First quarter: Walton tries an onside kick and ends up paying for it as Matt Fox recovers for Maple Grove at the Red Dragons' 42, setting up a seven-play, 58-yard scoring drive.
Chris Secky opens with a receiver screen to Josh Micek for seven yards. Four runs later, Secky goes deep right for 28 yards to Joe Caporale to the Walton 2. Next play is the TD run, 2 yards by Adam Hover. Secky kicks the extra point. Maple Grove, 7-0, with 8:39 to play.
First Walton possession is a three-and-out. Fourth-down snap is fumbled, with Maple Grove's Branden Fain recovering at the Walton 27.
Secky directs a five-play drive to another TD, this time a three-yard Adam Hover carry. Big play was a 21-yard middle screen to Josh Micek. Extra point good. Maple Grove, 14-0, with 3:58 to play.
Walton goes three and out again and the punt rolls dead at midfield with 2:14 to play.
Maple Grove drive reaches the Walton 19 as the quarter ends.
Second quarter:
First play of the quarter is a fumbled exchange from center. Secky recovers, setting up fourth down. Jake Larson gains four on an option pitch to the right for a first down at the 13. Larson runs again, this time inside for 11 yards and a first down at the 2. Two more Larson runs, the latter a 1-yard TD plunge. Maple Grove, 21-0, with 9:43 to play.
Snow is now falling. Gametime temperature is 23 degrees.
Walton finally gets some offense going, picking up its initial first down with 8:10 left in the half. The Warriors drive nine plays and 75 yards with Chad Gardepe throwing 14 yards to Dan Gehl, wide open in the middle of the end zone. Gardepe's keeper to the right on the conversion run fails. Walton, 6-21, with 4:47 left.
Another onside kick and another disaster for Walton. Maple Grove recovers at its own 40. First play is a Secky lateral throw to Micek on the right, with Micek pulling up and hitting an open Caporale down the right side for 60 yards and the uncontested score. Secky kicks the point. Maple Grove, 28-6, with 4:32 to play.
Walton starts its final possession of the half at its own 31 and goes back to the ground attack, reaching the Maple Grove 46 with 0:39 left and calling a timeout. A completion to Cody Endress picks up 13 with 0:30 left. A subsequent fourth-down pass from the 25 falls incomplete, but Maple Grove is flagged for roughing the quarterback, giving Walton one try from the 13 with 0:05 left. The threat ends as Andrew Wascher sacks Gardepe for an 18-yard loss.
Halftime.
A few halftime stats: Maple Grove holds only an 8-7 edge in first downs, but yardage is a decisive 190-110 . . . Jake Larson leads MG with eight carries for 41 yards, and Secky is 3-for-3 for 55 yards . . . Walton's Gardepe is 3-for-7 for 37 yards and one TD. Cody Reed leads the ground game with nine carries for 58 yards.
