BRECKENRIDGE, Minn. - In a game that featured 857 yards from scrimmage and 12 touchdowns, Tyler Kent separated himself as the top playmaker.
The Breckenridge receiver scored four touchdowns, sparking the Cowboys to a 55-29 victory against MACCRAY in the Class 2A, Section 6 football quarterfinals Tuesday night.
"If we can get the ball in his hands with some open field, he makes big plays for us," Breckenridge coach Darren Baartman said.
Kent caught five passes for 120 yards and three touchdowns - 34, 34 and 48 yards - and added a 100-yard kickoff return for a TD.
"That's the best game I've ever had," said Kent, helping the Cowboys improve to 6-3.
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Winners of four straight games, No. 2-seeded Breckenridge will host No. 3 seed West Central Area (7-2) at 7 p.m. Saturday in the section semifinals. West Central beat the Cowboys 28-20 in the regular season.
Tuesday, Kent made a big play any time it looked like MACCRAY was ready to challenge.
After the Wolverines cut the Breckenridge lead to 19-6 with 18 seconds remaining in the first half, the Cowboys were quick to counter.
On the final play of the second quarter, Kent hauled in a 34-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Mike Herrick. The 6-foot, 160-pound senior snagged the perfectly thrown pass with arms fully extended near the MACCRAY 5-yard line and slipped into the end zone, giving Breckenridge a 27-6 halftime lead.
"I thought I maybe overthrew him a little bit, but you never know with him," Herrick said. "He has a lot of speed."
After intercepting a tipped Herrick pass, MACCRAY scored on its first play of the third quarter, a Tyler Steen-to-Zach Thissen 32-yard pass play off a reverse. After the two-point conversion, the Wolverines (3-6) cut the Cowboys' lead to 27-14.
However, Kent took the ensuing kickoff at the goal line, streaked through a seam in the middle of the field before he was met at the 30-yard line by a MACCRAY defender. Kent then spun off the would-be tackler, bounced the play to the right sideline and raced into the end zone.
"I guess I never get a chance to use the spin move, but when I can I like to use it," Kent said.
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MACCRAY 0 6 15 8-29
Breckenridge 0 27 16 12-55
B-Muller 37 run (Jenson kick)
B-Muller 16 run (kick failed)
B-Kent 34 pass from Herrick (run failed)
M-Grussing 4 pass from Koenen (kick blocked)
B-Kent 34 pass from Herrick (Kent pass from Herrick)
M-Thissen 32 pass from Steen (Grussing run)
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B-Kent 100 kickoff return (Kent pass from Herrick)
M-Thissen 24 pass from Koenen (Pauling kick)
B-Meyer fumble recovery in end zone (Kent pass from Herrick)
B-Kent 48 pass from Herrick (pass failed)
B-Poppel 79 run (kick blocked)
M-Aalderks 1 run (Madsen run)
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
RUSHING: M, Grussing 14-96, Koenen 17-68, Aalderks 4-9. BHS, Muller 24-142, Poppel 7-94, Herrick 9-82.
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PASSING: M, Koenen 17-32-3 198 yards, Steen 1-1-0 32. BHS, Herrick 7-14-2 136.
RECEIVING: M, Steen 7-83, Thissen 3-68, Aeikens 3-42, Meyer 2-22, Grussing 3-15. BHS, Kent 5-120, Swenson 2-16.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Eric Peterson at (701) 241-5513
