PERHAM, MN (KDLM/KPRW) – The Detroit Lakes Lakers football team traveled to Perham on Friday night in the annual Battle for the Paddle game against the Yellowjackets, having won the previous three meetings.
And with 33 seconds left in the game, it looked like the Paddle would return to Detroit Lakes.
But a perfectly executed hook-and-ladder play by Josh Peterson and Levi Richter gave Perham a long touchdown with seconds on the clock as Perham beat Detroit Lakes 30-27 for their first win over their Highway 10 rival since September 8, 2017.
Detroit Lakes entered the game on a two-game winning streak, only allowing seven points in their last two games. Perham was looking to bounce back from a 48-0 loss at the hands of the Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Rebels in Week 3.
The Laker defense made a statement early as Christian Solberg intercepted Perham QB Colton Hackel on the Yellowjacket’s first drive of the game and returned the INT to the Perham 10 yard line. After a five-yard penalty, QB Bradly Swiers connected with Mason Carrier on a 15-yard touchdown pass. After a failed two-point conversion, the Lakers led 6-0.
Hackel and the Perham offense responded, putting together a long touchdown drive that was capped off by a 15-yard touchdown run by Hackel. After the PAT, Perham led 7-6 with 5:38 left in the first quarter.
But the first-quarter scoring wasn’t over. The Lakers retook the lead on Carrier’s second touchdown of the quarter; a 20-yard touchdown run. Another failed two-point conversion gave the Lakers a 12-7 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Perham’s offense stalled on the following possession, and Laker DB Jacob Pavek intercepted Hackel on fourth down deep in Laker territory with 11:26 left in the quarter. Both teams would struggle to move the ball in the second quarter. Perham found success running the ball up the middle with Hackel late in the second quarter, and scored a touchdown (4-yard run by Hackel) with twelve seconds left in the quarter to take a 15-12 lead to the locker room (Hackel also ran in the two-point conversion.)
Ethan Carrier got the lead back for Detroit Lakes late in the third quarter with a 29-yard touchdown run. Evan Thomas’ extra point gave the Lakers a 19-15 with 3:13 left in the quarter.
But as he did so many times in the game, Hackel put Perham on his back, scoring another rushing touchdown from 24-yards out with four seconds left in the quarter while spinning away from and bouncing off of Laker defenders. Hudson Hackel ran the two-point conversion up the middle for the game’s fifth lead-change and a 23-19 Perham lead.
Perham had opportunities to seal the win late, but missed chances kept the Lakers hopes alive. Hackel missed a 25-yard field goal with 6:43 left that would have given Perham a seven-point lead. After forcing a Laker punt, Perham got the ball back and drove to the Laker 10-yard-line but couldn’t convert on fourth down.
That set up Detroit Lakes’ best offensive drive of the game. The Lakers got the ball back with just over three minutes left, and Swiers led his team on a 90 yard, clock-eating drive that included two fourth-down conversions (one a long run by Swiers, one a big pass to Solberg), and finished with a one-yard QB sneak to give Detroit Lakes a 28-23 lead.
But 33 seconds would be plenty of time for Hackel. On first down from their 48-yard line, Hackel connected with WR Josh Peterson on a ten-yard pass. Peterson then flipped the ball back to Levi Richter, who caught the Laker defenders out of position. Richter sprinted down the sidelines for a 52-yard, game-winning touchdown with only 13 seconds on the clock.
The Lakers would get to mid-field on their last-chance drive, but Solberg fumbled at midfield as time expired, which sent the Yellowjackets to the Laker sideline to claim the Paddle that has been absent from their trophy case since 2017.
Hackel, who committed to the UND Fighting Hawks last week, finished the game with 159 rushing yards and three touchdowns, plus 113 passing yards and the game-winner to Peterson/Richter.
Detroit Lakes falls to 2-2 on the season and will welcome winless Pequot Lakes to Mollberg Field for the Lakers’ homecoming game next Friday night. Perham improves to 3-1 and will welcome 3-1 Fergus Falls to Ted Meinover Stadium next Friday night.
DETROIT LAKES 12 0 7 8 – 27
PERHAM 7 8 8 7 – 30
SCORING PLAYS:
Q1 –
DL – Swiers 15-yard TD pass to M. Carrier, 2-pt no good. 8:40
PERHAM- C. Hackel 15-yard TD run, C. Hackel PAT good. 5:38
DL- M. Carrier 20-yard TD run, 2-pt no good. 2:39
Q2
PERHAM- C. Hackel 4-yard TD run (2-PT by C. Hackel good). 0:12
Q3-
DL – E. Carrier 29-yard TD run (Thomas PAT good). 3:13
PERHAM- C. Hackel 24-yard TD run (2-pt by H. Hackel two-point good). 0:16
Q4-
DL – Swiers 1-yard TD run (2-pt Swiers to Korth good) 0:33
PERHAM- Hackel pass to Peterson, lateral to Richter, 52 yard TD, (C. Hackel PAT good) 0:13
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