Reedsville overcomes shaky start

By Greg Seubert

It took awhile for Reedsville’s offense to get going.

Once it did, however, it was hard to stop.

The Panthers scored touchdowns on four straight possessions Aug. 18 in a 33-13 season-opening nonconference football win over Weyauwega-Fremont.

After holding the Panthers to a three-and-out on Reedsville’s first possession, the Indians drove 64 yards in 10 plays. Brandon Scheer’s 1-yard run and Gavin Curtis’ extra point gave W-F a 7-0 lead with 6:24 remaining in the first quarter.

Reedsville punted after three-and-outs on its next two possessions, but tied the score with 8:22 remaining in the first half on Carson Shanilec’s 67-yard touchdown pass to Braiden Dvoracheck. The pair also hooked up on the previous play, a 13-yard completion, to open a drive that started at the Panthers’ 20-yard line.

The Panthers took the lead for good on their next drive that begin at Reedsville’s 36-yard line, as Shanilec scored from 10 yards out with 1:52 left in the half.

Brandon Stelzer set up Reedsville’s final score on the half by picking off a Curtis pass and returning it to the W-F 45-yard line. Shanilek’s second 10-yard quarterback keeper TD with one second on the clock gave the visitors a 19-7 lead at the break.

Scheer’s fumble on the Indians’ first drive of the second half set the Panthers up at the W-F 20-yard line and Shanilek scored from a yard out with 8:34 to go in the third quarter to make it 25-7.

Scheer ended the Panthers’ next drive with an interception and found the end zone for the second time on a 58-yard run on a fake punt. Curtis’ pass to Louis Knecht for the two-point conversion fell incomplete, but the Indians had cut the Panthers’ lead to 25-13 with 9:30 remaining in the game.

Any chance the Indians for a comeback ended on Reedsville’s next drive, as the Panthers drove 55 yards in 11 plays, with Stelzer scoring from 2 yards out with 2:54 to go.

Reedsville outgained the Indians 340-259. W-F had a 215-173 advantage on the ground, with Scheer rushing 20 times for 173 yards. Shanilec completed nine of his 10 passes for 167 yards to go along with his three rushing touchdowns.

W-F will travel to Brillion Friday, Aug. 25, for a 7 p.m. nonconference matchup with the Lions before opening Central Wisconsin Large Conference play the following Friday at Bonduel.