Final drive just short

BELLE PLAINE - Belle Plaine (5-1) defeated the Golden Hawks 28-21 in a non-district football game Friday.

The Plainsmen trailed visiting Mid-Prairie (2-3) at halftime, 7-6, because Vinny Bowlin found Nathan Quinby for a 31-yard touchdown as the clock went to zeros.

Tyler Helmuth recovered a Plainsman fumble to start the second half, but Mid-Prairie wouldn't score until Cain Brown caught a 35-yard touchdown to tie the game at 14 early in the fourth quarter. Trailing 28-14, Clark Latchem latched on to a Bowlin pass for a 47 yard score.

Down 28-21, Mid-Prairie got to the Belle Plaine 11 before the clock showed zeros again.

Bowlin was 12-of-25 for 208 yards and Latchem caught four, totaling 116 yards. Brown had four catches for 61 yards. Kayden Reinier rushed 17 times for 108 yards.

Mid-Prairie's defense gave up 294 yards rushing (259 on 43 carries by Luke DeMeulenaere) and one pass for 23 yards. Hawks linebacker Justice Jones was busy making 17.5 tackles, 11 solo.