HAWLEY, Minn. - Cory Mattson considers himself an all-or-nothing football player.
"It's either a big play or not much at all," said the Hawley High School senior running back.
Unfortunately for Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, it was a big play night Friday.
Mattson had 129 rushing yards and three touchdowns to lift the Nuggets to a 27-19 Heart O' Lakes Conference victory over the Rebels in the season opener for both teams.
"D-G-F is a tough team," Mattson said. "They are not going to give you a lot. When you see a hole, you've got to go through it."
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Mattson and the Nuggets caught a break on the opening kickoff, when they recovered the ball after a squib kick bounced off a Rebels defender.
Hawley (1-0) capitalized with a nine-play, 54-yard drive, capped by a 14-yard touchdown run by Mattson.
Mattson set up the Nuggets' second score with a 76-yard punt return to the D-G-F 1-yard line.
Quarterback Andrew VanHavermaet scored on a plunge up the middle to give Hawley a 13-0 advantage with 1 minute, 43 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
"We just made too many mistakes," Rebels coach Tony Reno said. "It was a good battle between two good teams."
The Rebels, who managed just one first down in the first quarter, lost a fumble and tossed a pair of interceptions in the game.
D-G-F (0-1) scored on a 17-yard touchdown run by Nick Kosen to make the score 13-7 late in the second quarter.
After another Mattson touchdown - a 6-yard run - Rebels running back Raul Longoria scored from 10 yards out to make the score 19-13.
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D-G-F missed an opportunity to tie the game when a Matt Green pass was dropped by Kosen inside the Nuggets' 20-yard-line on fourth down.
"Dropped passes were crucial," Reno said.
On its next possession, Hawley scored on a 5-play, 84-yard drive to go ahead 27-13.
A 1-yard touchdown run by Kosen made the score 27-19 with 9:57 to play. The Nuggets' defense took over from there.
Hawley stopped D-G-F on fourth down on their last two offensive possessions to seal the win.
"It was huge to get a win," Mattson said. "But we still haven't played our best football. There is a long way to go."
D-G-F 0 13 0 6- 19
Hawley 13 6 8 0- 27
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H-Mattson 14 run (VanHavermaet kick)
H-VanHavermaet 1 run (kick blocked)
D-G-F-Kosen 17 run (Brantner kick)
H-Mattson 6 run (pass failed)
D-G-F-Longoria 10 run (kick failed)
H-Mattson 9 run (Mattson run)
D-G-F-Kosen 1 run (kick failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
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RUSHING: D-G-F, Green 1-2, R. Longoria 12-61, Kosen 5-26, O. Longoria 7-60, Johnson 1-1, Brantner 4-15. H, Mattson 14-129, Paur 12-85, Harms 15-23, VanHavermaet 1-1, Boyer 1-4, Aakre 1-0.
PASSING: D-G-F, Green 13-29-2, 88 yards. H, Harms 1-4-0, 8.
RECEIVING: D-G-F, Kosen 2-14, Fischer 7-57, O. Longoria 1-5, Brantner 3-12. H, VanHavermaet 1-8.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Heath Hotzler at (701) 241-5562
