Polar Bears get Homecoming win
Hortonville knocks off Colby
By Greg Seubert
Valley Football Association opponents have not been kind this season to the Hortonville football team.
It’s been a different story in the Polar Bears’ nonconference games, however.
Hortonville hosted Colby Oct. 1 for Homecoming and ended up knocking off the state-ranked and previously unbeaten Hornets 19-13.
Colby came into the game as the state’s second-ranked team in Division 6 and had outscored its first five opponents 198-21.
Hortonville ended up with a safety on the Hornets’ first drive, as a snap sailed out of the end zone five minutes into the game.
Caden Healy gave Colby its first lead two minutes into the second quarter with a 35-yard touchdown run, but the Polar Bears blocked the extra-point try.
Hortonville headed into halftime with a 9-6 lead after Sam Dodd connected with Winston Peters for a 20-yard touchdown pass with 1:13 remaining in the opening half.
The Hornets regained the lead after opening the second half with an 80-yard drive that ended with Healy’s 5-yard run with 6:50 to go in the third quarter.
Hortonville also found the end zone on its first drive of the half, as Dodd scored on a 2-yard quarterback keeper and Drew Klein added the extra point with 2:50 remaining in the quarter to give the Polar Bears a 16-13 lead.
Colby turned the ball over on downs on the Hortonville 25-yard line early in the fourth quarter. Hortonville’s next drive ended with Klein’s 24-yard field goal with 8:27 remaining in the game.
The Hornets drove to the Hortonville 17-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs again.
The Polar Bears were unable to run more time off of the clock and Colby took over on its own 27-yard line without any time outs and 1:14 left on the clock.
Brent Jeske overthrew Gavin Voss on fourth-and-7 at the Hornets’ 30-yard line and the Polar Bears were able to run out the clock.
Colby had a 308-102 advantage in rushing yards behind 148 from Jeske and 104 from Healy. Hunter Strange led the Polar Bears with 100 yards on 22 carries.
Dodd completed 13 of 24 passes for 219 yards. Kyler Brown caught three passes for a game-high 81 yards, while Peters had four catches for 52 yards.
The Polar Bears will return to their VFA schedule Friday, Oct. 8, in Weston against D.C. Everest. Hortonville is 1-4 in conference play, while the Evergreens are 2-3.
