Three Touchdown Night From Solberg Leads Laker Football To First Win

Detroit Lakes, MN (KDLM) – Detroit Lakes senior running back Christian Solberg scored three touchdowns in the second half as the Lakers beat the East Grand Forks Green Wave at Mollberg Field for their first win of the season and the first career win for new Laker head coach Reed Hefta.

Solberg finished the game with eight carries for 47 yards and two touchdowns, plus two receptions for 27 yards and a score.

Points were hard to come by in the first half. The only touchdown was a 44-yard run by Lakers QB Bradly Sweirs with 5:47 left in the first quarter. Charlie Zok punched in the two-point conversion to give the Lakers an 8-0 lead early.

Penalties, failed fourth-down conversions and a suffocating Detroit Lakes defense kept the Green Wave offense in check for the first three-quarters of the game on Friday night. The Lakers forced and recovered two fumbles, and Tyson Ullyot had a pick-six overturned with fourteen seconds left in the first half after a penalty on the return, but the interception stood.

Detroit Lakes had their share of offense struggles in the first half also. A controversial muffed punt on East Grand Forks’ first drive of the game gave them the ball inside Detroit Lakes’ 40-yard line. Detroit Lakes coaches argued that the returner (Solberg) was interfered with before the ball ricocheted off the bottom of his foot and into the arms of a Green Wave defender, but the call stood. East Grand Forks would eventually turn the ball over on downs.

As was the case in Fergus Falls last week, shotgun snaps continued to be an issue against EGF as well. An off-target shotgun snap to QB Mason Carrier resulted in another turnover deep in their own territory, But, again, the Laker defense held. East Grand Forks would attempt a 29-yard field goal attempt that would miss wide left.

The Laker offense found their groove in the second half. Solberg would score his first touchdown on the Lakers’ opening drive in the second half from five yards out that was set up by a remarkable 21-yard reception by WR Chuck Kalina. A botched extra point attempt extended the Laker lead to 14-0 with 9:31 left in the third quarter.

Will Martin recovered an EGF fumble to give the Lakers the ball back with 4:51 left in the third quarter. The Lakers offense would drive to the EGF three-yard line, but the Green Wave would force and recover a Solberg fumble inside the three-yard line. EGF would punt back to Detroit Lakes, and they responded by finishing off their next drive for a touchdown: a one-yard touchdown plunge by Solberg with ten seconds left in the quarter. The two-point conversion was no good, and the Lakers extended their lead to 20-0.

The Lakers would force their third turnover of the game a couple of seconds into the fourth quarter: a fumble forced by Gavin Smith and recovered by Markus Lyman. EGF forced the Lakers to punt, and partially blocked the Caeden Yliniemi punt. Starting at their own 36-yard line, the Green Wave drove 64 yards for their only score of the game: a 46-yard touchdown pass from QB Tanner Campos to Cooper Smith. The XP was good, and the Laker lead was cut to 20-7.

The Lakers responded to the EGF touchdown with another great drive that was capped off by Solberg’s third touchdown of the night: a 13-yard screen pass highlighted by a stretch for the pylon as he was tackled. Evan Thomas’ PAT was good, and the Lakers led 27-7.

Laker quarterback Bradly Swiers would finish the game six-of-eight passing for 115 yards and one touchdown.

The Lakers are now 1-1 on the season and will host 0-2 Thief River Falls next week. The Prowlers lost to 2-0 Perham 13-7 on Friday night.

East Grand Forks falls to 1-1 and will return home to face 0-2 Park Rapids. Park Rapids lost to 2-0 Fergus Falls 28-9.

East Grand Forks 0 0 0 7

Detroit Lakes 8 0 12 7

SCORING PLAYS:

Q1:

DL – 44-yd TD run by Bradly Swiers (Charlie Zok two-point conversion), 5:47

Q2:

Q3:

DL – 5-yd TD run by Christian Solberg (XP no good), 9:31

DL – 1-yd TD run by Christian Solberg (XP no good), 0:10