Storm alone in second place in Packerland

It’s one game at a time for the players and coaches, but Kewaunee football fans are already looking ahead to the WIAA playoffs later this month.

A shot at a Packerland Conference championship is out of reach, since the next two opponents for unbeaten Bonduel have a combined two wins this season.

But the Bears, the state’s top-ranked team in Div. 6, are still on the Storm’s radar. Kewaunee lost at Bonduel 28-22 in early September, and hopes to get another shot come the post-season.

For now, there’s a game to go. After traveling to Marinette (2-5 overall, 1-4 Packerland) Oct. 8, Kewaunee wraps up the regular season at home next Friday, hosting Oconto (currently 4-3, 3-2 in the Pack) on Tackle Cancer Night. The Blue Devils had 217 yards of offense in a 42-21 loss at home to Bonduel last week.

At home against Peshtigo Friday, the Storm (5-2, 4-1) started and ended the first half well in a 51-14 win. In between, things were a little slower.

“It was Homecoming, it was Parent’s Night, and we came out a little distracted I’ll say,” said senior Blake Bortolini. “We knew we had to pick it up.”

Kewaunee coach Randy Charles said you never like distractions, but it’s one of those things you have to learn to work through.

“There’s always some sort of distraction,” Charles said. “You have to learn to have more energy, no matter what the distraction is.”

Leading by just a touchdown, the Storm marched down the field in the last minute of the first half to lead 20-7 at the break.

“I think that gave us the confidence to do it in the second half, and realize we can do this all night,” Bortolini said.

Charles said the win was a collective effort, but he especially praised the line play.

“You have to control the line of scrimmage, especially against a team like (Peshtigo) that really wants to run the ball,” he said.

Kewaunee held Peshtigo to just 117 yards of offense, all but five of it through the air on 12 of 21 passing for 117 yards, one touchdown and an interception by Mason Delebreau.

Meanwhile, the Storm racked up 300 yards, 176 through the air and 124 on the ground. Diesel Bosdeck completed 12 of 17 passes for 136 yards and two touchdowns, and freshman Hayden Thor was 2-for-2 for 40 yards. Both of those went to sophomore Ethan Ratajczak, including a late 28-yard TD where he refused to go down, bullying his way with defenders draped all over him the final five yards.

Dane Harrell caught five of Bosdeck’s tosses for 45 yards, including a 19-yard touchdown, while Peyton Schaller (2-28), Blake Temme (2-9), Baylor Elliot (1-37), Mason Kovacs (1-9) and Mason Delebreau (1-8, TD) had the others.

On the ground, Temme led the way with 47 yards on 11 carries, with two touchdowns. His longest was from 14 yards. Bosdeck had three carries for 26, including a TD, and freshman Jacob Barta three for 10. Drew Vaughn gained 24 yards on just two carries, Harrell had two for 11, and Thor and Landon LaTour each had one three-yard run. Schaller and Harrell each scored a two-point conversion.

LaTour had six pancake blocks on the night, and 11 tackles, including three for loss (one sack). Blake Bortolini and Harrell each had eight tackles, and Bosdeck and Brody Elliot each six. Gregorio Medina recovered a fumble.

Peshtigo did have two kickoff returns for touchdowns called back by penalty, one each half.
L-C 67, Sheboygan Falls 0

It was a rout for the ages at Luxemburg last Friday, with the Spartans scoring 10 touchdowns despite their second straight running-clock game. L-C led 20-0 after one quarter, 41-0 at the half and 54-0 after three quarters.

Quarterback Eli Derenne completed seven of 10 passes for 109 yards and three touchdowns, with one interception, and gained 98 yards on six carries. He scored two TDs rushing, including a 64-yard sprint.

Backup QB, sophomore Callen Murphy, completed his only pass for eight yards and rushed for 101 yards and four touchdowns on just five carries, the longest from 45 yards. Fellow soph Tyce Klaubauf added 57 yards on 10 carries, with one TD. Meanwhile, junior Ben Klass had three carries for 51 yards and sophomore Calvin Jandrain one run for 35 yards. Drake Wolf averaged 8.3 yards on three carries, and Max Crine gained seven yards on four rushes.

Joey Jeanquart had three catches for 51 yards and two touchdowns, including a 24-yarder, and sophomore Mason Lemens had a 28-yard TD catch. Blayten Schoenebeck, Isaac Schaefer and Jandrain each had one reception.

Klaubauf had eight tackles, Ethan Werner seven and Klass and Julian Bailey each four. Twenty-three players got one tackle or more. Klaubauf, Murphy, Crine and Grant Seering each forced a fumble, and Murphy, Seering, Holden Kipp and Karter Van Egeren each had a recovery. Jeanquart got two interceptions.

Winless Falls started the season with a 34-26 loss to Oostburg. In the six games since, they’ve been outscored by a combined 293-19. The Falcons did manage 93 yards passing and 66 yards rushing vs. L-C, much of it in the second half. They’ve been without their top running back the past three weeks, all shutouts.

Quarterback Ethan Melotte left the game with a possible concussion late in the first half with the Wolves trailing 14-12 in Algoma’s Homecoming game.

The Wolves led 12-0 before the Pioneers scored. Melotte ran for the first touchdown and connected with Cooper Fay on a 46-yard strike for the second, but both two-point tries were stopped.

Jack Schwader and Nolan Cochart each got time at QB after Melotte had to leave. Schwader completed four of seven passes for 43 yards, and Cochart one of six for 25. Melotte’s toss to Fay was his only completion in five tries.

On the ground, Jack Meverden gained 50 yards in 10 carries, Melotte 27 in 12 and Schwader 24 in eight carries. Fay caught three passes for 87 yards, Jacob Blahnik one for 17, Cochart one for 15 and Meverden one for no gain.

Defensively, David Tebon led the way with 12 tackles, including a sack. Brady Walker and Meverden each had nine, Schwader seven and Fay six.

Sevastopol, the state’s eighth-ranked 8-player football team, improved to 6-1 on the season, and 4-1 in the Packerland-8 behind undefeated and third-ranked Valley Christian.

Bo Tanck completed 15 of 25 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns and gained 98 yards rushing on 12 carries, with one TD, to lead the Pioneers. His top target was 6-foot-4 junior Cash Kuehn. He caught nine passes for 155 yards and two scores.

Senior Ray Johnson was another key player. He rushed for 63 yards on 14 carries, caught one pass, and led the defense with 18 tackles and an interception.

The Wolves season came to an end Thursday night at Oneida. They were 5-2 overall, 3-2 in the Pack-8 heading into the game. Due to enrollment higher than the allowed 200 average over three years, Algoma is not eligible for the 8-player playoffs.