Minneapolis Lions lost for the first time this season against the Beloit Trojans at home, 56-18. The Lions are now 2-1 on the season.

Beloit scored on their first four possessions of the ballgame while holding Minneapolis scoreless in the first half. Trojans would score on fourth down on their first two drives. The first was a 29-yard touchdown pass by Junior Hudson Gray to Senior Hudson Smith with 8:28 left in the first quarter. The next came with 3:11 left to go in the opening quarter when Gray hit Senior Hayden Budke on a 34-yard touchdown pass. This followed Budke intercepting Lions’ Junior Derek Freel to stall Minneapolis’ first possession of the game. Beloit led, 14-0, after one.

Trojans Senior Tate Ahlvers started at running back in replace of an injured Zach Meier. Ahlvers would carry the ball 15 times for 101 yards and a touchdown for the Trojans. His score was a 10-yard run with 8:20 left in the first half to put Beloit up, 20-0.

Gray would add a third touchdown pass, this time to Junior Vincent Palen, from ten yards out with 5:21 left before the half, 26-0. The score would remain the same at the break.

Minneapolis opened the second half with a bang as Senior Derek Pieschel would return the opening kickoff of the second half 80 yards to put the Lions on the board, 26-6. However, Beloit would answer back with a 2-yard touchdown rush from backup quarterback Junior Grant Arasmith at the 9:16 mark of the third quarter to lead, 33-6

Pieschel would find the endzone once again, this time on offense, carrying it 45 yards in for the score to cut Beloit’s lead down to 21, 33-12. After a stop defensively, Minneapolis started their next drive inside their own 5-yard line. Freel would fumble the football after being hit while dropping back to pass, and Beloit’s Senior River Paul would recover it in the endzone with 49 seconds left in the third quarter to extend the Trojan lead to, 41-12.

Trojans added two more scores in the fourth quarter, while Minneapolis Freshman Gannon Cleveland scored his first varsity touchdown as time expired on a 55-yard dash.

Minneapolis was led in rushing by Pieschel with 50 yards on three carries. Freshman Trent Moeckel was the next leading rusher with 32 yards on five attempts.

The Lions will head on the road next week to face the Ellsworth Bearcats next week.

https://soundcloud.com/minneapolis-lions/minneapolis-9-14-18