Mahtomedi football's strong fourth quarter leads it past Simley

Simley was within three, but the Zephyrs finished strong to take the win

Mahtomedi (6-1) came into Simley (6-1) after a tough loss to St. Thomas Academy (7-0) and beat the Spartans by a score of 38-13. 

Despite the final score, Simley was within three points in the fourth quarter.

Mahtomedi running back Corey Bohmert punched in a 7-yard touchdown to put Mahtomedi up 8-0. That would wrap up all the scoring for the first quarter.

Minnesota Golden Gopher wrestling commit Gavin Nelson scored on a 2-yard touchdown run, and Simley failed to convert the two-point conversion and trailed 8-6. Bohmert plunged in for a short,  1-yard score later in the quarter and Mahtomedi led 16-6 at the half.

The third quarter provided no scoring, but Simley had a golden opportunity with roughly six minutes left in the quarter, but Cole Saenger of Mahtomedi made a beautiful interception on its own nine yard line that prevented Simley from scoring.

The fourth quarter started and it was anyone’s game at that point. Caden Renslow connected with Dez Smith on a 70-yard touchdown pass, and Simley pulled within three points. 

Mahtomedi responded with a drive of its own capped by a short touchdown run by quarterback Charlie Brandt that put Mahtomedi up 24-13. 

Simley could not respond with a score of its own, and Cole Saenger ultimately ended the game after a long touchdown run on a fullback dive where he shook off multiple Simley defenders. 

Mahtomedi led 32-13, and Simley again entered four down territory and could not put together a successful drive. Jake Dalum punched in a late touchdown for the Zephyrs, and they pulled out a 38-13 win

Corey Bohmert continues his dominance

Bohmert continues to show why he is one of the best players in Minnesota. Bohmert is a consistent defender for the Zephyrs, and he is one of the most productive running backs in the state. He rushed 27 times for 172 yards and two touchdowns.

He quietly amassed his gaudy rushing numbers and when Mahtomedi needed him most, he came through. Bohmert has an opportunity to finish as the leading rusher in the state if he puts up a big game next week against South St. Paul.

Cole Saenger provides major boost for Zephyrs

Saenger played Robin to Bohmert’s Batman tonight at Simley. Saenger had an acrobatic interception that stalled a long Simley drive, a 76-yard kickoff return that sapped momentum from Simley late in the game, and a long touchdown run on a simple dive play that put the Spartans away completely. 

“We had guys out of position not wanting to tackle'' Simley head coach Chris Mensen said. “Those last two touchdowns should have never happened.”

Saenger provided the most impactful plays of the game and completely snuffed out multiple momentum swings and drives by Simley. 

Mahtomedi had some drives stall out due to personal fouls and assistant coach John Arlandson also stated that “penalties killed us.” 

Saenger nullified a lot of these issues tonight for Mahtomedi, but if it wants to make a run at the 5A title, it needs to avoid costly preventable penalties.

Gavin Nelson injury creates issues on both sides

Nelson has been one of the better players in the state this season. His impact was obvious on the field early tonight as he powered in a short touchdown and was the vocal leader of the Spartans defense.

Late in the first half Nelson was shaken up with what looked like a wrist injury and Simley completely abandoned its run game. Simley found some success throwing the ball, but needed to create a more balanced approach by being able to run in a very close game. 

"Our run game was almost non-existent today and we can’t have that happen.” Mensen said.

Mahtomedi showed in the fourth quarter why it is a class above Simley and should finish the regular season with one loss and an opportunity for a deep push in the 5A playoffs.