Central McLean squeaks by Beulah in season opener
Beulah and Central McLean (Underwood/Turtle Lake-Mercer/McClusky) opened their regular-season and Class A Region 4 slates against each other in a game played Aug. 22, at Riverside Park in Beulah.
Aiden Hansen’s touchdown with just over a minute left gave Central McLean its first lead of the game, and the Cougars withstood a goal line threat by Beulah in the closing seconds to hold on for an 18-14 victory.
Hansen racked up over 250 all-purpose yards and had a hand in all three of the Cougars’ touchdowns, and it was a successful debut for Central McLean, which moved up to the Class A ranks this season after playing the past four years in Class B Nine-Man.
CM’s first two drives of the game started in Beulah territory, but the Cougars came away empty on both occasions, and Miner linebacker Jack Skalsky halted the second drive with a strip-sack of Hansen, which Beulah lineman Brady Schaner recovered at the CM 44.