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The Ironmen may still win the Ski Valley Conference championship, and qualify for the state playoffs for the second straight year, but they might have to do it without star running back Adam Duerksen.

Duerksen, a two-time state champion in the hurdles last spring, was tackled hard after making a big gain in the fourth quarter and was transported to the hospital by ambulance after being treated on the sidelines by EMT personnel. The severity of Duerksen's injury isn't known.

So, in that sense, it was a particularly hard loss for the Ironmen. It's hoped Duerksen was only shaken up, and will return for this week's game.

Especially since it could very well have gone the other way. Mancelona was on the verge of grabbing control of the game in the first quarter.

Ironmen in control early

Mancelona scored a touchdown on its first possession of the game, using seven minutes of the clock to drive down the field for a 35-yard run by Duerksen. The Ironmen successfully converted on the two-point conversion for an 8-0 lead.

But the Elks answered that score quickly, as senior end Zac Dreffs ran the ensuing kickoff by the Ironmen back 82 yards for a touchdown. Mancelona blocked the extra point kick, and still held the lead, 8-6.

The Ironmen returned Elk Rapids' kickoff back to the Elks' 10-yard line. Elk Rapids' defense held, in fact driving the Ironmen back before taking over on downs and beginning a drive that ended with a 23-yard Peter Shugart field goal.

It gave the Elks a 9-8 lead. They held the lead the rest of the way, building a 34-8 cushion before the Ironmen scored their second and last touchdown in the fourth quarter.

The Elks scored just 21 seconds before halftime as senior quarterback Brandon Gualtiere, who had all of 21 snaps last season in limited duty as a backup, completed a 17-yard pass to Dreffs. That pushed the Elks lead to 15-8 at the half.

"I take my hat off to Elk Rapids,"Mancelona head coach Dan Derrer said. "They played a good game. They didn't make the big mistakes like we did."

Elks capitalize on Mancelona's mistakes

One of those mistakes came on the hit that sidelined Duerksen. The versatile back fumbled the ball after being tackled following a 22-yard pass reception from Mancelona quarterback Greg Blanco.

Tyler Smith picked up the loose ball for the Elks and returned it 47 yards for a touchdown. Junior fullback Alex Bethke tacked on the final score on a oneyard plunge with 6:55 left in the fourth period.

Another was a pass interception that Gualtiere returned 12 yards to the Ironmen 32-yard line. It took the Elks just five plays to capitalize on the turnover, Gualtiere (10-of-13 for 167 yards)hooking up with Charlie Hoch, whose leaping reception completed a 12-yard touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter. It also gave the Elks a 27-8 lead with 11:53 left in the game.

Smith also scored on a one-yard dive up the middle to cap a 61-yard, 8-play drive by the Elks on their first possession of the third quarter. Mancelona's other touchdown came on a 36-yard burst by junior running back Martel Easter.

Elk Rapids coach Ed Schindler pointed to the Elks' defensive stand after the Ironmen returned a kickoff back to the Elks' 10-yard line as being the turning point in the game.

"The game kind of swung our way after that,"Schindler said. "That was big. It could easily have been 16-6, (and)now we're in a hole and pressing a little bit."

"We did as well as I would expect in a first game, in a lot of facets of the game. Other facets, we're going to continue to work on. But, we didn't turn the ball over the whole night.

"Our quarterback had a great night. He might have taken 21 snaps last year, and that was all in mop up."

Jimmy Armstrong led the meager Elk Rapids running game with 44 yards on nine carries against a sturdy Mancelona defense that put eight players "in the box"to stop the run.

Smith, the Elks' linebacker, had 12 tackles to lead the defense. Carl Steuer followed with 11 tackles, and he caused Duerksen's fumble that was returned for a touchdown. Jared Isenhart made seven tackles, and had one quarterback sack.

Elk Rapids is at home Thursday night against Oscoda.