MINSTER – The Versailles football team dropped its second game in a row on Friday night. The latest loss came at the hands of Minster, 26-21.
The Tigers were all but eliminated from playoff contention last week, and now are guaranteed a losing record on the season. The Tigers are 3-6 on the season and will finish the season on Friday hosting New Bremen.
Friday’s game against Minster started out good for Versailles as the Tigers took a 7-0 lead early. The score was set up on an interception by Kurtis Rustshilling then Garrett Thompson scored on a 4-yard run.
The Tiger defense forced a fumble on the Wildcats’ next possession when Evan Hiestand drilled the quarterback and Derek Cavin recovered. The Tiger offense could not get a first down, though, and punted.
The Wildcats scored with 7:52 left in the half on an 80-yard pass. The Cats scored again late in the half after a Tiger fumble to take a 14-7 lead.
A run by Thompson had Versailles at midfield late in the second quarter. A completed pass had the Tigers at the Minster 25-yard line with under a minute left in the half, but that was as close as it would get as a Noah Waymire pass was intercepted at the 5-yard line with 25 seconds left in the half.
The third quarter was all Minster as the Wildcats scored twice, taking a 26-7 lead.
There was no quit in the Tigers, though, as they scored twice in 57 seconds late in the fourth. Thompson scored on a 1-yard run with 1:57 left in the game to close within 26-14.
The Tigers did an onside kick and recovered at their 46-yard line. A 27-yard touchdown pass to Andrew DeMange made it 26-21 with a minute left in the game.
Versailles then recovered another onside kick at the 50-yard line. The Tigers were unable to get the ball down field, though, and on fourth down a pass was batted away by a Minster defender to end Versailles’ hopes of a victory.