Forest Lake High School football team stages impressive comeback to defeat East Ridge

Forest Lake senior running back Leyton Patzer rushed for three touchdowns to help his team overcome a 14-point halftime deficit and beat East Ridge 35-29.

In the first half of their game against East Ridge on Thursday night, Forest Lake's senior running back Leyton Patzer and his teammates struggled to find their rhythm. However, in the second half, they turned things around and couldn't be stopped. Patzer rushed for three touchdowns, leading his team to a comeback victory of 35-29 on the road at the Raptor's Nest in Woodbury.

After a tough loss on the road at Prior Lake the previous week, Forest Lake was determined to bounce back. Patzer mentioned that they try not to let the other team dictate their style of play, instead sticking to their physical approach. It took some time, but they finally figured things out in the second half and came out with renewed energy.

Forest Lake's struggles in the first half were evident, as they fumbled the ball away three times. The second fumble set up a 1-yard touchdown run by East Ridge's Charlie Bern, giving them a 14-point lead at halftime. East Ridge's quarterback Tanner Zolnosky had an impressive first half, completing 7 of 8 passes for 143 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite the setbacks, Forest Lake's coach Brad Beeskow was proud of his team's resilience. He acknowledged that it's easy to lose morale when things aren't going well, but they managed to stay in the game and make adjustments at halftime.

Offensively, Forest Lake decided to focus on their ground game in the second half. They ran the ball on all seven plays of their first drive in the third quarter, resulting in a 26-yard touchdown run by senior quarterback Cole Gerrell. This narrowed the gap to seven points. On their next possession, the Rangers marched 77 yards and tied the score at 21 with a 4-yard touchdown run by Patzer.

Patzer's physicality and determination were praised by Gerrell, who described him as a "mean dude" on the field. Patzer's impact on the game became even more significant when senior defensive back Reid Olson recovered a fumble and returned it 35 yards for a touchdown, giving Forest Lake the lead for the first time at 28-21.

East Ridge's coach Dan Fritze admitted that the sudden change in momentum was tough to swallow. Patzer extended Forest Lake's lead with another touchdown run in the fourth quarter. Although the Raptors managed to cut the gap to 35-29 with a late touchdown pass from Zolnosky to Kyle Frendt, the Rangers secured the victory by recovering the onside kick and running out the clock.

Patzer expressed his excitement about the win, seeing it as a great boost for the team. He believes they now have a better understanding of their capabilities and are ready to continue their success throughout the rest of the season.

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