WELLS &045; The Blooming Prairie Blossoms bolted to a big halftime lead on the strength of their passing game.

In the second half, the United South Central Rebels showed them how to run the football. And how to win.

The Rebels scored 28 unanswered points, erasing a 21-0 halftime deficit for a 28-21 victory in a showdown for first place in the Gopher-Valley AA Conference at Wells Friday night. USC improved to 4-0, leaving them alone in first place, while the Blossoms fell to 3-1.

&uot;We got behind the eight-ball giving up some big plays,&uot; said Rebels coach Brent Schimek. &uot;In the third quarter we just came out and played power football. We got the momentum on the opening kickoff and built from there.&uot;

After a scoreless first quarter, the Blossoms had all the momentum in the second, scoring on passes of 4, 17 and 68 yards from Craig Olson to David Kramer.

The Rebels’ Joel Robinson forced a fumble with a big hit on the opening kickoff of the second half and, four plays later, John Niebuhr put USC on the board with a 3-yard touchdown run.

After an interception by Nate Pederson, Trevor Haugh scored on a 9-yard run.

The Rebels closed the third quarter with a seven-play, 51-yard drive that culminated with a

17-yard touchdown pass from Ben Wetzell to Chris Adams.

The winning score came in the fourth as the Rebels went 10 plays, with Steven Wood running the final 35.

Pederson intercepted a pass at the goal line with 2:30 remaining and the Rebels ran out the clock from there.

USC held the Blossoms to 13 rushing yards, outgaining them 313-268. Niebuhr ran 23 times for 100 yards.

Wetzell completed four of 14 passes for 59 yards, all to different receivers; he threw no interceptions.

Pederson totaled five tackles and two interceptions. Niebuhr also had five tackles.

BP &045;

0

21

0

0

&045;

21

USC &045;

0

0

21

7

&045;

28

First Quarter

No scoring

Second Quarter

BP &045; Kramer 4 pass from Olson (Salinas kick)

BP &045; Kramer 17 pass from Olson (Salinas kick)

BP &045; Kramer 68 pass from Olson (Salinas kick)

Third Quarter

USC &045; Niebuhr 3 run (Knutson kick)

USC &045; Haugh 9 run (Knutson kick)

USC &045; Adams 17 pass from Wetzell (Knutson kick)

Fourth Quarter

USC &045; Wood 35 run (Knutson kick)

BP, USC

Rushing yards:13, 254

Passing yards: 255, 59

Total yards: 268, 313

Turnovers: 5, 1

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING&045;USC, Niebuhr 23-100; Wetzell 10-60; Haugh 22-53.

PASSING&045;USC, Wetzell 4-14-0, 59.

RECEIVING&045;Wood 1-20; Adams 1-17; Pederson 1-14; Niebuhr 1-8.