Area Football: D-G-F defeats Aitkin in section semifinals

GLYNDON - Top-seeded Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton is heading back to the Section 8-3A championship game.

The Rebels stamped their ticket with a 47-6 semifinal victory over fourth-seeded Aitkin Saturday night at D-G-F High School.

"It's was a great win," said D-G-F junior running back Ryan Poehls, who scored three touchdowns. "We really improved on everything."

D-G-F, winners of the last two 8-3A championships, improved to 8-1. The Rebels play No. 2 seed Pequot Lakes in the title game at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Fargodome. D-G-F has defeated the Patriots for the last two section championships to earn trips to the state tournament.

The Rebels held Aitkin's offense to three first downs and a total of 68 yards in the first half. Aitkin scored its only TD on Caleb Curtiss' 86-yard run in the fourth quarter. He finished with 114 yards rushing.

The Rebels grabbed momentum early Saturday and scored on their opening drive. Facing fourth-and-5 from the Aitkin 19, Rebels senior quarterback Blake Kragnes lofted a pass to Poehls and hauled it in for the touchdown.

Poehls added two rushing touchdowns later in the game which included a 14-yard run on a fourth down play.

"Our offensive and defensive lines were getting good movement up front for us the whole game," said Kragnes, who finished with 78 yards passing and two touchdowns.

D-G-F senior running back Tyler Oberg finished with 140 yards on 25 carries. Poehls said Oberg's runs set up plays for other D-G-F ball carriers.

"The runs outside made them think we were going outside every time," Poehls said. "We then added inside dives and inside blasts."

D-G-F led 28-0 at halftime getting two touchdowns in the final minute of the first half including a 15-yard interception return for a touchdown by junior Garrett Scheel.

Aitkin 0 0 0 6 - 6

Dilworth-G-F 14 14 7 12 - 47

DGF-Poehls 19 pass from Kragnes (Stalboerger kick)

DGF-Poehls 3 run (Stalboerger kick)

DGF-Edeen 11 pass from Kragnes (Stalboerger kick)

DGF-Scheel 15 interception return (Stalboerger kick)

DGF-Poehls 14 run (Stalboerger kick)

DGF-Scheel 75 run (kick failed)

A-Caleb Curtiss 86 run (run failed)

DGF-Taves 9 run (kick failed)

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

Rushing: A-Jerod Novak 18-57, Caleb Curtiss 13-114, Wyatt Kokesh 2-2, Drew Nordean 1-1, Jesse Henline 1-7, Jacob McCormick 1-(-2). DGF-Oberg 25-140, Watt 3-20, Poehls 5-29, Kragnes 4-31, Scheel 1-75, Taves 4-57, Beyer 1-18, Dufault 1-5.

Passing: A-Hunter Sanford 1-2-0-9, Jack Kuppich 2-10-1-26. DGF, Kragnes 4-13-0-78.

Receiving: A-Curtis 1-9, Wyatt Sanford 1-18, Peterson 1-8. DGF, Poehls 1-19, Oberg 1-24, Payne 1-24, Edeen 1-11.

Overall: Aitkin finishes 5-5.