Riverland tops Bluejays in penalty-kick shootout in regional title match

Riverland Community College outlasted host Minnesota West 3-2 in overtime Sunday — winning on penalty kicks following two scoreless 10-minute overtimes — to capture the Region 13 men's soccer title and advance to the NJCAA Division 3 national tournament.

Jose Chavez gave the Bluejays a 1-0 edge with a goal that came with 18:35 remaining in the first half, but the Blue Devils got the equalizer with 7:02 before intermission. Flynn Perry then put Riverland out in front 2-1 with a little less than nine minutes gone by in the second half.

The Bluejays later got a dramatic goal from Leon Braun with just 1:55 left in regulation to knot the match at two. That set the stage for the two scoreless overtimes.

The Blue Devils and Bluejays each missed their first penalty kick opportunities. Riverland then made its second shot and Dario Neves answered for Minnesota West. Both teams' third shots were good, too, with Braun putting it in the net for the Bluejays.

The Blue Devils then connected on their fourth shot, but the Bluejays missed. Riverland's Nelson Powell then nailed his kick to clinch the victory. Minnesota West's season ended with a record of 5-7-2.

**

The Minnesota West football team, as expected, had an easy time of things Sunday afternoon in their MCAC playoff quarterfinal game against Minnesota State-Fergus Falls. The Blue Jays, who blew out the Spartans 64-0 earlier this season, cruised to a 63-7 win at Trojan Field. 

Dontrell Harris scored on a 10-yard run just 1:26 into the game, and quarterback Armon Vinson broke loose for a 34-TD dash for a 14-0 Bluejay lead with 10:22 still left in the first quarter. Vinson later connected with Kevontae Vignaude for 26 yards and six more points; that was followed by another Vinson scoring pass from six yards out with 1:45 still left in the first.

A 44-yard Vinson passing touchdown put the score at 35-0 just 1:05 into the second quarter. Jaylen Neely chipped in with an eight-yard rushing TD with 5:25 left before halftime, and Vinson hooked up with Jaiden Proctor with just seven seconds left before the break for a 49-0 advantage.

**

In Section 3 9-man playoff football Saturday, second-seeded Edgerton pulled away from Adrian-Ellsworth following a close first half and topped the third-seeded Dragons 48-22.

A 30-yard pass from the Dragons' Charger Erlandson to Jesse Bullerman and a two-point conversion run from Jackson Jenniges made the score 16-14, Dutchmen, but Edgerton went on to tally the game's next 30 points. Edgerton will next meet Hills-Beaver Creek at 7 p.m. Friday in Worthington for the sectional crown.

In Section 3AA football, top-ranked Jackson County Central blew out Windom 67-0. Gage Johnson had three touchdowns in the contest and Tate Phillips two for JCC. The 9-0 Huskies will face LeSueur-Henderson in the sectional finals on Friday at Southwest Minnesota State University.

In other area high school football games Saturday, it was:

Hills-Beaver Creek 56, Alden-Conger-G-E 8

Red Rock Central 32, New Ulm Cathedral 0

Murray County Central 45, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 7

Luverne 13, Albert Lea 0

Marshall 35, Hutchinson 7

**

The Adrian-Ellsworth volleyball team advanced to the South Subsection 3A semifinals by blanking Hills-Beaver Creek 3-0 Friday night in Adrian. Game scores were 25-9, 25-14, 25-17.

Brylee Zebe led the Dragons, now 17-8 overall, in kills with seven and digs with 14 and also served a pair of aces. Third-seeded A-E will now meet No. 2 seed Westbrook-Walnut Grove on Tuesday night in Worthington High School.

Also Friday night, No. 2 seed Jackson County Central rallied from a 0-2 deficit in games to defeat visiting St. James Area 3-2 and advance to the South Subsection 3AA semifinals. The Huskes will host No. 3 seed Pipestone Area on Tuesday. 

No. 5 seed Murray County Central also edged fourth-seeded Heron Lake-Okabena/Fulda 3-2 on the road. The Rebels will next meet Russell-Tyler-Ruthton on Tuesday in Worthington.

In other high school volleyball Friday night:

Russell-Tyler-Ruthton 3, Red Rock Central 0

Westbrook-Walnut Grove 3, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 0

Pipestone Area 3, Fairmont 0

Luverne 3, Redwood Valley 2

Marshall 3, Mankato West 0

**

In Iowa high school football playoff action Friday:

Sibley-Ocheyedan 41, Newman Catholic 35

Cherokee 58, Spirit Lake 57 (OT)

O-A/BC-IG 34, Western Christian 17

Unity Christian 28, Okoboji 13

West Lyon 48, East Sac County 6