Waupaca, Hortonville, Manawa also fall
By Greg Seubert
Getting into the end zone has been a problem so far this season for the New London football team.
Denmark is the third team in as many games to hold the Bulldogs to one score, as the Vikings headed to New London Sept. 2 and returned home with a 28-7 nonconference win.
Meanwhile, Waupaca, Hortonville and Manawa also came up short in their week three matchups. Waupaca dropped a 55-20 decision to Freedom, Stevens Point handed Hortonville a 23-21 loss and Manawa lost 50-6 to Stratford.
Denmark 28, New London 7
Denmark scored on its first two possessions while holding the Bulldogs scoreless in the second half.
DJ Vanlanen capped the Vikings’ first drive with a 2-yard run and Nolan Perry added a 69-yard punt return later in the first quarter.
Denmark took a 21-0 lead in the second quarter on Lucas Miller’s 6-yard run, but New London answered on its next drive with Adan Lopez’s 33-yard run.
The Vikings wrapped up the scoring on the first play of the fourth quarter with Rheis Johnson’s 5-yard run.
Denmark outgained the Bulldogs 103-72 on the ground and 183-94 through the air.
Lopez led all rushers with 73 yards on 16 carries. All six of Will Grable’s completions went to Kyle Wisniewski.
Freedom 55, Waupaca 20
The teams combined for nine touchdowns in the first half.
Waupaca scored all 20 of its points in the opening half and trailed 41-20 at the break.
Xzaver Pittman scored the Comets’ first touchdown in the first quarter and Parker Krcmar added a 57-yard pass to Henry Mouw. Pittman also had a 6-yard run in the second quarter.
Freedom scored in the first half on 26-, 61- and 5-yard runs from Carter Kriewaldt; Matt Wyngaard’s touchdown passes of 24 yards to Owen Wedin and 53 yards to Gavin Greiner; and Levi Baumgart’s 15-yard run.
The Irish added to their lead in the fourth quarter on an 8-yard run from Kriewaldt and a 53-yard run from Noah Heinke.
Krcmar led the Comets in rushing with 76 yards and also completed nine of 18 passes for 141 yards.
Waupaca will wrap up its nonconference schedule at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 9, as the Comets travel to Wrightstown.
Stevens Point 23, Hortonville 21
Hortonville came up two points short in its Valley Football Association opener against the Panthers.
Each team scored in the first quarter. Cam Saeger kicked a 29-yard field goal for Stevens Point and the Polar Bears answered with Broden Butzin’s 4-yard pass to Colin Wendt.
The Panthers regained the lead in the second quarter on Grant Chandonais’ touchdown passes of 13 yards to Braylon Smola and 27 yards to Jaxon Stelter.
Gavin Vallner’s 1-yard run in the third quarter cut Stevens Point’s lead to 17-14, but Stevens Point answered with Smola’s 29-yard touchdown run.
Hortonville cut the lead to two points in the fourth quarter on Butzin’s 10-yard pass to Sam Buelow.
Butzin completed 22 of 44 passes for 194 yards and Vallner led all rushers with 106 yards.
Stratford 50, Manawa 6
A big second half led Stratford to a win over Manawa in the Central Wisconsin Conference-Large opener for both teams.
Stratford took an early lead on Braeden Schueller’s 15-yard run , but the Wolves also got on the scoreboard in the first quarter on Tanner Nienhaus’ 2-yard pass to Thomas Bartelt that cut the lead to 7-6.
Schueller’s 14-yard pass to Koehler Kilty turned out to be the only score of the second quarter and the Tigers had a 14-6 lead at the break.
The second half belonged to Stratford, as the Tigers found the end zone three times in the third quarter and twice in the final period while holding the Wolves scoreless.
Kilty scored on runs of 7 and 3 yards in the third quarter and Schueller added a 13-yard pass to Ashton Wrench.
The Tigers added to their lead in the fourth quarter on Schueller’s 7-yard pass to Kilty and a 21-yard run from Jack Tubbs.
Manawa fell to 0-1 in CWC-Large play and 2-1 overall and will hit the road for the first time Friday, Sept. 9, as the Wolves travel to Nekoosa to face the Papermakers at 7 p.m.