NEW ULM &8212; The New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva football team scored the final 16 points Saturday to beat Minnesota Valley Lutheran 30-15 and remain undefeated on the season.

The seventh-ranked Panthers

held on defense to open the game before driving 73 yards on seven plays to score on a Blake Kerkhoff 8-yard run. Dakota Tracy had the big play on the drive running 49 yards on the first play.

MVL would answer with a touchdown on its next drive, but NRHEG&8217;s Brad Kruckeberg returned the ensuing kickoff 82 yards for the score putting his team up 14-6.

MVL would answer with nine straight points to close out the first half to take a 15-14 lead.

The Panthers&8217; offensive line dominated play in the second half and Kerkhoff, Justin Tufte, and Gaven Schlaak took turns pounding the ball at MVL on the ground.

Kerkhoff finished with 64 yards, Tufte had 43 and Schlaak had 16.

NRHEG reclaimed the lead on its opening drive of the second half matching 64 yards in 13 plays with Kerkhoff going the final three for the score.

Tracy would score the Panthers&8217; final touchdown in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard run.

NRHEG outgained MVL 264-196 in the game and recovered a pair of fumbles.

Tracy finished the day going 3 of 5 for 31 yards in the air.

Travis Wayne led the Panthers&8217; defense with 13 tackles.

The Panthers are at home this week to face Gibbon-Fairfax-Winthrop for homecoming.