LAKE MILLS, Iowa &045; The season was not supposed to go like this for the Lake Mills High School football team.

It wasn’t expected to, anyway.

&uot;I thought we could be .500,&uot; said head coach Bill Byrnes.

Instead, the Bulldogs are 0-7 after a 28-14 loss to Fort Dodge St. Edmund at Lake Mills Friday night.

It was typical of the season. The Bulldogs moved the ball and kept it close but ultimately lost it with turnovers, committing five for the night. They’ve also played a tough schedule that included undefeated Mason City Newman, No. 9 rated Belmond-Klemme, No. 2 ranked West Hancock and South Hampton, second in its district.

&uot;We’ve had a couple chances to win,&uot; said Byrnes. &uot;We took West Hancock to overtime, but we just couldn’t get over the hump.&uot;

On Friday, they spotted St. Edmund a 13-0 first-quarter lead, fumbling on their first play from scrimmage and the ensuing kickoff. They regrouped and went ahead 14-13 on a 68-yard touchdown pass from Tony Norris to Joe Woelfel and a 2-yard touchdown run by Justin Kester. Blake Henley ran for the conversion after the second score.

The Gaels scored late in the second quarter for a 21-14 halftime lead.

Driving for the tying touchdown with five minutes left in regulation, the Bulldogs fumbled on the St. Edmund 25-yard line. A holding penalty pinned the Gaels on their own 9, but quarterback Joel Allen broke a 91-yard run to all but end the Bulldogs’ hopes.

All of St. Edmond’s 318 yards were rushing. The Bulldogs sacked Allen on the only pass play.

The Bulldogs rushed for 122 yards and threw for 124 as Norris went 5-for-14 with two interceptions. Woelfel caught two passes for 82 yards.

Kester ran for 42 yards on 12 carries before leaving the game with a possible broken collarbone in the third quarter.

Jon Prebeck led the Gaels with 164 yards on 36 carries.

Andy Leuwerke’s 11 tackles paced the Bulldog defense. Kester had 10 stops.

&uot;Our kids are fighting,&uot; said Byrnes. &uot;Except for the West Hancock game, we just haven’t been able to get over the hump in terms of playing a full four quarters of football.&uot;

The Bulldogs play at North Iowa this Friday and end the season on Halloween at home against Burnside-Southeast Webster.

SE

13

8

0

7&045;28

LM

6

8

0

0&045;14

First Quarter

SE &045; Steck 1 run (kick successful)

SE &045; Allen 14 run (kick blocked)

LM &045; Woelfel 68 pass from Norris (kick failed)

Second Quarter

LM &045; Kester 2 run (Henley run)

SE &045; Steck 1 run (Allen run)

Third Quarter

No scoring

Fourth Quarter

SE &045; Allen 91 run (kick successful)

SE

LM

First downs

13

14

Rushing yards

318

122

Passing yards

0

124

Total yards

318

246

Turnovers

1

5

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING&045;LM, Kester 12-42; Hengesteg 5-28. SE, Prebeck 36-164.

PASSING&045;LM, Norris 5-14-2, 124. SE, Allen 0-0-0, 0.

RECEIVING&045;LM, Woelfel 2-82.

(Contact Jim Lutgens at sports@albertleatribune.com or 379-3437.)