Knights produce 500-plus offensive, blows past Staples-Motley 43-7

Brooke Kern
Grant County Herald

The West Central Area-Ashby football team won its home opener thanks to an unstoppable rushing attack on Friday, Sept. 9, in Barrett. The Knights earned their first win of the year with a 43-7 victory over the Staples-Motley Cardinals.

The Knights racked up 340 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns in a 43-7 win to improve to 1-1. Senior Anthony Sykora led the rushing attack with 123 yards and three touchdowns on 10 carries.

WCA-Ashby got the running game going early with two Sykora rushing touchdowns, one of four yards and one of 45 yards, in the first quarter, along with a five yard score from senior Tyler Stone.

Sykora scored on the ground again to begin the second quarter, which put WCA-Ashby up 28-0 with 9:48 left in the half.

Junior Brady Lindquist found Cole Anderson a minute later on a 44-yard strike to add another score for the Knights. Late in the half, Lindquist was replaced by Sykora, who nearly added a passing touchdown to his loaded stats, but missed twice and the Knights settled for three points as Sykora knocked through a 23-yard field goal to give WCA-A a 37-0 halftime lead.

The Knights’ final touchdown of the game came in the third quarter on a 49-yard run by Cash Nelson.

WCA-Ashby totaled 488 yards of offense while Staples-Motley had three. In addition to Sykora’s 123 yards on the ground, sophomore Hunter Gruchow had 75 yards on six rushes.

The Knights defense kept Staples-Motley (0-2) in check for most of the night. Staples-Motley only scored once, late in the third quarter, on a five-yard run by Colbe Tappe.

Senior Isaac Kreft led the Knights in tackles with seven. Sam Hanson had five for the Knights who had two interceptions on the night.

WCA-Ashby heads back on the road on Sept. 16 to face Pillager (0-2). Pillager has lost 42-6 to Hawley and 43-7 to Otter Tail Central so far this season. In 2021, the Knights beat Pillager 34-0.

Staples-Motley – 0 0 7 0 – 7

WCA-Ashby – 20 17 6 0 – 43

SCORING –

1ST –

Anthony Sykora 4-yard rush, 6:11, Missed PAT (WCA-A 6-0)

Tyler Stone 5-yard rush, 3:28, 2-pt conversion Brady Lindquist to Anthony Sykora, (WCA-A 14-0)

Anthony Sykora 45-yard rush, 0:34, 2-pt conversion no good (WCA-A 20-0)

2ND –

Anthony Sykora 20-yard rush, 9:48, 2-pt conversion Brady Lindquist to Anthony Sykora, WCA-A 28-0)

Brady Lindquist 44-yard pass to Cole Anderson, 8:39, Missed PAT (WCA-A 34-0)

Anthony Sykora 23-yard field goal, 4:34 (WCA-A 37-0)

3RD –

Cash Nelson 49-yard run, 4:12, 2-pt conversion no good, (WCA-A 43-0)

Colbe Tappe 5-yard run, 0:47, (WCA-A 43-7)

TEAM STATS –

YARDS – WCA-Ashby, 488 (148 passing, 340 rushing); Staples-Motley 133 (117 passing, 16 rushing)

FIRST DOWNS – WCA-Ashby, 19; Staples-Motley, 5

3RD-DOWNS – WCA-Ashby, 1-4; Staples-Motley, 1-12

4TH-DOWNS – WCA-Ashby, 1-1; Staples-Motley, 0-4

TURNOVERS – WCA-Ashby, 3; Staples-Motley, 2

PENALTIES – WCA-Ashby, 1 – 5 yards; Staples-Motley, 1 – 5 yards

WCA PLAYER STATS –

PASSING – Brady Lindquist, 4-7, 93 yards, TD; Sam Hansen, 2-2, 35 yards; Anthony Sykora, 1-1, 20 yards

RUSHING – Anthony Sykora, 10 rushes, 123 yards, 3 TD; Hunter Gruchow, 6 rushes, 75 yards; Cash Nelson, 1 rush, 49 yards, TD; Cole Anderson, 2 rushes, 44 yards; Nas Dotts, 7 rushes, 28 yards; Brady Lindquist, 1 rush, 6 yards; Tyler Stone, 1 rush, 5 yards, TD; Jake Norby, 1 rush, 4 yards; Beau Robinson, 1 rush, 1 yard; Sam Hansen, 1 rush, -3 yards; TEAM 7 yards

RECEIVING – Cole Anderson, 2 catches, 76 yards, TD; Adam Loshe, 2 catches, 22 yards; Ben Bye, 1 catch, 20 yards; Peyton Hanson, 1 catch, 19 yards; Anthony Sykora, 1 catch, 5 yards

DEFENSE – Isaac Kreft, 7 tackles; Sam Hansen, 5 tackles; Jake Norby, 4 tackles; Brady Lindquist, 4 tackles; Cam Anderson, 4 tackles; Tyler Stone, 3 tackles; Anthony Sykora, 2 tackles; Peyton Hanson, 2 tackles; Ben Nyreen, 2 tackles; Cole Anderson, 1 tackle, INT; Beau Robinson, 1 tackle; Hunter Gruchow, 1 tackle; Adam Lohse, 1 tackle; Justin Blascyk, 1 tackle; Blake Flint, 1 tackle; Zach Vick, 1 tackle; Grant Lindquist, 1 tackle; Jackson Nadgwick, 1 sack; Damon Sanstead, 1 sack