FLOODWOOD -- Floodwood football coach Larry Heggedahl has made the customary conciliatory walk through the postgame handshake line plenty of times after his team received a beating on the field.
So when he reached the end of the line Friday afternoon -- following a 36-8 nonconference rout over fellow unbeaten Mountain Iron-Buhl -- he didn't expect to receive a verbal bashing from the opposing coach.
MIB coach Wally Kostich yelled and pointed his finger at Heggedahl, telling him "what goes around, comes around, Larry" when the coaches met after the game.
What incensed Kostich was Floodwood using a halfback option pass for a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter and keeping its starters in the game until it was running time.
"I've been coaching football for 26 years, and I've never seen a more bush league move," Kostich said afterward. "Don't get me wrong, we got beat by a better football team today, but this is a gentleman's game, and there was nothing gentlemanly about that."
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Perhaps some of Kostich's anger was due to seeing his team manhandled as it rarely has been before. The unranked Polar Bears (4-0) outgained the Rangers 513-103, including rushing for 448 yards at more than 10 yards an attempt.
That's not what happened the last time the teams met, in 2005, when MIB cruised to a 41-12 victory, led by star quarterback (and current Minnesota Duluth standout) D.J. Winfield.
"Five years ago, D.J. Winfield on this field," Heggedahl said. "(Kostich's) memory's too short.
"I've been here for six years and I've been on (the losing) side more than a lot of people. I've had my share of 3-6 seasons, and I finally have a team that has a lot going for it and everybody thinks I'm the jackass now. What do you do? The kids want to come out and play football. So they come out and play football, and the next thing you know the other coach is saying, 'We don't want those kids on the field anymore.'"
But Heggedahl wasn't about to get into a war of words. He apologized to everyone he could if his actions caused any hard feelings.
"I apologize to Mr. Kostich, I apologize to the Mountain Iron community, I apologize to the players and I apologize to the officials," he said. "I can't take back what I did, but in the same token -- 41-12 six years ago. I don't forget that, but there sure wasn't any vengeance."
Sophomore running back Trevor Bernsdorf gained 171 yards on 15 carries, breaking the game open with a 91-yard burst through a gaping hole with 3:01 remaining in the first half. Senior quarterback Zach Heggedahl added 101 yards on six carries, running for one score and throwing for another.
"We've been trying to send a message all year," Zach Heggedahl said. "After beating Nevis (28-14) last week and then pounding MIB like we did today, this should (send a message)."
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Heggedahl's 7-yard keeper and Levi Bailey's 3-yard scoring run made it 30-0 early in the fourth quarter. After holding on three downs, the Polar Bears ran a reverse and then Bernsdorf found Jarred Heggedahl behind the secondary for a 42-yard scoring pass.
The playcall had no malice, according to Floodwood players.
"We're just trying to play football," Zach Heggedahl said. "They've buried teams before, so we just want to keep the momentum going and keep everyone's heads up."
Mountain Iron-Buhl 0-0-0-8--8
Floodwood 0-14-8-14--36
F -- Blake Runquist 7 pass from Zach Heggedahl (Jarred Heggedahl run)
F -- Trevor Bernsdorf 91 run (pass failed)
F -- Z. Heggedahl 7 run (T. Bernsdorf run)
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F -- Levi Bailey 3 run (T. Bernsdorf run)
F -- J. Heggedahl 42 pass from T. Bernsdorf (run failed)
MIB -- Logan Hultgren 7 pass from Ryan Buria (pass good)
