One of the most intriguing things about sports writing is that every once in awhile, when you cover an event, the unexpected happens.

Perhaps it’s the overwhelming underdog beating the favorite, or the last guy on the bench hitting the game-winning home run in extra innings, or maybe it’s the last-minute call up JV kid who nails the decisive free throws in overtime.

On Saturday, I was privy to one of those unexpected performances during the Mankato West playoff football game against St. Thomas Academy. It involved West junior Jake Schoettler.

Now Schoettler is hardly the last guy on the bench or the recent JV player for the Scarlets, but he IS a lineman and, as such, is usually an anonymous contributor during games. That was hardly the case Saturday as Schoettler made two big defensive plays — scoring touchdowns on both of them — to lead the Scarlets’ defense.

The first was a fumble recovery in the St. Thomas Academy end zone on the game’s first play from scrimmage. The second was a batted down pass that landed in Schoettler’s own arms for an interception. He returned the pick 3 yards for West’s final touchdown with four minutes left in the game.

Linemen, as a rule, don’t get mentioned in football stories or broadcasts unless they’re sacking the quarterback. Since the media tends to focus on players who touch the ball a lot (not counting the center), linemen rarely have an opportunity to polish their interview skills.

On Saturday, Schoettler stepped into the spotlight. He was sought after by newspaper guys as well as the local radio and TV people.

He conceded at the outset that he hadn’t scored a touchdown since he was a running back in eighth grade. He also said he wasn’t used to being interviewed. In fact, he admitted he had never been interviewed before.

But if Schoettler was nervous about having microphones, cameras and recorders shoved into his face, he didn’t show it. He was too busy smiling to have butterflies.

Schoettler had helped his team win and that was all that really mattered to the 265-pound lineman. He could take pride in a job well done.

His 15 minutes of fame may be just about over and Schoettler may be slinking back into the background, but for one brief moment he was the man.

It was unexpected, but that’s what made it even sweeter.

Jim Rueda is the Free Press sports editor. To contact him, call 344-6381 or e-mail him at jrueda@mankatofreepress.com