Groton Area blanked Baltic 37-0 in football action on Friday and earned a home game for the first round of the playoffs set for Thursday.
The Tigers, now 6-2 and seeded sixth in Class 11B, will host St. Thomas More, also 6-2 and seeded 11th, at 6 p.m. on Thursday. The winner of that contest will take on the winner between #3 Mount Vernon/Plankinton (6-2) and #14 Wagner (3-5).
St. Thomas More lost its first two games of the season to unbeaten Sioux Valley (8-0) 35-0 and Mount Vernon-Plankinton 36-30. Since that time they have reeled off six straight victories and outscored those opponents, which combined for a 9-39 regular season record, 289-6.
Groton Area has won its last three outings, including a 29-23 victory over a 6-2 Aberdeen Roncalli squad, and GA coach Shaun Wanner was pleased with what he saw in the Tigers regular season finale against Baltic.
“The kids played well,” said Wanner. “We did a good job offensively moving the ball on the ground and through the air. The defense played very well, coming up with five interceptions and two fumble recoveries.”
Wanner knows his club faces a tough task in the playoff opener.
“St. Thomas More has a very good team - very athletic and good size with only three seniors on the roster. They spread you defensively, can run and throw the ball with good team speed, and have a very good freshman quarterback. Offensively we need to execute and not turn the ball over. Defensively we must put some pressure on the quarterback and tackle. We had a good regular season, but now 16 teams are 0-0.”
Groton Area seniors have 22 wins during their prep careers and are hoping to make some noise in the playoffs this year. The Tigers lost in the first round of the playoffs to Elk Point-Jefferson a year ago, failed to qualify for postseason play in 2022, and lost to Wagner in the first round in 2021.
On Friday the Tigers jumped out to a 12-0 lead after one quarter and the GA defense forced seven Baltic turnovers – five pass interceptions and a pair of fumbles - in posting the shutout win.
Keegan Tracy found the end zone for both of those first quarter scores on a 19-yard pass from Korbin Kucker and a 48-yard run. GA added a TD in the second quarter when Teylor Diegel ran a pass interception back 20 yards and then pitched to Gavin Englund at the one for the score and an 18-0 halftime advantage.
Kucker rambled for an 85-yard score with just over four minutes gone in the third period to silence any Baltic thoughts of a comeback and Joao Junes added the PAT kick for a 25-0 lead. Then Brevin Fliehs returned a pass interception 20 yards to make it 31-0 with 1:39 left in the third stanza. Nunes added field goals of 30 and 33 yards to wrap up the scoring the final quarter.
Groton Area held a 263-97 total yards advantage, rushing for 207, led by Kucker’s 97, and passing for 56. Baltic managed 95 yards on the ground and just two passing with the five interceptions.
On the defensive side of the ball Christian Ehresmann once again led the Tigers with 13 tackles and Fliehs had a pair of pass interceptions.
GA (6-2) 12 6 13 6 – 37
Baltic (0-8) 0 0 0 0 – 0
GA – Keegan Tracy 19 pass from Korbin Kucker (kick failed)
GA – Tracy 48 run (pass failed)
GA – Teylor Diegel 20 interception return and pitch to Gavin Englund for 1 yard (kick failed)
GA – Kucker 8 run (Joao Nunes kick)
GA – Brevin Fiehs 20 interception return (kick failed)
GA – Nunes 30 field goal
GA – Nunes 33 field goal
RUSHING: GA, 31-207 (Korbin Kucker 12-97, Keegan Tracy 2-45, Christian Ehresmann 5-27, Brevin Fliehs 5-19, Skyler Godel 5-16, Ryder Schelle 2-9); Baltic, 34-95 (Aaron Nordbye 12-57, Jackson Goehring 13-21)
PASSING: GA, 5-11-1-56 (Kucker 5-11-1-56); Baltic, 2-8-5-2 (Gavin Skotvold 2-8-5-2)
RECEIVING: GA (Tracy 2-30, Diegel 1-15, Johnson 1-11); Baltic (Ben Erickson 1-4)
FIRST DOWNS: GA, 7; Baltic, 5
DEFENSIVE LEADERS: GA (Ehresmann 13 tackles, Fliehs 2 pass interceptions, Johnson pass interception, Kucker pass interception, Diegel pass interception, Caleb Mertz fumble recovery, Godel fumble recovery); Baltic (Riker Rogers 8 tackles)
