Man, what a collapse. Sartell had Brainerd on the ropes, leading by two scores with 5:53 left in the third quarter after junior QB Daylon Holter muscled into the endzone, capping a monster six-minute drive. The Sabres even forced a punt, getting the ball back with a chance to go up by 21 and practically seal the win heading into the fourth. Instead, they punted it right back to Brainerd, and that, my friends, was a decision they’re going to regret all season long.
Lauer’s Electric Comeback Changes Everything
Suddenly, the game turned into the Malik Lauer show. The 5-foot-10 sophomore QB went OFF. He hit Luke Merseth from 40 yards out to set up a Kyle Syrdal score. A few minutes later, Lauer took it himself from 34 yards, tying the game at 28. But he wasn’t done! He called his own number one more time, running it in from 14 yards for the go-ahead score with just 2:35 left. Twenty-one unanswered points, all orchestrated by a sophomore, dropped Sartell’s record to a brutal 1-3 and sealed a 35-28 victory for Brainerd. Lauer knew it too, saying, “I just trusted my team. I haven’t been able to run like that all season. It was amazing.” The kid totaled 94 rushing yards and two touchdowns, plus 161 yards and two touchdowns through the air. What a performance!
Sabres Left With Questions as Season Slips
This isn’t just a tough loss; it’s the third time this season Sartell has lost by single-digit points. That’s gotta sting. Coach Scott Henges summed it up, “I’m proud of how our kids played, but we made some mistakes in all phases of the game.” He’s right, Brainerd’s a talented team, and you just can’t give them those chances. On the bright side, senior running back Jonah Ambrosier was a beast yet again, racking up 200 yards and two touchdowns for the third straight week. Seriously, 203 yards and two scores! But as Henges knows, those gaudy numbers don’t mean much without the wins.
Despite the frustration, Henges isn’t letting his team quit. “We have good leadership; the guys aren’t going to quit,” he said. And you know what? He’s probably right. Sartell hosts St. Francis (also 1-3) on October 2 for their homecoming game. It’s a huge opportunity to get things right, build some momentum, and turn this season around before it’s too late. They’ve gotta fix those mistakes and show up ready to scrap.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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