CLEARING THE WAY — Blue Earth Area offensive lineman Kean Hicks (72) and flanker Luke Schonborn (15) create running room for quarterback Adam Schavey (11) during prep football action Saturday in Lake Crystal. Schonborn blocks Knights’ cornerback Easton Antony (19) on the play, while Hicks looks for oncoming tacklers. (Photo by Greg Abel)

LAKE CRYSTAL — It did not take long for KEYC-TV weekend sports anchor Mary Rominger to film footage of a touchdown being scored during Saturday’s prep football game in Lake Crystal.

Blue Earth Area quarterback/linebacker Adam Schavey proved a human highlight reel by amassing game-bests of 142 yards and four touchdowns to power the Class AA No. 3-ranked Bucs to a 43-13 triumph over the Lake Crystal-Wellcome Memorial Knights.

The 6-foot, 205-pound Schavey joined tackling forces with teammates Blake Ripley, Logan O’Hara and Ashton Lloyd during the Knights’ game-opening series to force a quick three-and-out.

Luke Schonborn then delivered a pivotal 25-yard punt return to put Blue Earth Area in offensive business at LCWM’s 33-yard line. Parker Meyers later reeled off 10 yards to reach the 12 before Schavey broke a couple of arm tackles to cover the distance for his first TD. Gabe Smith kicked the first of his five PATs to stake the Bucs to a 7-0 lead with 7:14 remaining in the first frame.

“We were able to put the ball in the end zone on four of our first five possessions to go up by 28 at halftime,” said Blue Earth Area head coach Randy Kuechenmeister, whose multi-faceted ground game piled up an incredible 346 yards to complement 52 more through the air on the contest.

“Our defense did a good job of keeping them off the scoreboard, while our special teams did a nice job of giving us better field position,” said Kuechenmeister, whose defensive unit allowed only 49 yards of total offense and just two first downs to LCWM in the opening half.

After Kean Hicks, Schavey, Schonborn and defensive company kept the Knights out of the end zone after Michael Matteson recovered a fumbled Buc punt at the BEA 43 with 4:04 left in the first frame, Schavey went to the airwaves to move downfield.

Schavey opened the Bucs’ ensuing 11-play, 98-yard scoring drive with a 24-yard end-around rumble before firing a 33-yard strike to Lloyd along the BEA sideline to reach the LCWM 29.

Running back Waylen Douglas followed Schonborn’s crunching lead block for a 12-yard gain before Schavey crossed the goal line from 8 yards out. Smith kicked the PAT to extend the Bucs’ margin to 14-0 only 3 seconds into the second.

LCWM cornerback Easton Antony later picked off a rare errant Schavey toss to halt BEA at the home team’s 15, but Hicks & Co. held their defensive ground to force another punt.

Schonborn sprinted 20 yards on his return to reach the Knights’ 45, and Schavey did the rest in one play.

Schavey took the snap, burst up the middle and high-stepped two would-be tacklers before motoring 45 yards to paydirt. Smith kicked the PAT for a 21-point edge with 4:16 left before intermission.

Meyers, Schavey and the Bucs’ defense created a quick three-and-out sequence to get the football back with time winding down in the first half.

Running back Nick Nelson then reeled off 55 of his 100 rushing yards on a breakaway run around right end to set up the Bucs at the Knights’ 20.

Noah Johnson picked up 15 yards on a run before Nelson capped the drive with a 5-yard TD. Smith kicked the PAT for a 28-0 halftime lead.

On the back side of intermission, Schavey’s well-timed pooch punt traveled 52 yards to pin the Knights at their own 18 following the Bucs’ initial stalled first possession of the third quarter.

After forcing a LCWM short punt, Schavey broke three tackles to hammer out a 16-yard TD run over the left side for a 34-0 lead. Smith kicked the PAT at the 6:55 juncture of the third.

Matteson, who topped the Knights’ offense with 97 yards on 19 totes, generated 30 of his team’s 72-yard scoring drive against the Bucs’ reserves with time winding down in the third.

Matteson scored the first of his two TDs on a 2-yard sprint before Lucy Richards’ left-footed kick split the uprights to reduce LCWM’s gap to 35-7.

Nolan Nase’s ensuing fumble recovery at his own 33 led to the Knights’ 10-play, 67-yard scoring sequence. Jamis Ulman reeled off 22 yards during the series before Matteson crossed the goal line from 14 yards out for his final score to cut the gap to 35-13 with 7:58 to go.

Noah Johnson and Nelson triggered the Bucs’ following march downfield before Caleb Langager capped the scoring drive with a 4-yard TD run. Meyers then threaded a 2-point conversion pass to Austin Stauffer to close the point production with 2:31 left in regulation.

“One of the most important things is we got the win tonight,” said Kuechenmeister, “but we still have to clean up a few things from an execution perspective and cut down on our penalties (six for 50 yards).”

Blue Earth Area (2-0) plays host to Jackson County Central at 7 p.m. Friday night at Wilson Field, while LCWM (0-2) travels to Le Sueur-Henderson.

BE Area 7 21 7 8 — 43

LCWM 0 0 0 13 — 13

SCORING PLAYS

1st Quarter

BEA–Adam Schavey 12 run (Gabe Smith kick), 7:14.

2nd Quarter

BEA–Schavey 8 run (Smith kick), 11:57.

BEA–Schavey 45 run (Smith kick), 4:16.

BEA–Nick Nelson 5 run (Smith kick), 2:38.

3rd Quarter

BEA–Schavey 16 run (Smith kick), 6:55.

4th Quarter

LCWM–Michael Matteson 2 run (Lucy Richards kick), 11:56.

LCWM–Matteson 14 run (kick failed), 7:58.

BEA–Caleb Langager 4 run (Austin Stauffer pass from Parker Meyers), 2:31.

TEAM STATISTICS

First downs: BEA 13; LCWM 10. Rushing: BEA 33-346; LCWM 42-144. Passing: BEA 3-14-1-52; LCWM 5-16-0-27. Fumbles-lost: BEA 2-2; LCWM 3-0. Penalties: BEA 6-50; LCWM 1-15.