Beavers host Dragons

I first started at the Bemidji (Minn.) Pioneer as an intern in the summer of 1996. That would begin six years as a news reporter, sports reporter and copy editor for a small, six-day-per-week daily newspaper in northern Minnesota. I wrote a large range of stories from multiple beats, to features to sports, my favorite being the coverage of the Red Lake Reservation High School basketball team named the Warriors. Here is a collection of my stories from my time at the Pioneer.

Sept. 26, 1998

By Devlyn Brooks

Bemidji State fans -- get ready for something special today as the Beavers entertain Moorhead State in both teams' NSIC opener.

First, this contest marks the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Axe -- the traveling tropy awarded annually to the BSU versus MSU winner. Second, it is BSU's 1998 homecoming game.

Add the fact that third-year Beaver head coach Jeff Tesch is a former Moorhead tight end, and finally consider that each team hosts one of the nation's top rushers .. and you have the makings of a great game.

The distinctive differences between the two squads' offenses will pit the newly explosive run-and-shoot Beavers offense against the grinding, wear-you-out rushing offense of the Dragons.

And big scores are a definite possibility.

The Beavers are led by junior tailback Chris Meyer, who ranked third with 188 rushing yards per game in this week's NCAA D-II stats, and junior college transfer quarterback Ben Morie, who has revived Bemidji's passing game.

Moorhead, however, sports the nation's seventh-best rusher in junior quarterback Tony Duerr, who has a 149-yard-per-game average, and a senior tailback poised to set MSU's all-time rushing record.

Today's game is a litmus test for the Beavers, who have wins over non-conference foes St. Thomas University and Mayville (N.D.) State University and a close loss to Minnesota Crookston.

But this is different. This is the conference opener, and Moorhead State is a far superior team than the Beavers' first three opponents.

"We are happy with where we are at (after three games)," Tesch said this week. "But we know we'll have tougher contests ahead. The key to the (Moorhead) game will be whether we can stop a potent running game."

In BSU's first outing, the defense surrounded 200 yards to NAIA All-American runningback Mark Olsonawski, but have become a stronger unit since then.

Not helping the Beavers is the fact that two key defensive lineman -- defensive end Wes Ehlers and tackle Andy Kulas -- are still recovering from injuries and won't be available for full duty today.

So, the biggest question is whether the defense can limit the rushing exploits of Duerr and senior tailback Grover Moore, who needs just over 800 yards to set the Dragons' rushing record, and who had 237 yards rushing and three TDs against BSU in 1997.

"(Moorhead's) tough to defend. They spread you out in a different way," Tesch said. "They are multiple in their own way. We have nightmares about (Grover's game) last year."

The Dragons run a veer-oriented rushing offense with little emphasis on the pass. They've only recorded 46 receiving yards this year, but they also haven't needed to produce big numbers through the air.

"They are the only team in the league using the veer. So it's important we stay assignment sharp," Tesch said. "There's one guy assigned to the quarterback, one to the runningback and another to the wide man. But if we double on one guy, there could be some big plays."

On the other side of the ball, the Beavers offense will be facing a five-man front -- much like Mayville's but more talented.

It, too, is a scheme not often used in the NSIC, and Bemidji will need a balanced attack through the air and on the ground to be successful.

"Yeah, Chris (Meyer) had 280 yards rushing versus Mayville, and we won," Tesch said. "But he had 170 yards rushing against Moorhead last year, and we still lost. We need balance between our rushing and passing. We need to spread them out."

This will be the 65th meeting between the Beavers and Dragons, with Moorhead holding a 41-20-3 series advantage.

But the Beavers hope this is the year they will bring home the Axe, which hasn't resided here since 1992, and the year to earn Tesch some bragging rights.

"It's not my biggest worry, but it would be a special feeling to say you beat your alma mater," he said. "I like to think I learned a lot about football while I was there, but now I'm ready to beat them."