the score, giving Olpe all the cushion it would need.
“We sure needed this win,” Stueve said. “People didn’t expect us to go very far in the playoffs this year. We didn’t face the toughest opponents in District, so we went out there and proved we’re a good team.”
Next up for Olpe is a road game at St. Marys-Colgan in Pittsburg on Saturday. Colgan (10-0) defeated Sedan, 57-3, on Monday night.
Olpe 21, Canton-Galva 13
Tuesday at Olpe
Canton-Galva 0 7 0 6 — 13
Olpe 7 7 0 7 — 21
First Quarter
Olpe — Cole Krueger 11 run (Alex Medenciy kick)
Second Quarter
Olpe — Bradley Argabright 40 pass from Matt Redeker (Medenciy kick)
CG — Tony Arendt 5 run (Stephan Loemker kick)
Fourth Quarter
CG — Ted Regehr 3 run (kick blocked)
Olpe — Krueger 5 run (Medenciy kick)
GAME STATISTICS
CG Olpe
First downs 14 11
Rushes-yards 43-179 30-111
Comp-att-int 8-16-1 8-9-0
Passing yards 77 127
Total plays-yards 59-256 39-238
Fumbles-lost 1-0 2-1
Penalties-yards 8-62 3-20
Punts-avg 1-44.0 1-41.0
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing — CG: Bryant Baldwin 13-72, Andrew Westbrook 13-58, Tony Arendt 13-44, Ted Regehr 4-5. Olpe: Josh Lambert 13-56, Matt Redeker 11-27, Cole Krueger 5-23, Alex Medenciy 1-5.
Passing — CG: Regehr 8-16-1 77. Olpe: Redeker 8-9-0 127.
Receiving — CG: Brett Williams 3-41, Westbrook 2-20, Baldwin 2-7, Wes Fickes 1-7. Olpe: Bradley Argabright 3-88, Josh Klumpe 3-37, Krueger 1-6, Medenciy 2-(-4).
Punting — CG: Regehr 1-44.0. Olpe: Krueger 1-41.0.