Mistakes rock Rebels out of State

Moose Lake/Willow River entered its 19th state football tournament with the Rebels normal poise and determination but - as Friday night's State AA quarterfinal kicked off in Brainerd - the Rebels saw an anomaly on the opening kickoff: a fumble and immediate momentum for Kimball Area, on its way to a 38-0 win.

Kimball, on a state tournament drought since 1991, recovered the fumble at the 13-yard line and Mason Danelke scored the first of his two touchdowns on the night.

"We needed to take care of the football," head coach Dave Louzek said. "The keys to the game were penalties, turnovers, and controlling the line. That didn't happen Friday night."

The Rebels came into the game with just nine turnovers in 11 games. They had four against Kimball, all leading to touchdowns.

Leading 6-0 in the first quarter, Kimball made it 12-0 when Ronald Arnold scored on a 37-yard touchdown run following a three-and-out by ML/WR.

"We knew Kimball had impressive running backs and a big line; we had to control the line and be aggressive on defense," Louzek said.

Quarterback Brandon Henkemeyer and running back Ronald Arnold set the tone for the Cubs' offense. Arnold ran in three touchdowns in the first half to give the Cubs a 32-0 lead at the break with 99 rushing yards. There was also a 62-yard touchdown pass from Henkemeyer to Bryant Knaus.

Mason Danelke scored on a 3-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to make the score 38-0 running time for the rest of the game.

It was the Rebels' seventh-straight state tournament berth and the 16th appearance in the last 17 years. The last five state tournament appearances haven't gone the Rebels' way.

"We are a family," Louzek said. "Win or lose we come together, and everyone believes in our program."

The Rebels ended 9-3 overall with a strong returning core group of players.

Kimball (11-0) moved on to face Jackson County Central in a state semifinal Friday at U.S. Bank Stadium.