What a tough, tough loss in Chokio for the CAHN Spartans football team

In what was the final football game that will ever be played in Chokio (unless the C-A community booms and they re-start their athletic programs), the Chokio-Alberta/Herman-Norcross Spartans football team lost another high-scoring game.

This time, it was Eagle Valley leaving town with the win. Final score: Eagle Valley 42, CAHN 38.

Both teams were 3-4 coming into the game. CAHN's 3-5 record puts them at 4th place in the 6-team Pheasant Conference South for 2010.

In the upcoming Section 3, 9-man playoffs, CAHN will be the number six seed and will make the short trip to rival Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley for the quarterfinal round on Tuesday, October 26.

2010 Section 3, 9-man playoff seedings:
1st and 2nd are Wheaton and Edgerton/Ellsworth, and I'm not sure who will be the #1 and who will be the #2 seed. I will know tomorrow, though.

#3 - Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley (7-1)
#4 - Hills-Beaver Creek (6-2)
#5 - Brandon/Evansville (5-3)
#6 - CAHN (3-5)
#7 - Lincoln HI (2-6)
#8 - Hancock (0-8)

Both local football teams suffer defeats in Week 3 last night

In two all-western Minnesota football games on Friday night, the West Central Area Knights lost 59-0 at Breckenridge, while the Chokio-Alberta/Herman-Norcross Spartans dropped a 22-8 contest in Chokio to neighboring rival Wheaton.

Area football scores:
United North Central 14, Osakis 12
Staples-Motley 28, Warroad 12
Alexandria 27, Fergus Falls 7
Upsala-Swanville Area 47, Parkers Prairie 7
New York Mills 26, Kerkhoven-Murdock-Sunburg 13 (K-M-S is 0-3)
Montevideo 26, Benson 20
BOLD 26, Yellow Medicine East 0
Pelican Rapids 20, Wadena-Deer Creek 6
Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton 20, Perham 6

Area 9-man scores:
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 66, Hancock 14
Bertha-Hewitt 36, Verndale 14
Underwood 46, Eagle Valley 16
Hillcrest Lutheran 52, Ashby 0

Chokio-Alberta/Herman-Norcross Spartans football team picks up a big road win at Bertha-Hewitt 34-32 in their season opener

Hats off to Coach Dave Hofland and his coaching staff, along with the entire Chokio-Alberta/Herman-Norcross Spartans football team, as they pick up a huge road win over a very tough Bertha-Hewitt Bears squad. Final score: CAHN 34, B-H 32.

Next week: CAHN at Hancock on Friday, September 10 - the Owls lost 48-0 to Eagle Valley last night.

Area 9-man football scores last night:
Wheaton 12, Verndale 8 (a big Pheasant Conference win for the Warriors)
Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley 14, Hillcrest Lutheran Academy 0
Brandon-Evansville 46, Ashby 16
Underwood 48, Lincoln HI 0

While I'm at it, publishing blog posts, I can't forget to add this Chokio-Alberta/Herman-Norcross Spartans football season preview

Chokio-Alberta/Herman-Norcross
Football season preview

with contribution from Coach Dave Hofland

The Chokio-Alberta/Herman-Norcross Spartans graduated five seniors from their 6-4 football team of a year ago, but will return eight starters from that squad.

Seniors Alex Erickson (QB/DB), Mac Kampmeier (TE/DE), Justin Holslin (C) and Brandon Staples (DB/WR) will serve as team captains.

Juniors Evan Ellison (DE/G), Zach Gibson (G/NG), Daniel Nelson (LB/RB) and Patrick Backman (LB/FB), and sophomore Chandler Erickson (CB) join Alex Erickson, Kampmeier and Holslin as returning starters.

Senior Aaron Vold (DB/RB), juniors Kelly Engquist (QB/DB), Tanner Kirkiede (TE/DE), Cole Rundquist (G/NG) and Adam Asfeld (C), and sophomores Austin Dierks (TE/DE) and Clay Staples (G/NG) are all expected to contribute at the varsity level this season.

"Our strength this year will be our experience and leadership," stated head coach David Hofland. "We don't have great numbers this fall but the kids we have are kids of great character and have been working extremely hard to get ready for the season. We will have a little bit of size with some speed to go along with it. We could have nice mix. Our weakness will, once again, be our depth. We cannot afford injuries. Some of our younger players are going to have to step up to give us that needed depth."

Neal Hofland and Matt Fragodt will assist Coach Hofland, and Steve Haren will coach at the junior high level.

Wheaton, Brandon/Evansville and Clinton-Graceville-Beardsley are the teams to beat in the Pheasant South Conference, while Wheaton, Hills-Beaver Creek and Edgerton are the top teams in Section 3 of 9-man.