RENO - The McQueen High football team allowed its most points of the season on Friday but the offense enjoyed its highest scoring output as the Lancers beat South Tahoe 69-21 at John Robb stadium.
The Vikings (8-3) were out to avenge a 54-7 playoff loss to McQueen in 1997 but turned the ball over 10 times that resulted in 31 Lancer points. Viking star running back Jake Hurwitz left the game in the first quarter with an injury after rushing for 11 yards on four carries. With Hurwitz out of the game, South Tahoe's high powered was forced to rely on the pass.
"He's (Hurwitz) an outstanding player," McQueen coach Ken Dalton said. "When he went down, they had an empty backfield and it's awfully tough to play like that."
South Tahoe quarterback threw for three touchdowns and finished with 303 yards passing but fumbled twice and was picked up three times. He was also tackled eight times for a loss.
McQueen will play at Wooster in the zone championship game on Saturday at 1 p.m. The Colts beat Elko 35-32 on Friday afternoon. Earlier this season, McQueen beat Wooster 31-14, the Lancers closest margin of victory all season.
Against South Tahoe, McQueen scored on its opening drive of the game after quarterback Graham Siderius hooked up with Mohu Otuafi for a 28-yard strike that put the Lancers up 7-0. But Uppendahl answered back for South Tahoe with an 80-yard touchdown pass to Immanuel Williams that tied the game at 7-7.
But McQueen scored 24 points in the second quarter on a pair of rushing touchdowns from Chris Carr and Javier Berumen, a 36-yard TD catch by J.J. Myatt, and a 46-yard field goal by Siderius as the Lancers led 31-7 at half-time. Carr had 142 yards rushing, upping his season total 1,503 yards rushing but Berumen out gained Carr for the first time this season. Berumen finished with 157 rushing on eight carries, including a 60-yard TD run at the beginning of the third quarter that gave McQueen a 38-7 lead. Berumen had 125 yards rushing against Elko but Carr had 130.
"I thought Javier just had a great game," Dalton said. "He had a good game for us against Elko, so we knew he could do it."
Uppendahl brought the Vikings to within 38-13 after his 11-yard TD pass to Jerry Seeley with 6:54 left in the third. But McQueen drove the ball 77 yards, capped of by Brian Graham's 5-yard TD run that gave the Lancers a 45-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
After a 37-yard Siderius field goal, Williams then fumbled the ensuing kickoff. The South Tahoe defense forced the Lancers to punt but then Uppendahl fumbled inside the Viking 5-yard-line and the Lancers Josh Mann recovered it in the end zone as McQueen led 55-13.
Uppendahl led an 80-yard drive that ended with his 1-yard TD pass to Brandon Tinlin, making the score 55-21 after the South Tahoe converted on its 2-point conversion attempt.
The Lancers Eddie Cortez responded with a 49-yard run and then K.C. Dalton added rushing TD of his own, a 17-yarder with 1:06 left in the game that finished the scoring at 69-21.
Uppendahl finishes the season with 2,334 yards passing with 26 touchdowns. With his 175 yards on 11 catches against McQueen, Williams went over 1,000 yards receiving this season. He also had 14 touchdowns.