Turnovers lead to points for Crandon
By Greg Seubert
It wasn’t hard to figure out the game plan for Clintonville and Crandon in their Northwoods Conference football opener.
Clintonville’s plan? Throw the ball and throw it again.
Crandon’s plan? Run, run, run.
Crandon capitalized on a pair of second-half turnovers Sept. 1 and went on to post a 32-24 win over the Truckers.
Each team scored a pair of touchdowns in the first half.
After holding the Cardinals to a three-and-out on the game’s opening drive, Clintonville drove 85 yards and Zach Spaulding found the end zone from 2 yards out with 7:55 to go in the first quarter.
Kade Rosenow connected with Jordan Wegener for the two-point conversion to give the Truckers an 8-0 lead.
The Cardinals answered on their next drive on Carsyn Mayer’s 58-yard run. Caden Palubicki scored on the two-point try to tie the game.
Both teams added a touchdown and two-point conversion in the second quarter.
Clintonville regained the lead on Rosenow’s 75-yard pass to Wegener with 5:27 to go before halftime and a pass to Sam Wegener.
The Cardinals scored on their next drive on Palubicki’s 2-yard run and Mason Mullins’ conversion run and the teams headed to halftime tied at 16-16.
Second half
Mayer ended Clintonville’s first drive of the second half with an interception that set the Cardinals up at their own 39-yard line. Mullins capped the drive with a 5-yard run and Palubicki added the two-point conversion run.
Logan Gretzinger recovered Spaulding’s fumble on the first play of the Truckers’ next drive at midfield. The Cardinals kept the drive alive by converting a pair of fourth downs and Brett Palubicki scored from 2 yards out, with Caden Palubicki adding the two-point conversion.
Palubicki’s touchdown gave the Cardinals a 32-16 lead with 5:03 remaining in the game.
It didn’t take the Truckers long to cut the lead in half, as Rosenow’s 65-yard touchdown pass to Jack Yaeger and his two-point conversion run made it 32-24.
Mayer recovered the Truckers’ onside kick attempt and the Cardinals were able to run out the clock.
Crandon only attempted one pass in the game – an incompletion late in the first half – and ran the ball 67 times for 359 yards. Mullins led the way with 134 yards on 26 attempts.
Rosenow completed 16 of 24 passes for 331 yards. Jordan Wegener caught six passes for 135 yards and Spaulding led Clintonville’s rushers with 69 yards.
Clintonville had a 384-359 advantage in total yards.
The Truckers fell to 2-1 overall and 0-1 in conference play and will travel to Crivitz to face the Wolverines at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9.
