Playoff losses end seasons
By Greg Seubert
A short-handed Waupaca football team ended up making a short run in the WIAA playoffs.
The Comets, a No. 8 seed in Division 3, saw their season end Oct. 21 with a 49-0 loss to West Salem.
Things didn’t go any better for Clintonville, Weyauwega-Fremont or Manawa, as all three teams also fell in the opening round.
Division 3
West Salem 49, Waupaca 0
The Comets made the 140-mile trip to West Salem knowing the odds were not in their favor, as several starters sat out with various injuries.
The Panthers scored on their first six possessions to build a 42-0 halftime lead while running only 16 plays on offense.
“We knew our normal game plan wasn’t going to really work,” coach Bennett Hansen said. “It was a tough matchup.”
A pair of fumbles on the Comets’ first two possessions gave West Salem a short field to work with.
The first fumble gave the Panthers the ball at the Waupaca 15-yard line and Luke Noel scored two plays later on a 10-yard run.
Brett McConkey capped West Salem’s second drive with a 62-yard run.
A blocked punt gave the Panthers the ball at the Waupaca 4-yard line and Noel found the end zone from a yard out to give the home team a 21-0 lead.
Chris Calico opened the Panthers’ next drive with a 59-yard touchdown run and McConkey connected with Andy Johnson for a 36-yard touchdown pass on the first play of the second quarter.
Both teams agreed to begin a running clock with 11:53 remaining in the first half. West Salem added another score with just under four minutes to go in the first half on McConkey’s 40-yard run.
The Panthers’ final score came early in the third quarter on Abram Lassen’s 72-yard run.
Parker Krcmar and Ethan Harms combined to complete 12 of 23 passes for 118 yards. West Salem also held the Comets to 68 rushing yards.
Waupaca finished the season with a 3-7 record, while West Salem improved to 9-1 and will host Fox Valley Lutheran Friday, Oct. 28, in Level 2.
The Comets made the playoffs for the second time under Hansen.
“It’s a credit to our guys putting in the offseason work,” he said. “It’s another week of football and a great experience for our guys.”
It was the final football game for seven seniors: Krcmar, Owen Smidt, Gavin Taggart, Aidan Eisentraut, Devin Minton, Carsten Gile and Ross Hanson.
“Those are ones that survived and stuck it out,” Hansen said. “Those guys were great for our program. They gave us everything they had, absolutely. I’m proud of our team.”
Division 5
Chilton 7, Clintonville 6
Clintonville didn’t allow the Tigers to score a touchdown on offense and held them to 29 passing yards, but still ended up on the short end of a 7-6 score.
The Truckers opened the scoring in the first quarter on Kade Rosenow’s 10-yard pass to Kolton Barkow.
Clintonville tried to add a two-point conversion, but Rosenow’s pass fell incomplete.
Chilton’s touchdown came in the second quarter on Zac Halbach’s 7-yard fumble recovery. Ahmed Ahmed’s extra point gave the Tigers the lead and neither team scored again.
Rosenow completed 10 of 22 passes for 119 yards, while Zach Spaulding had 84 rushing yards on 21 carries.
The Tigers outgained the Truckers 184-183 and will play Southern Door Oct. 28 in Level 2.
Division 6
Coleman 62, Manawa 0
Three 100-yard rushers helped the Cougars improve to 10-0 on the season.
Will Bieber, Peter Kuchta and Brady Gross ran for 162, 111 and 104 yards, respectively, and also scored six touchdowns between them.
Bieber had touchdown runs of 30, 72 and 20 yards; Kuchta scored on runs of 11 and 35 yards; and Gross added a 1-yard run.
Kuchta also returned an interception 14 yards and Isaiah Nowak added a 9-yard run.
Coleman’s defense held Manawa to 24 rushing yards and 66 through the air.
Coleman will host Cedar Grove-Belgium Oct. 21 in Level 2.
Division 6
St. Mary’s Springs 47, Weyauwega-Fremont 12
St. Mary’s Springs scored in the final minute of the first quarter to take a 13-12 lead before sealing the win with five unanswered touchdowns the rest of the way.
Kameron Zielke’s 15-yard quarterback keeper gave the Warhawks a 6-0 lead less than three minutes into the game. Levi Huempfner’s 7-yard touchdown run and Cole Rottman’s extra point gave the Ledgers a 7-6 lead, but the lead didn’t last long, as Brayden Arndt returned the kickoff 87 yards.
Jonathan Korb gave St. Mary’s Springs the lead for good with a 5-yard run. He added a pair of 4-yard scoring runs in the second quarter, while JT Koenings added a 6-yard run and Huempfner caught a 31-yard pass from Cullen King to give the Ledgers a 40-12 halftime lead.
Max Bauer wrapped up the scoring in the third quarter with a 6-yard pass to Sam Coon.
Zielke, Arndt and two other quarterbacks combined to complete 13 of 27 passes for 109 yards. The Ledgers also outgained the Warhawks 251-25 on the ground.
Weyauwega-Fremont finished 5-5. The Ledgers will host Bonduel in Level 2.