The Varsity Football Cougars are 1-0 after a season opening 40-9 victory over the Shiner St. Paul Cardinals in Shiner. 

The Cougars, who were 16 point underdogs going into the game, staked a 7 point lead midway through the first quarter on a run by Forrest Wilson around the right side.  The going got tougher for the next 2 quarters, however, as Northland was struck by the turnover bug and Shiner played some tough defense.  

The Cardinals kept themselves in the game by returning an interception 25 yards for a touchdown but failed to convert the extra point.  Trailing 7-6, Shiner recovered a fumble and moved the ball into field goal range where they made the score 9-7.  Penalties also plagued the Cougars as they were flagged for the first five of the game.    

Down by 2 at halftime, the Cougars made some adjustments in the running game and began to pound the ball between the tackles in the third quarter behind an offensive line that is the most improved unit on the team.  Suddenly, JP Tillman fired a 50 yard TD to Clark Fangmeier who was sprinting down the seam and the Cougars found themselves up 13-9. 

The next 4 minutes were wild as Fangmeier intercepted a Cardinal pass on the next play and Tillman rammed the ball over from the 1 making it 20-9. 

The Black Swarm defense held the Cardinals and Matt Krob returned the punt to the Cardinals 40.  Tailback Isaiah Castillo then went to work, punishing tacklers and moving the ball down to the 2 yard line on 7 carries.  Tillman again did the honors to make it 27-9.  Fangmeier then kicked off down to the goal line and Alan Hayes covered the ball in the end zone for a Cougar touchdown!  Just like that, it was 33-9. 

The fun wasn't over yet though, because the Black Swarm held again and the Cougars offensive line once again dominated the line of scrimmage as the Coogs kept the ball on the ground and Isaiah (Missile) Castillo punched in a well-deserved TD from the one.  40-9, not bad for the underdogs.   

Apart from the flurry of scoring late in the 3rd and early in the 4th quarter, the story of this game was the Black Swarm defense which held Shiner to 8 yards total for the game, setting a new school mark. 

The defense was paced by Soph. LB Garrett Van Dyke who set another school record with 13 1/2 tackles.  All this was against a team with 17 returning starters from an 8-4 team last year who had averaged 250 yards rushing per game.  The Cougars gained 318 yards.

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK

— OFFENSE —
PLAYER:  Offensive Line
PLAY : Tillman to Fangmeier 50 yard pass to take the lead
HIT: Isaiah Castillo

— DEFENSE —
PLAYER: Garrett Van Dyke
PLAY: Clark Fangmeier interception
HIT: Clark Fangmeier

— SPECIAL TEAMS —
PLAYER: Clark Fangmeier
PLAY: Alan Hayes kickoff recovery for TD
HIT: Garrett Van Dyke

— CHEERLEADER OF THE WEEK —
Kelly Kercheval