Friday night's matchup saw the Dodgers welcome the Mineral Point Pointers in a contest that quickly became a battle of strong defenses and intense effort.
The opening quarter was a defensive slugfest, with both teams struggling to find offensive rhythm. Turnovers set the tone early—Brett Bossert intercepted a pass for the Pointers, only to have Jack Graber answer with a pick of his own for the Dodgers. Despite these game-changing plays, neither side could convert, and the first quarter ended in a scoreless 0-0 tie.
The Dodgers finally began to gain traction on offense, moving the ball steadily to the 41-yard line. That momentum seemed promising when #22 Aiden Duran broke free for a 30-yard run, pushing the Dodgers into the red zone for the first time. However, the drive stalled abruptly when Mineral Point's Jake Dannenberg forced a fumble, halting the threat and silencing the home crowd.
The Pointers quickly responded, as quarterback Carey connected with Kite on a 25-yard strike, driving the offense deep into Dodger territory. Just as the Pointers looked poised to score, Dodgers' #5 Harper Olson delivered a timely punch, forcing a fumble and recovering it himself to swing possession back.
With only 2.5 seconds left in the half, the Pointers found themselves deep in the Dodgers' red zone, just five yards from the end zone. Carey tried a quarterback keeper, but a swarm of Dodgers defenders stopped him short. The defense stood firm, and the half ended in a tense 0-0 deadlock.
Coming out of the locker room with renewed energy, the Pointers struck first. Moving swiftly downfield, Carey handed off to #0 Grady Finley, who shook off two defenders and powered into the end zone for the game's opening score.
The Dodgers tried to answer but faced tenacious pressure from the Pointer defense, forcing a quick punt. Brett Bossert then delivered a huge kickoff return, setting the Pointers up at the 36-yard line. That field position proved crucial as the teams entered the fourth quarter with Mineral Point leading 7-0.
Early in the final quarter, Finley again made his mark, driving the Pointers into the Dodgers' 10-yard line. Bossert followed up with a cut to the outside and sprinted into the end zone, extending the lead. Carey's successful extra point made it 14-0 with 11:26 remaining.
Both defenses stiffened in response, forcing quick three-and-outs and punts from both sides. With just under eight minutes left, the Dodgers pushed for a comeback but fumbled the handoff, handing the ball back to Mineral Point at the Dodgers' 40-yard line. Though the Pointers recovered the turnover, they were unable to capitalize immediately.
