Pointer Cowan Bishell follows the blocking of Clayton Yanna. Eric James photo.
by Ronica Thousand
Mineral Point looked pedestrian for a half. Then, they showed why they’re among the favorites for the Division 5 State Championship.
The first half started as a defensive stalemate for both teams. The Redbirds and Pointers traded blows until the final seconds of the second quarter. That was when Dante Glendenning,picked off a pass and strutted into the end zone, putting Darlington on the board right before the whistle.
Both squads headed into halftime with the Redbirds clinging to a narrow 7-0 lead.
Early in the third, Elliot Kite exploded for a monstrous run, setting up Mineral Point inside the red zone at the 14-yard line. Liam Carey converted on a quarterback keeper to answer back. Though a failed extra point left them trailing 7-6, that touchdown made the Pointers the first team to score on Darlington’s defense all season.
In the fourth quarter, Darlington proved its elite state-contender status. Senior quarterback and Air Force commit Zeke Zuberbuhler kicked off the offensive surge, plunging up the middle on a keeper for a touchdown. A missed extra point left the score at 13-6 with under 10 minutes to play.
Shortly after, Zuberbuhler connected on a deep shot downfield to find Glendenning in the end zone, extending the lead to 20-6. To seal the victory, Zuberbuhler bounced to the left outside edge, breaking free for a 47-yard touchdown run as the final minutes ticked away.
With the 27-6 victory, Darlington takes a hard-fought Week 3 rivalry matchup. The Redbirds play #6 New Glarus Knights, while the Pointers host winless Lancaster Flying Arrows.
