Semi-Pro Football: Defense, aerial attack lifts Screaming Eagles past Lumberjacks 42-6

It was raining pigskin as the Lakes Area Screaming Eagles won their fifth consecutive game behind a prolific passing game that racked up 335 yards and three touchdowns in the 42-6 drubbing of the visiting Brainerd Lumberjacks on Saturday.

The Screaming Eagles defense also got involved, harassing Lumberjack quarterback Mark Hummel into four interceptions and scored twice.

“Our defense continues to step up and make the plays for us,” Screaming Eagles player-coach Jason McCloskey said. “Offensively, we need to start finishing off our drives and get the ball into the end zone.”

Back-to-back drives in the first half ended in McCloskey interceptions, but the Screaming Eagles defense rose up to chop down any serious threat by Brainerd, which pretty much ran a one-dimensional offense between Hummel and running back Alex Bade.

On the Screaming Eagles first possession of the second half, they peeled off 87 yards on 18 plays and took 12:18 off the clock, only to stall out at the Lumberjack five-yard line.

“That drive ended right at the [Lumberjacks] door step,” McCloskey explained. “It would’ve been nice to punch into the end zone to finish that one off, since we did a great job executing our plays and taking lots of time off the clock.”

What the offense couldn’t finish, the Screaming Eagles defense did 10 seconds later, as Dante Mathis picked off a Hummel pass and returned it 19 yards for the score to make it 28-6.

It was the second Screaming Eagles defensive touchdown to come at the inability of the offense to find the end zone in a shorten field. Early in the second quarter, McCloskey hit wide receiver James Singer with a 65-yard bomb to the Lumberjacks 18-yard line. Lakes Area ended up gaining just five yards and turned the ball over on downs four plays later at the 13.

Brainerd ran three quick plays, but Screaming Eagle defensive end Jordan Brown burst through to block the punt and Jacob Ledding was able to recover the ball and return it six yards for the score.

McCloskey had no trouble finding open receivers against the Lumberjacks, as 20 attempts found the intended target, including a 32-yard scoring strike to a wide-open Tarrel Flannigan for the first touchdown of the game late in the opening stanza. Both would team up again for a 13-yard scoring play with 1:33 remaining in the first half.

Singer was the favorite target of the 13-year veteran quarterback. The speedy 5-foot-9 receiver snagged six passes for 159 yards—including another long range pass that went for a 65 yard touchdown with 5:02 left in the third quarter to push the Screaming Eagles lead to 36-6.

Ledding capped the scoring with a five yard run near the two-minute mark in the fourth quarter.

The Screaming Eagles ended up racking up 433 yards in total offense while limiting the Lumberjacks to 142 yards.

“I can’t praise our offensive line enough for their ability to pick up the blitzes and downfield blocking,” McCloskey said. “They did a great job giving me some time to pick out the receivers and open the holes for our running game. I was able to get some additional yards on the scramble because they kept blocking until the whistle blew.”

Brainerd’s lone score came with 28 seconds left in the first half on a six yard keeper from Hummel.

Lakes Area (5-2) has the next two weeks off before wrapping up the regular season with a non-conference game against the Central Minnesota Rhinos in St. Cloud on July 10.

The Screaming Eagles will host the Minnesota Sting at 5 p.m. for the NPFL Playoffs with the winner advancing to the championship game with top-seeded Menomonie Thunderhawks on July 24.

Brainerd Lumberjacks at Lakes Area Screaming Eagles on June 19
Screaming Eagles 42, Lumberjacks 6
Brainerd 0 6 0 0—6
Lakes Area 8 12 8 14—42
First Quarter
LA—Tarrel Flannigan 32 pass from Jason McCloskey (Kyler Wegner pass from McCloskey) 5:49
Second Quarter
LA—Jacob Ledding 6 yard blocked punt return (pass failed) 2:59
LA—Flannigan 13 pass from McCloskey (pass failed) 1:33
BRD—Mark Hummel 6 run (kick failed) 0:28
Third Quarter
LA—Dante Mathis 19 interception return (Wegner pass from McCloskey) 0:20
Fourth Quarter
LA—James Singer 65 pass from McCloskey (AJ Knutson pass from McCloskey) 5:02
LA—Ledding 5 run (pass failed) 2:13
Team Stats (Unofficial)
Rushes-Yards: LA 27-98; BRD 25-98
Pass Comp-Att-Int-Yards: LA 20-34-2-335; BRD 6-27-4-44
Total Offense: LA 433; BRD 142
Individual Stats
Rushing: LA—Kyler Wegner 13-41; Josh Derby 8-24; Jason McCloskey 2-16; Bert Smith 2-11; Jacob Ledding 1-5; Hector Rosa Vega 1-1; BRD—Mark Hummel 8-50; Alex Bade 11-34; Leo Ashley 4-7; Unknown (# 31) 2-7
Passing: LA—McCloskey 20-34-2-335; BRD—Hummel 6-27-4-44
Receiving: LA—James Singer 6-159; Smith 6-83; Flanning 5-74; Derby 1-4; BRD—Bade 5-40; Garrett Jarvela 1-4