Maier took over from there. The senior ran for 47 yards on the ensuing drive, including a 36-yard pickup that brought the Vikings down to the Black Hawks’ 5-yard line. Harvey Hellen, making his first start as Mount Horeb/Barneveld’s varsity quarterback, eventually punched it in on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to give the Vikings an early 7-0 lead.
Mount Horeb/Barneveld carried that advantage into halftime behind a dominant defensive effort. Maier had a monster performance, finishing with 151 rushing yards, eight tackles, two forced fumbles (should have been three) and a fumble recovery. “I just motivated my guys to play to our standards,” Maier said. “By playing my absolute best, everybody else rose to the occasion to do the same.”
Maier was quick to credit the group in front of him for his success on the ground. “We have an incredible O-line,” Maier said. “They give me the opportunity and I take it.”
Senior captain Henry DeRosier got going in a big way in the second half. Midway through the third quarter, Hellen connected with a diving DeRosier for a 22-yard touchdown, extending the Vikings’ lead to 14-0. DeRosier led Mount Horeb/Barneveld with six receptions for 80 yards.
For DeRosier and the Vikings, the win carried some extra significance after falling to Grafton a season ago. “All week, since we lost to Grafton last year, we all wanted this so bad,” DeRosier said. “We all came here with a purpose.”
The Vikings dominated the first three quarters, but things got close late. The Black Hawks had 3rd and 9 at the Vikings 12-yard line down 14-0 to begin the 4th quarter. Hunter Klippel was under duress. Eli Maier swung down Derossier, and the ball popped free. Carter Preimesberger scooped it up, and took it to the house. Except Klippel was allegedly down by contact before the fumble (video evidence says otherwise).
Instead of a 21-0 lead, Grafton would kick a field goal on the drive to make it 14-3, and would remain in the game.
The Black Hawks gave the Vikings one final scare, scoring a touchdown with 3:54 remaining to cut the deficit to four. A prolonged onside-kick sequence followed, but Mount Horeb/Barneveld eventually emerged with the football.
From there, Maier and the Vikings’ offense did enough to run out the clock and secure a statement win over the defending state champions.
“For us, to come out on the field and get a W, when everyone was doubting us, it’s impressive,” head coach Bret St. Arnauld said. “We had so many young guys step on the field because of cramping or whatever, there were so many things out of our control, and I’m just so proud of what we accomplished tonight.”
Harvey Hellen finished his varsity quarterback debut 13-of-19 passing for 126 yards and a touchdown while adding another score on the ground.
“Great growing moment for him,” St. Arnauld said. “People doubt him because he’s small, but he’s small and mighty. To be able to dictate the offense tonight was really impressive, and I think it’s only going to get better for him.”
For a Mount Horeb/Barneveld team that entered Friday night with something to prove, Week 1 provided a resounding answer: a win over the defending state champions and a statement to open the 2026 season.
