Sunday, October 6, 2024

Comets drop season opener at home

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Westen Lauritzen returns a punt for Waupaca during the Comets' season opener against Wrightstown. Greg Seubert Photo

Wrightstown defeats Waupaca

By Greg Seubert

The Wrightstown football team capped its 2023 season with a trip to Madison to play for a WIAA Division 5 state championship.

Whether the Tigers make a return trip to Camp Randall Stadium in November remains to be seen, but if the season opener is any indication, they are well on their way to another successful season.

The Tigers found the end zone eight times Aug. 23 in a 56-14 nonconference win over Waupaca.

Wrightstown took a 14-0 lead into the second quarter. A fumble ended the Comets’ first drive at the Waupaca 15-yard line and Daniel Buntin opened the scoring with a 3-yard run.

The Tigers added to their lead later in the opening quarter, as Bennett Theunis scored from a yard out.

A missed field goal ended Waupaca’s next drive, but the Tigers scored again on their next drive on Trevor Vande Hey’s 61-yard pass to Jaeden Kittoe.

A fumbled punt return set the Comets up Wrightstown’s 28-yard line and Waupaca capped the drive with Austin Adamczak’s 23-yard pass to Aaron Wolfe that cut the lead to 21-7 with 6:12 to go in the first half.

Vande Hey answered the Comets’ touchdown with a 71-yard touchdown pass to Theunis on the Tigers’ next drive and Wrightstown added to its lead in the half’s final minute on Kaden Colwell’s 3-yard run.

Kittoe’s interception in the end zone ended Waupaca’s first drive of the second half and Aiden Humphries scored on an 80-yard run on the next play.
The Tigers soon had the ball again after a Waupaca fumble and added to their lead on Brody Wilson’s 79-yard run.

Theodore Van Rossum capped Wrightstown’s scoring with a 2-yard run in the fourth quarter before Adamczak capped a 62-yard drive with a 1-yard quarterback keeper.

Waupaca will head to Freedom Friday, Aug. 30, for a 7 p.m. matchup with the Irish before wrapping up its nonconference schedule at home Friday, Sept. 6, against Little Chute.