Elmore at it again … and again … and again … and again.
EAU CLAIRE, Wis. In his season debute, Logan High School’s Aric Elmore did not disappoint.
The senior running back, wide receiver, returner extraordinaire pretty much single-handedly led the Rangers football team to a season-opening win.
It wasn’t the 29-yard or 19-yard touchdown runs in the first quarter that stuck out. It wasn’t the 6-yarder that sealed the 27-21 victory on Friday, either.
No, it was more obvious than those. It was the 96-yarder when his team was down a point late in the third quarter. The run where he broke through on the left, then cut it back and never stopped. Well, not until he crossed the goal line, anyway. His team never trailed again.
You can re-watch the game right here, thanks to our livestream broadcast team Friday.
Elmore finished with 237 yards rushing on 20 carries. His 6-yard score was set up by a Logan stop on fourth-and-1 on Memorial’s own 12.
After Logan went up 13-0 in the first, the Abes took the lead on second-quarter touchdowns from quarterback Dave Everhart – one in the air and one on the ground. Memorial cut it to a one-touchdown game with 1 second left on the clock.
The Rangers got 103 yards receiving on four grabs from Dakota Horton, while teammate Johnny Kind was 9-for-14 for 153 yards. Logan outgained Eau Claire 444 to 316.
LOGAN 27, EAU CLAIRE MEMORIAL 21
Logan 13 0 8 6 — 27
Eau Claire Memorial 0 14 0 7 — 21
First quarter
L—Aric Elmore 29 run (Elmore kick) 7:27, L—Aric Elmore 19 run (kick failed) 2:51.
Second quarter
ECM—Patrick Quigley 20 pass from Dan Everhart (David Webb kick) 9:43, ECM—Everhart 1 run (Webb kick) :35.
Third quarter
L—Elmore 96 run (Trey Davis run) 4:40.
Fourth quarter
L—Elmore 6 run (kick failed) 2:03, ECM—Cody Hoeth 10 pass from Everhart (Webb kick) :01.
Individual leaders
Rushing: L—Elmore 20-237, ECM—Everhart 11-41. Passing: L—Johnny Kind 9-14-0-153, ECM—Everhart 22-26-0-206. Receiving: L—Dakota Horton 4-103, ECM—Sean Faacks 4-60, Total yards: L—291-153—444, ECM—110-206—316. Fumbles: L—1-0, ECM—1-1.
Records: L 1-0, ECM 0-1.
MERRILL 31, ONALASKA 7
Onalaska had one sequence of brilliance. It was introduced with a pair of Ryan Williams’ passes for 39 yards, and another 22 on the ground from the quarterback. Then an Alex Gumz capped it off with a 14-yard touchdown run that pulled the Hilltoppers within five points before halftime.
But, it seemed, whatever Onalaska did, Merrill answered. The lone touchdown was answered with a long touchdown drive with under 2 minutes to go in the half to go up 18-6. The second half started out with a Merrill turnover. Then an Onalaska one. Merrill did its best to help the Hilltoppers, giving it right back, again, but Onalaska couldn’t take advantage, turning it over on downs, which led to another opposing score.
Even the lone bright spot of the second half for Onalaska immediately led to dismay. The Hilltoppers’ Andrew Thorsen returned an interception 43 yards down to the 7-yard line and put some life back into the home crowd. But only for a few seconds. On the very next play, Onalaska gave it right back, losing a fumble that, again, led to a long Merrill touchdown drive that all but sealed it.
Merrill outgained Onalaska 405 yards (335 on the ground) to 192 (143 rushing). Both teams turned it over four times. Gumz rushed for 65 yards on 14 carries, but appeared to hurt his shoulder in the second half and didn’t return.
Merrill 6 12 6 7 — 31
Onalaska 0 7 0 0 — 7
First quarter
M—Drew Hoff 1 run (run failed) 1:11
Second quarter
M—Mason Reinhardt 4 run (kick blocked) 7:44
O—Alex Gum 14 run (Hunter Riggall kick) 4:29
M—Reinhardt 4 run (pass failed) 1:53
Third quarter
M—Wyatt Strombom 5 run (run failed) :12
Fourth quarter
M—Reinhardt 6 run (Trey Stevenson kick) 1:12
Individual statistics
Rushing: M—Mason Reinhardt 18-119, Wyatt Strombom 21-96, Drew Hoff 9-85, Lucas Lee 3-22, Tyler Butler 1-22, Austin Reissmann 1-1. O—Alex Gumz 14-65, Jalen Zubich 16-51, Ryan Williams 7-24, Dakota Marcon 4-3.
Passing: M—Hoff 6-10-2-70. O—Williams 3-10-0-49.
Receiving: M—Jake Anderson 4-42, Chaz Mootz 2-29, Trey Stevenson 1-(-1). O—Nate Sweeney 2-34, Tyler Hughes 1-15.
Records: M 1-0, O 0-1
PRAIRIE DU CHIEN 42, AQUINAS 6
A 28-point second quarter put this one way out of reach for Aquinas. The Blugolds were down 14-0 at halftime and 28-0 before getting on the board on a Tyler Young 61-yard reception from Connor Haag.
Prairie du Chien outgained Aquinas 450 yards – 254 on the ground – to 152. Young was 6-for-14 for 122 yards.
Aquinas 0 0 6 0 — 6
Prairie du Chien 0 14 28 0 — 42
Second quarter
PdC—Peyton Hall 10 run (Run fail) 5:43, PdC—Casey Hogenson 88 pass from Brogan Potter (Dylan Yeomans run) 3:36.
Third quarter
PdC—Hall 28 run (Yeomans kick) 10:10, PdC—Chad Mara 38 run (Yeomans kick) 8:01, A—Connor Haag 61 pass from Tyler Young (Run fail) 7:38, PdC—Hogenson 60 pass from Potter (Yeomans kick) 4:23, PdC—Cody Larson 12 run (Yeomans kick) 2:01.
Individual leaders
Rushing: A—Connor Haag 7-12, PdC—Hall 14-99. Passing: A—Young 6-14-0-122, PdC—Potter 6-10-1-196. Receiving: A—Haag 2-74, PdC—Hogenson 3-157. Total yards: A—(minus 4)-122—152, PdC—254-196—450. Fumbles: A— 6-1, PdC—2-2.
Records: A 0-1, PdC 1-0.
OTHER SCORES
West Salem 42, Durand 6
Holmen 14, Chippewa Falls 13
Tomah 14, Mauston 0
Cuba City 35, Viroqua 0
Westby 46, Whitehall 6
Ithica 57, Casthon 12
De Soto 10, Brookwood 7
Arcadia 42, Independence/Gilmanton 0
Onalaska Luther 35, Blair-Taylor 0
Pepin/Alma 21, Cochrane-Fountain City 14
In Minnesota,
Rushford-Peterson 47, Kingsland 0
Caledonia 26, Southland 0
Houston 26, LeRoy-Ostrander 14