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In what could be a first for Kewaunee County’s varsity football programs, all three schools reached the WIAA’s mercy rule by halftime in blowout wins last weekend.
In the Packerland, Kewaunee crushed Southern Door on the road, 48-0; in the Packerland-8, Algoma won at Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah, 44-0; and in a North Eastern Conference Homecoming rout, Luxemburg-Casco coasted past Seymour, 42-6.
Algoma led 36-0 after two quarters; Kewaunee and L-C both led 35-0 heading into intermission.
Unlike a “hard” mercy rule that ends a Wisconsin high school baseball or softball game after five innings if a team is ahead by 10 runs or more, the “soft” mercy rule in high school football is a running clock anytime the score difference reaches 35 points or more in the second half so the game finishes faster while still allowing everyone to play. Many teams take advantage by giving second- and even third-string players quality minutes.
The clock still stops for timeouts, scores, extended injuries, or official safety stoppages. In rare instances, if a team leads by 35 points or more early, coaches can mutually agree to start a running clock before halftime.
The Wolves improved to 3-1 in conference play, 5-1 overall. Algoma wraps up its season at Oneida Oct. 8.
Sevastopol’s only loss was by 20 points to Pack-8 leader Valley Christian, one of seven unbeatens in 8-player football and ranked third in the state. Unranked Algoma is looking to knock Sevastopol out of the top 10. On paper, at least, it seems likely; the Pioneers only beat Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah by five points, 40-35, three weeks ago.
Kewaunee, Peshtigo and Oconto are all 3-1 in the Packerland, a game behind unbeaten Bonduel, the state’s top-ranked Div. 6 team. After Peshtigo, the Storm (4-2 overall) travels to Marinette Oct. 8.
L-C is also 4-2 on the season, and in a three-way tie for second at 3-1 in the North Eastern Conference with Denmark and Little Chute, behind unbeaten Freedom. The Spartans play at Freedom Oct. 9.
Diesel Bosdeck completed six of nine passes for 115 yards and three touchdowns in the first half. Mason Kovacs had two of them for 45 yards, including a 40-yard sprint. Peyton Schaller had the other, a 20-yard score.
Kovacs added a 43-yard pass to Mason Delebreau and a 15-yard run, while backup QB Brody Elliot was 2-for-2 for 21 yards plus a six-yard touchdown run.
Blake Temme gained 110 yards on just nine attempts, with two touchdowns, one from 30 yards out.
Playing in his first game this year, Drew Vaughn gained 39 yards on three carries, while Dane Harrell and Garrett LeFevre each carried twice for a combined 42 yards. Bosdeck gained 22 in two runs. LeFevre had an 11-yard TD.
Kovacs, Schaller, Harrell and Ethan Ratajczak each had two catches, Harrell and Schaller each gaining 35 yards and Ratajczak 21.
Blake Bortolini and Landon LaTour each had a pair of pancake blocks, and Bosdeck and Delebreau each one.
The Storm defense sacked Southern Door quarterback Caleb Delwiche eight times. With two other rushing attempts, his net yardage was minus-36. As a team, the Eagles gained just 35 yards on the night — negative 10 on the ground and 45 through the air. Most of the gains were against Kewaunee reserves.
Kewaunee had 10 tackles for loss and eight sacks, including two sacks from Harrell and 1.5 from LaTour. Ratajczak, Gregorio Medina, Mason VanGoethem and Evan Romero each had one, and Bortolini shared one with LaTour. Harrell, Medina and LaTour each had six tackles, including three solos apiece.
Playing little more than half a game, Medina — a 6-1, 215-pound senior — had a sack and three solos among his six tackles.
“It’s great to be with my guys,” Medina said. “It’s not always about myself. We believe in what we put in for an effort.”
Kewaunee has outscored its past three opponents by a combined 134-7, even playing deep into its bench.
Medina said getting less game time recently won’t negatively impact the starters.
“We work hard in practice,” Medina said. “And there’s strength and conditioning, a fitness program at school. Some guys go early (before school); get faster, get stronger and keep in shape.”
Kewaunee coach Randy Charles said the games will get tougher from here on out.
“Tonight we played downhill, played aggressive,” Charles said. “The defense definitely helped set the tone. This week we’ll need to be prepared, be ready, and we’re looking to keep getting these fast starts.”
Eli Derenne rushed for 156 yards and three touchdowns on just 11 carries, including a 69-yard score. He also completed 15 of 18 passes for 152 yards, with an 11-yard touchdown to Joey Jeanquart.
Ben Klass gained 45 yards in eight carries, including a pair of touchdowns, and Lane Ledvina rushed four times for 20 yards. Jeanquart caught seven passes for 48 yards, including a TD. Trenton Price added three for 25, Calvin Jandrain two for 43, Klass two for 24 and Blayten Schoenebeck, Holden Kipp and Isaac Schaefer each one.
Callen Murphy completed both of his passing attempts for five yards, and Jandrain had one carry for eight yards.
Defensively, senior Ethan Werner set the pace with 10 tackles, including seven solos and one for loss. Talon Tassoul had five, including two for loss, and Ledvina and Jeanquart each four. Tassoul and Ledvina each had a sack, and Derenne recovered a fumble.
Derenne is averaging about 12 yards per combined rushing and passing attempt. He’s gained 885 yards on the ground with 12 touchdowns, and 777 through the air with three TDs and four interceptions while completing 51 percent of his passes.
Ethan Melotte rushed 15 times for 154 yards, including a 54-yard touchdown, and completed four of six passes for 99 yards, two TDs and an interception. Cooper Fay caught all the balls, one of them a 42-yard scoring play.
Jack Schwader gained 58 yards in three carries, Jack Meverden 45 in eight, Nolan Cochart 19 in five, Parker Stewart 17 in three, Jacob Blahnik 11 in one and Eli Tassoul three in one. Meverden had a pair of rushing TDs and Stewart one.
Fay, Blahnik and Brady Walker combined for 23 tackles, including 13 solos. David Tebon had six tackles. Blahnik and Eli Tassoul each had a sack. Jack Schwader forced a fumble, and Calvin Mayheu recovered one. Owen Allen had his first varsity interception. Melotte had a trio of two-point runs and Tassoul one.
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