Well, how ‘bout that!!—Dutchmen win season opener!

By Mike Drooger –

After Edgerton’s opening football game of the 2021 season, head coach Andrew Fleischman admitted he had no idea what to expect from his young, inexperienced club. “I told Scott (assistant coach Landin) I was nervous like it was the first game I ever coached. We had no idea what to expect from these guys because even though they work so hard in practice, we are limited as to what we can do because we’re short of players. I will remember this forever,” Coach Fleischman reported. What Fleischman will remember forever is a 62-8 victory over the Madelia Blackhawks at Edgerton on a cool September evening.

It was a three-and-out for Madelia on their first possession thanks in large part to a dropped pass. Edgerton went right to work and never looked back. Bruising senior runner Nolan Buckridge had the first carry of the season for three yards. The next two carries were by an eighth-grader. Typically Coach Fleischman wouldn’t insert and eighth grader into the lineup, but this isn’t a typical season thanks to a shortage of upperclassmen.

But if a coach needs to dip down to the eighth grade level for players, it’s a blessing to have a player in the caliber of Michael Gunnink. Fleischman praised his young runner after the game. “He’s so smart and has a knack for running. He follows his blockers really well and he knows just when to cut and turn his shoulders up field to get as many yards as possible.”

Gunnink followed his blockers, cut, and turned his shoulders to the tune of 193 yards on just 15 carries. The big guys up front opened the holes led by Kenneth Reyes (9^th), Jacob Fischer (12^th), Jared Fischer (10^th), Jose Carrera (11^th), and Conner Ockenga (10^th). Also blocking well for EHS were Buckridge and junior Carter Amundson. In his first varsity start at quarterback, freshman Blake Schultz ran the offense flawlessly and finished with 40 yards passing (2-for-2) and 18 yards rushing as Edgerton amassed a lead of 46-0 at halftime. For the game, Edgerton finished with 512 yards rushing yards on 55 carries and passed for 65 more.

Gunnink got Edgerton’s first TD of the season, and Buckridge added the two-point conversion. Buckridge scored again and punched in the PAT for a 16-0 lead. The lead mushroomed to 24-0 after Buckridge scored, and Jacob Fischer caught a two-point conversion from Schultz. The pass came from 13 yards out due to a penalty on the initial conversion attempt.

Freshman Dylan Luce (56 yards rushing) picked off a Madelia pass, which led to a Buckridge TD pass to Gunnink as Fleischman added another offensive option. “Our play sheet is pretty small right now, but what we do we did well tonight. We’ll add more offensive options as the year goes on. We must make teams defend the whole field,” Fleischman said after the game during his radio interview with Ross Kreun. Luce added the point after for a 32-0 Edgerton lead.

Gunnink wasn’t done. The speedster took a handoff at the 30-yard line and outraced the Blackhawk defense to the end zone for a 70-yard jaunt. There was no PAT so Edgerton led 38-0. Buckridge added two more TDs before his night was over. Schultz busted over the goal line for a PAT and freshman Keaton Arp added another conversion for a score of 54-0.

In order to take a lead of 46-0, Edgerton got a pair of highlight reel plays. Gunnink proved he no slouch on defense when he picked off a Madelia pass. Later, with Edgerton facing a third down and 19 yards to go situation, Schultz heaved the ball down the field where Jacob Fischer made a spectacular one-handed grab while lying on his back at the seven. That set up Buckridge’s fourth TD.