Something had to give Friday night when 3-0 New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva hosted 3-0 Waterville-Elysian-Morristown in New Richland.

The Panthers averaged 46.3 points per game in the first three games this season while the Buccaneers defense has been the stingiest in the Gopher Valley Conference, allowing only 12 points in four games.

Unfortunately for NRHEG, on a night when the Panther faithful honored their 1976 and 1978 state championship teams, it was the potent ground game that had to give in a hard fought 16-12 loss.

“They got all the breaks tonight,” said Panthers head coach Dan Stork. “I made some stupid calls as coach that hurt us also, but they’re good, you have to give them credit. Hopefully we will see them again come tournament time.”

One call Stork wanted back came with 1:20 remaining in the first quarter in a scoreless ball game. Up to that point the game had been one of field position and the Panthers were on the losing end of it. So on fourth and seven from their own 41 Stork called for a fake punt that failed and set W-E-M up in Panther territory at the 44.

Two plays later the Bucs were at the Panther one as the first quarter came to an end. Then on the first play of the second W-E-M’s Reid Roemhildt dove in for the first score of the game and a 7-0 Bucs lead.

“If I had that to do over, I would punt the ball,” Stork said. “I was just trying to get out of our end of the field, we were losing the battle for field position and I wanted to see if we could get something going.”

The Panthers had trouble with their ground game but W-E-M was not having much of a problem as they moved the ball into scoring position once again with a 12-play drive that ended with a 17-yard field goal and a 10-0 deficit for NRHEG.

NRHEG opened up the passing game in the third and connected on a Payden Peterson to Jonathan Kormann pass play for 30 yards to the W-E-M 24. Five plays later the Panthers touchdown machine, Greg Ramaker ran in from 15 yards and pulled NRHEG to within four at 10-6 after a failed extra point.

On the next W-E-M possession, with the Bucs quarterback in the shotgun position and the ball deep in their own territory, the center launched the ball toward the Panthers goal line where Ramaker, this time as a linebacker, beat the QB to the ball and put NRHEG in front 12-10.

With time winding down in the third the Panthers thought they put the game out of reach when with just 1:00 remaining they went for it on a fourth and three from the three yard line. Ramaker took the hand off and headed for the corner of the endzone, put the ball in front of him, and hit the pylon.

In any other football league, the pylon is considered in the endzone, but apparently not where these officials are from because to the Panthers fans amazement, the officials signaled first down for the Bucs at the Panther one.

NRHEG still looked to be in control late in the fourth with a 12-10 advantage and only six minutes remaining. But after a four-and-out gave the ball to W-E-M the Bucs took just eight plays to put the ball in the endzone with 1:49 left in the game for a disappointing 16-12 Panther loss.

“Our kids played their hearts out tonight, I couldn’t be more proud of them,” Stork said.

Ramaker had been putting up all-world numbers but the Bucs defense held the senior running back to a season low 80 yards on 21 carries while Peterson and the passing game went 7 of 15 for 125 yards.

W-E-M 16, NRHEG 12

WEM – 0 10 0 6 – 16

NRHEG – 0 0 12 0 – 12

Second Quarter

WEM – Reid Roemhildt 1 run (kick good)

WEM – Chad Melchert 17 field goal

Third Quarter

NRHEG – Greg Ramaker 15 run (kick good)

NRHEG – Ramaker 1 run fumble recovery (conv. failed)

Fourth Quarter

WEM – Zach Geyer 17 run (conv. failed)