GLYNDON-Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton is heading back to the Minnesota Class 3A, Section 8 football championship game.
The Rebels stamped their ticket with a 47-6 semifinals victory over Aitkin on Saturday 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 for the Rebels. "We really improved on everything."
D-G-F-winners of the last two Class 3A, Section 8 championships-improved to 8-1 with the win. The No. 1-seeded 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 the last two section championships to earn trips to the state playoffs.
D-G-F grabbed momentum early on Saturday and scored on its opening drive. Facing a fourth-and-5 from the Aitkin 19-yard line, Rebels senior quarterback Blake Kragnes lofted a pass to Poehls and hauled it in for the early touchdown.
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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 the game 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.
The Rebels held Aitkin's offense to three first downs and a total of 68 yards in the first half.
"We played physical defense and physical offense," D-G-F head coach Tony Soderberg said. "We have a good group of kids and a lot of different skill sets that makes us a dynamic team. I thought we were pretty balanced (Saturday). We just played good football."
A 0 0 0 6-6
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DGF 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--Curtiss 86 run (run failed)
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DGF--Taves 9 run (kick failed)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: A, Novak 18-57, Curtiss 13-114, Kokesh 2-2, Nordean 1-1, Henline 1-7, 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, H. Sanford 1-2-0--9, Kuppich 2-10-1--26. DGF, Kragnes 4-13-0--78.
RECEIVING: A, Curtis 1-9, W. Sanford 1-18, Peterson 1-8. DGF, Poehls 1-19, Oberg 1-24, Payne 1-24, Edeen 1-11.
