Beckman puts brakes on No. 6 Cascade

CASCADE - After getting caught out of position on a 10-yard touchown run, Dyersville Beckman sophomore Sam Stelken wasn't about to make same mistake on the 2-point PAT.

Stelken wrapped up Cascade senior quarterback Derek Lieurance in the backfield to thwart the 2-point try with 1:59 left in the game and Beckman upset the No.6 Cougars, 28-20, last night in a Class 2A second-round playoff game.

Lieurance had run an option up the middle for a touchdown to pull Cascade (9-2) within 21-20. The Cougars decided to go for the go-ahead 2-point PAT.

'I told Coach (Tim Frake) I wanted the ball in my hands,” said Lieurance, who tried to run the same option play on the PAT.

'I just jumped in from my linebacker position,” Stelken said. 'I got caught out of position (on the touchdown).”

Cascade held a 14-0 lead at halftime, thanks to Luke Recker scoring on runs of 79 and 1 yards and the Cougars stopping Beckman twice on fourth down.

'We talked to the kids at halftime and told them we knew they could play better,” Beckman first-year Coach Tim Derr said.

Junior Jake Grover gave the Blazers (9-2) plenty to feel good about when he returned the opening kickoff of the second half 98 yards for a touchdown.

'I was looking to go outside, but then I saw a great hole down the middle,” Grover said. 'I just had to outrun some people.”

Grover also scored the go-ahead touchdown on a wingback reverse on fourth-and-goal from the 1 early in the fourth quarter.

Beckman, held to just 58 yards on the ground in the first half, ground out 157 in the second half. Junior Tyler Hirsch had 165 yards, including scoring runs of 51 and 23 yards. The later came with 1:13 left in the game, when Cascade allowed him to score so the Cougars could get the ball back.