Big Lake, MN – Cole Drill’s three touchdown passes, Max Kraay’s six receptions, and Ray Beiningen’s timely plays led Mound Westonka to a 41-26 non-subdistrict win on Friday night, in a game that showed toughness and resilience by both squads. The win pushed the White Hawks record to 3-0 while Big Lake fell to 1-2 on the season.

Beiningen got things started for Westonka when he almost broke loose on the opening kickoff going 23 yards before a diving, shoelace tackle brought him down with nothing but green grass left in front of him. He then took a handoff for 24 yards on the first play putting the White Hawks in Big Lake territory. However, three plays later Offensive Coordinator Mike Wallace faced a 4th and 7 from the Hornets 31-yard line. Drill would find his favorite target, Kraay, across the middle for 15 yards. On the very next play, Kraay out leaped a Hornet defender in the back of the left end zone for a 16-yard touchdown from Drill. Chase Lee’s extra point gave the White Hawks the early 7-0 advantage. “It has been so fun to see Cole and Max’s chemistry grow these past two seasons. They are not only great friends off the field, but their connection/relationship on the field is second to none”, said Head Coach Nick David.

The Big Lake offense, which had been missing star quarterback Carson Gellerman for the first two games, picked up a first down but then faced their own 4th down decision on their own 49-yard line. The handoff to Carter Stromberg went nowhere as Dylan Holappa came through from his interior line position to hold Big Lake a yard short of the first down. As has been the case for most of the season, the White Hawks offense has thrived on the defense’s fourth down stops. This situation was not any different as Beiningen took a Drill swing pass to the left and raced 18 yards down the sideline to the Hornets 30-yard line. Three plays later, Drill was forced from the pocket but as he scrambled left, he found Beiningen, who had leaked out from the backfield, wide open at the 6-yard line where Kraay’s block gave him a lane to the end zone and a 24-yard TD. Drill would find Joe Sluka just inside the goal line for the two-point conversion and a 15-0 lead with 4:39 to play in the 1st quarter.

On the Hornets next possession, Holappa would create havoc once more as he broke through the line of scrimmage hitting Stromberg just as he got the handoff forcing a fumble that senior Carter Kleinsasser would fall on giving the White Hawks the ball back at the Big Lake 49-yard line. “Dylan Holappa was absolutely all over the place. He is the type of player who always does whatever is asked of him without any whining or complaining, so it was really nice to see him show up big on the stat sheet Friday night,” stated David. Westonka would face another 4th down decision at the Hornets 42-yard line. This time they would turn to Beiningen who picked up more than enough yardage as he went around the left end for an 8-yard gain. The drive would eventually stall giving Lee, who is just a sophomore, his first Varsity field goal attempt which he snuck over the crossbar from 26 yards out giving Westonka an 18-0 lead early in the 2nd quarter.

Gellerman would lead the Hornets down the field on their next drive, finding wide receiver Jack Midas for 48 yards on 3rd and 11 putting the ball at the White Hawks 6-yard line. On first down, junior Brant Tebbs would stuff the run for no gain, Midas would drop a touchdown catch in the right end zone on 2nd down, Tebbs would knock away a pass in the end zone on 3rd down, but Gellerman would not be denied, scrambling to his left on 4th down and diving just inside the left pylon for the 6 yard TD. The two-point try was stuffed by the defensive line making it an 18-6 White Hawks lead.

Westonka would drive 69 yards on their next possession with Beiningen picking up 20 yards on a run down the right sideline. Drill would then find a streaking Kleinsasser for 25 yards as he out jumped two defenders being brought down at the 1-yard line. Beiningen would handle the rest, busting through the middle two plays later, and Drill would find a wide open Kleinsasser for the two-pointer and a commanding 26-6 advantage. However, the Hornets' Montell Hester would take the ensuing kickoff and return it 90 yards for a TD with 3:30 left to play in the 2nd quarter. The two-point try failed and the White Hawks still led 26-12. But Drill would lead the offense on a seven play, 76-yard drive culminated by Beiningen’s run to the right from 24 yards out. Lee’s extra-point made it 33-12.

On the Hornets next possession, Holappa would push Gellerman from the pocket, where he rolled to his right, and linebacker Andrew Hoisington converged on him along the sideline causing an ill-advised pass that Sluka would intercept and take back to the Westonka 44-yard line.

Big Lake would come out strong to start the second half, going 60 yards in two plays, including a 40-yard screen pass to Stromberg. White Hawks senior, Mason Sebasky, would blitz and cause Gellerman to fumble but the Hornets recovered it at the Westonka 24-yard line. Gellerman would split the seams to Midas on the next play for 23 yards. Reid Josewski would take it the final six yards for the Hornets, cutting the deficit to 33-18 with 10:07 to play in the third quarter.

Drill would show his athleticism on the next Westonka series. He would avoid pressure, scramble to his right and throw across his body to a wide-open George Eberhart, who would have to avoid one tackler outracing him for a 64-yard touchdown catch. Big Lake would eventually tack on a late touchdown in the 4th quarter.

Offensively, Drill (10 rushes, 54 yards) finished with 279 yards passing on 20 completions, which found Kraay the six times for 78 yards and the lone touchdown. Beiningen tallied 81 yards on the ground and 42 through the air. His 32 yards on kick returns gave him 155 total yards. On the defensive side of the ball, the team finished with seven tackles-for-loss, two sacks (Holappa and Dylan Sloan) and two forced fumbles (Holappa and John Seemann). Tebbs led Westonka with 13 tackles and a pass defended from his safety position, while Hoisington finished with seven tackles. Senior Cole Munsterteiger had six tackles. However, Holappa was the story on defense as he came up with seven tackles (five solo), a tackle-for-loss, and forced a fumble while putting pressure on the Big Lake offense all night long. Sloan added six tackles, while Sluka (INT) and Seemann finished with five tackles apiece.

The White Hawks return home to the confines of Haddorff Field this Friday night as they host Skyway Bronze Subdistrict foe, Providence Academy, on Homecoming. Kickoff is slated for 7:00pm.