Dragons top Coyotes 35-24 to advance in 9-man football playoffs

Third-seeded Adrian-Ellsworth got two touchdowns each from Charger Erlandson and Jackson Jenniges and Erlandson also threw for a score as the host Dragons beat sixth-seeded Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 35-24 Tuesday in Section 3 9-man football action.

Mason Kirchner scampered 24 yards for a TD early in the first quarter for a 6-0 Coyotes lead, but A-E followed with a long drive that was capped a one-yard keeper for a score by Erlandson. The PAT kick made it 7-6.

HL-O/F quarterback Kaston Clarke and Bryce Nielsen teamed up on a 31-yard pass play for a TD that put the Coyotes back in front 12-7 with 1:20 left in the first quarter. Jenniges, though, took the ensuing kickoff back 70 yards for a score and A-E moved ahead 14-12.

A three-yard run by Erlandson with 1:32 left before halftime made it 21-12, Dragons. Jenniges reached paydirt from nine yards out with nearly five minutes gone by in the third quarter; he added a two-point conversion run to make it 29-12.

Nielsen scored on a one-yard plunge in the third quarter to cut the A-E lead to 29-18, but a 64-yard connection between Erlandson and Jesse Bullerman made it 35-18 with 4:07 to go in the game. A four-yard TD pass from Clarke to Kirchner with 44 ticks left closed out the scoring.

A-E, now 7-2 this season, plays at second-seeded Edgerton on Saturday.

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The Worthington Trojans were defeated at Albert Lea 51-0 in sectional football action Tuesday night. WHS finishes its season at 0-9.

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In other area high school football Tuesday:

Windom Area 38, Pipestone Area 36

Luverne 21, Belle Plaine 14

Cedar Mountain 51, Westbrook-Walnut Grove 0

Lester Prairie 32, Martin County West 6

Sleepy Eye United 28, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 12

Tri-City United 21, Fairmont 14

In area high school volleyball Tuesday:

Spirit Lake 3, Sheldon 2

Unity Christian 3, Okoboji 0

Western Christian 3, Estherville-Lincoln Central 0

In area high school volleyball Monday:

Martin County West 3, Mountain Lake Area-Comfrey 0

Red Rock Central 3, Southwest Minnesota Christian 2

Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 3, Edgerton 2

Windom 3, Westbrook-Walnut Grove 2

Sibley-Ocheyedan 3, West Sioux 0

Boyden-Hull 3, Harris-Lake Park 0

George-Little Rock 3, Trinity Christian 0

Sioux Central-Sioux Rapids 3, Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn 0