The seventh-ranked Verndale Pirates football team remained undefeated with a tough 24-16 victory over Ashby on Friday.
The Pirates' workhorse Sam Moenkedick rushed for 164 yards on 22 carries and had three touchdowns in the Pheasant Conference North victory.
After a scoreless first quarter, Ashby drew first blood on Theron Rein's 15-yard touchdown pass to Mike House at 6:19 of the second quarter. Arrows running back Luke Hoffman added the conversion score to put Ashby up 8-0.
Moenkedick answered for the Pirates with a 21-yard run with 2:47 left to play in the first half. But the conversion run was stuffed, cutting the Arrows lead to 8-6 going into the break.
In the third quarter, the Pirates regained the lead on Ethan Kern's 65 yard punt return to make it 12-8. Moenkedick's seven-yard run mid-way in the fourth quarter added six to Verndale's total for a score of 18-8.
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Ashby pulled within two when Hoffman scored on a four-yard run and Rein hit Kurt Mickelson for the conversion pass with 3:30 left in the game.
Two seconds later, Moenkedick drove an arrow in Ashby's comeback attempt with his 48-yard touchdown run for the final scoring of the night for a final score of 24-16. Verndale is 3-0 on the season.
Kern finished with 58 yards on 12 carries and Jake Seaton caught two passes for 44 yards for the Pirates.
Matt Moenkedick added 15 tackles and a quarterback sack to lead the Pirate defense. Verndale travels to rival Bertha-Hewitt at 7 p.m. Friday.
Verndale at Ashby on Sept. 14
Pirates 24, Arrows 16
Verndale 0 6 6 12-24
Ashby 0 8 0 8-16
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First Quarter
No Scoring
Second Quarter
A-Mike House 15 pass from Theron Rein (Luke Hoffman run) 6:19
V-Sam Moenkedick 21 run (run failed) 2:47
Third Quarter
V-Ethan Kern 65 punt return (pass failed)
Fourth Quarter
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V-Sam Moenkedick 7 run (run failed) 6:07
A-Hoffman 4 run (Kurt Mickelson pass from Rein) 3:30
V-Sam Moenkedick 48 run (pass failed) 3:28
Team Statistics
Rushes-yards: V 38-232; A 48-169
Pass Comp-Att-Int-Yards: V 2-9-44; A 14-25-1-180
Total Offense: V 47-376; A 73-249
Individual Statistics
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Rushing: V-Sam Moenkedick 22-164, Ethan Kern 12-58; A- Hoffman 32-149
Passing: V-Cole Weber 3-9-0-44; A-Theron Rein 14-25-1-180
Receiving: V-Jake Seaton 2-44; A-Mike House 3-46
Verndale (2-0 Pheasant North Conference, 3-0 Overall) Next: at Bertha-Hewitt 7 p.m. Friday.
