Heartbreak at home

This one is going to sting for a while, no doubt about it. But the New Hampton football team must try to put Friday’s heartbreaking 21-20 loss to Crestwood behind it, for there’s still much to play for when it comes to the 2016 season. “I’m proud of the effort our kids gave,” New Hampton coach Scott Frerichs said after his Chickasaws fell to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in Class 2A, District 2 play. “We kept battling back and even though they ran [28] more plays than we did, we put ourselves in position to win the thing. That’s the frustrating part.” But the reality is that the Chickasaws control  their own destiny when it comes to making the playoffs. Win out and they’re in. “We’ve got to pick ourselves up and get back to work,” Frerichs said. “I know these boys are disappointed, but I also know they’re not going to feel sorry for themselves, either.” But Friday night was pure heartbreak. After Crestwood took a 13-12 lead on a 32-yard scoring pass from Jon Henry to Clayton Ollendieck with 5:06 left, the Cadets recovered a hard line-drive kickoff that bounced off a Chickasaw up man. New Hampton, though, didn’t fold; in fact, on Crestwood’s first play, the Chickasaws forced a fumble and Carter Stochl pounced on the loose ball.    For the full story, please see the Oct. 4 Tribune.