The Minnewaska Area Laker football team closed out the 2022 season with an 0-9 record after going 1-8 last year.  The Lakers had their best chance at a win during a 28-14 loss at Morris Area where Minnewaska had a handful of additional chances to score in the red zone, but were unable to get the ball in the end zone.

Overall, the Lakers scored 102 points this season while giving up 395.  Minnewaska Area was shut out twice this season during a 52-0 loss to Royalton to open up the season and a 43-0 loss to Rockford during MAHS Homecoming.

Minnewaska, coached by first-year head coach Jared Lyle, scored a season-high 18 points during a 45-18 loss at Montevideo, and also had game totals of 16 points, 14 points four times and 12 points.

The Lakers ended the season with a 59-12 loss at second-seeded Albany during the Section 6AAA Football Tournament.  Albany moved on to face NLS for the section title.

•  During the final Mid State 1 Football Standings, Pierz, Rockford and Morris Area-CA tied for first with 4-1 records, while Melrose Area was fourth (2-3), Montevideo fifth (1-4) and Minnewaska Area sixth (0-5).  Assisting coach Lyle this fall were Nathan Snider, Ryan Christianson, Trevor Solem, Jason Weber, Chris Lence, Brian Walker, Andrew Goracke, Dan Dahl and Matt Meagher.

•  Seniors lost to graduation from this year’s team are Paul Johnson, Jr., Conner Stein, Blake Andreas, Hunter Kloos, Cole Baker, Ethan Barron, Chase Boelke, Brady Blair and Jack Larson. 

Although the Lakers will lose nine players to graduation, the MAHS football program does have 13 juniors, 16 sophomores and 20 ninth-graders coming up to fill out the roster for next fall.

Following are game stats from the final game at Albany, which were received too late last week to make the press deadline.

at Albany 59, Lakers 12

Minnewaska (0-9) 0 0 6 6 — 12

Albany 14 32 7 6 — 59

Team stats Min Albany

First downs 12 21

Rushes-net yards 32-196 49-435

Pass-cp-int-yds 19-6-4-91 5-4-0-65

Total yards 287 500

Punts-average 4-34.8 3-26.3

Fumbles-lost 2-1 1-1

Penalties-yards 7-45 4-22

Minnewaska statistics

Rushing — MIN-PJ Johnson 17-123, Jack Majerus 8-28, Chase Boelke 4-13, Ethan Barron 1-33, Brady Blair 1-2 . . . ALBANY-Cole Panek 6-121, Joseph Schmitt 7-71, Haiden Linn 3-62, Ethan Meyer 5-58, James Lehner 8-35, Riley Garding 1-35, Tyler Hoffarth 5-32

Passing (attempts-comp-intercept-yrds) — MIN-PJ Johnson 18-6-3-91, Austin Ballhagen 1-0-1-0 . . . ALBANY-Carter Voss 5-4-0-79

Receiving (catches-yards) — MIN-Austin Weber 2-48, Majerus 2-33, Hunter Kloos 1-7, Ballhagen 1-3 . . . ALBANY-Ethan Bordering 3-41, Joseph Schmitt 2-38

Punts-average — MIN-Hunter Kloos 4-34.8

Returns — MIN-Kickoff-Kearri Dickens 5-49, Weber 3-35, Levi Johnson 2-27 . . . Punt returns-None

Defense — Tackles-UA. . . Sacks-PJ Johnson 1, Myles Reichmann 1 . . . Interceptions-None . . . Fumble recoveries-Austin Weber 1