Reid Haviland of the Prowlers caught this pass in front of Crookston defender Justin Hasbrouck and wound up with a 13-yard gain on the opening drive of Fridayís high school football game in Thief River Falls. The Pirates won the season opener for both teams 32-12.

Pirates beat Thief River Falls in 2004 football opener...

Crookston is 31-12 winner

   Thief River Falls suffered a pair of setbacks Friday in a 2004 opening night high school football match-up with Crookston at the Multi-Events Center. The Prowlers fell to the Pirates 32-12 and in the process lost  running back Reid Haviland to a knee injury just seven plays into the season.

   With Haviland and Alec Holen in the backfield, the Prowlers boasted two 1,000-yard caliber runners. But on only his second carry of the year the 5-10, 185-pound Haviland was knocked out of bounds and out of the game after a four-yard gain around the left side. Fears surfaced immediately that the injury would put an abrupt end to his senior season and his high school football career.

   For the Thief River Falls coaching staff, losing Haviland was more of a concern than losing the game. "That hurts," confirmed Prowlers head coach Jeff Mumm. "It just isn't fair to Reid. When you lose a kid that works that hard, it's a real shame."

   Mumm admitted he was concerned about the Prowlers' response after seeing Haviland taken to the bench. "Reid is a real team leader," he explained. "I was afraid of how the team would react when he went down. But they hung in there and did a nice job. I was proud of them for that."

   Meanwhile, Crookston impressed. Directed by junior Micah Rude, a first-year starter at quarterback, and running behind a veteran line, the Pirates' shotgun offense was in mid-season form. Rude carried the ball 16 times for 90 yards and was 7-for-14 passing for 133 yards and four touchdowns. The 6-3, 6-4 end tandem of Kenley Wahlin and Andy Hughes was limited to three pass receptions, but all three went for touchdowns.

   "Their height at the receiver spots is really scary," said Mumm. "You can't defend that. The quarterback just throws up a jump ball, and they go get it."

   Mumm knew the Pirates had talent - a fact readably apparent to the large crowd that turned out on a warm late-summer evening. "That's as good a first-game opponent we've faced in all my years of coaching," he offered. "Their whole game is spread. It's a very effective offense. They've got good athletes. You won't see too many teams with skill kids like that, and they're so good up front. I just hope we don't see anybody else that good the rest of the year."

   A first-possession Thief River Falls drive stalled at the Crookston 16-yard line, and the Pirates came right back with a 13-play, 84-yard touchdown march for a 6-0 lead. Rude had six carries during the series and dropped a perfectly-thrown ball between a pair of defenders into the arms of Hughes at the goal line for a 27-yard touchdown with 1:30 remaining in the first quarter.

   The Prowlers fumbled away the ensuing kickoff at their own 26, and three plays later Kris Proux went off right tackle for a 2-yard touchdown run with 30.9 seconds to play in the opening quarter.

   Thief River Falls answered with a 9-play, 77-yard drive that ended with a 30-yard run by Holen, who got into the clear on the right side behind a block by tackle Lance Klaven.

   Crookston's response took  just four plays and two minutes after Jeff Menge returned the kickoff to the Pirates' 46. Rude and Wahlin teamed up on one of those lob-and-leap pass plays for a 33-yard touchdown with 6:46 to play in the first half.

   The Prowlers kept it close, however, on a 13-play, clock-beating 75-yard touchdown drive that made it 18-12 with just 42.6 seconds on the clock. A swing pass from quarterback Michael Forney to Holen out of the backfield covered the final two yards for the score.

   There was no scoring in the third quarter, but a fumble recovery at the Thief River Falls 42 led to an 8-yard Rude-to-Jake Coauette touchdown pass on the first play of the final period for a 24-12 spread.

   A high snap turned Thief River Falls punter Matt Stuckey into a passer and his desperation toss fell incomplete, giving the Pirates the ball at the Prowlers' 18 with 8:55 remaining. Two fumbles and a penalty moved the Pirates back to the 28, but they scored on a third-and-goal snap from there when Wahlin was able to spin out of the arms of would-be tacklers, turning a short pass into a 28-yard touchdown with 5:35 left.

   "We made some mistakes; we fumbled a couple of times," acknowledged Mumm. "Those acknowledged Mumm. "Those things happen in an opener."

   Thief River Falls will be at home again in Week 2 when the Prowlers open their North Country Conference schedule with a 7 p.m. game against Hibbing.

Statistics

         TRF   C

First downs      10   14

   by rushing      4   11  

   by passing      6   2

   by penalty      0   1

Rushing attempts-yards      37-117   41-178

Pass att-comp-int      15-9-0   14-7-0

Yards Passing      99   133

Total offensive yards      216   311

Fumbles-fumbles lost      4-2   3-1

Penalties-yards      3-25   5-45

Punts-average      none   none

Scoring

      1   2   3   4   T

Crookston   12   7   0   14   32

Thief River Falls   0   12   0   0   12

   Crookston - Andy Hughes, 27-yard pass from Micah Rude; kick failed.

   Crookston - Kris Proulx, 2-yard run; run failed.

   TRF - Alec Holen, 30-yard run; kick failed.

   Crookston - Kenley Wahlin, 33-yard pass from Rude; pass failed.

   TRF - Holen, 2-yard pass from Forney; kick failed.

   Crookston - Jake Coauette, 8-yard pass from Rude; pass failed.

   Crookston - Wahlin, 28-yard pass from Rude; Hughes pass from Rude.

Individuals

   n Rushing (Crookston) Micah Rude 16-90; Kris Proulx 12-57; Gordie Haug 4-13; Peter Curran 1-8; Jared Quanrud 2-5; Mark Keller 2-3; Jake Sanders 4-2; (TRF) Alec Holen 15-85; Zach Anderson 6-15; Michael Benedict 4-15; Jon Drees 3-9; Matt Stuckey 1-9; Reid Haviland 2-3; Michael Forney 6-(-19).

   n Passing - (Crookston) Micah Rude 7-for-14, 133 yards, 0 interceptions; (TRF) Michael Forney 8-for-14, 99 yards, 0 interceptions; Matt Stuckey 0-for-1, 0 yards, 0 interceptions.

   n Receiving - (Crookston) Jake Caouettte 4-45; Kenley Wahlin 2-61; Andy Hughes 1-27; (TRF) Alec Holen 4-45; Matt Stuckey 3-27; Alex Carlson 1-14; Reid Haviland 1-13.

Crookston receiver Kenley Wahlin went up for the ball, but wasnít able to haul in this first quarter pass from quarterback Micah Rude during Fridayís high school football game against Thief River Falls at the Multi-Events Center. The Prowlersí Jon Drees defended on the play. The Pirates won 32-12.