PLATEVILLE - Black Hawk junior quarterback Heath Butler couldn't have scripted a better way to kick off the season.
Butler scored four touchdowns (two rushing and two passing) in his first varsity start to help the Warriors steamroll Benton-Scales Mound 52-0 in the Six Rivers Jamboree season opener Saturday, Aug. 24. The Warriors scored eight touchdowns on their first eight drives. Butler completed 6 of 7 passes for 107 yards.
"I have to give credit to the line," Butler said. "They gave me good protection. The more time I have, the easier it is to make plays and throw the ball."
Black Hawk senior Tanner Sweeney ripped off a 59-yard run on the first play of the game. Sweeney then pounded in a 4-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 7-0 lead with 11 minutes, 29 seconds left in the first quarter. On the Warriors' next possession, while facing a fourth-and-4, senior Jayden Rufenacht darted for a 25-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead with 4:14 to go in the first quarter.
The Warriors gashed the Zephyrs for 416 total rushing yards. Rufenacht rushed for 128 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns and Sweeney rushed for 113 yards on eight carries. Like a true quarterback, Butler doesn't mind when his coach calls a passing play or chooses to go no-huddle like the Warriors did on their third drive.
"I like running the no-huddle because the wide receivers get more open and you get more open looks," Butler said. "Tyler Peterson ran good routes and our running backs really ran strong. We could have really run all game."
The Warriors' defense was just as dominant as the offense, limiting the Zephyrs to 17 total rushing yards. Rufenacht came up with a key interception moments after his touchdown run. That set up Butler's 49-yard TD pass to Tyler Peterson with 3:58 left in the first quarter to give the Warriors a 20-0 lead.
The Warriors' defense scored 14 points off three turnovers by the Zephyrs. Black Hawk junior Shawn Woodruff, who had two sacks, forced a fumble on the Zephyrs' next possession and Ryan Quinn recovered. The Warriors cashed in on the turnover when Rufenacht raced for a 22-yard TD run. The Warriors capitalized on a seven-play, 77-yard second quarter drive with Butler hooking up on a 6-yard TD pass to Peterson. Butler added a 7-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 39-0 lead at the half. Peterson had four catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
"We got on a roll the first game of the year," Rufenacht said. "We wanted to show people we could play. We got everyone's confidence up."
The Warriors' defense finished with three sacks and limited the Zephyrs to just 65 total yards. Black Hawk seniors Tanner Schiferl and Kurtis Paulson also combined on a sack for a defense that thrived on turnovers.
"We knew from previous years that they were a running team," Rufenacht said. "We know that defense wins games."
Butler put the game away, breaking loose for a 62-yard TD run in the third quarter to give the Warriors a 45-0 lead. Woodruff added a 3-yard TD run.
Black Hawk coach Cory Milz was excited with Butler's first start at quarterback.
"Heath played really well," Milz said. "He throws the ball well and he's accurate. He's a competitive kid. It's no surprise to us how physical he was. We still have to work on a few things with him with checks and audibles. Most of the time we run the play that is called."
The one area the Warriors may want to improve is in the kicking game, where they converted just 4 of 8 extra points.
"The kicking game is going away for us," Milz said. "The last two years our seasons have been cut short by the kicking game. We are going to just squash it."
Black Hawk will gear up for a non-conference game Friday at Cuba City, a Division 5 power, who won the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League last year.
"This will be a nice playoff test for us against a really good Cuba City team with a lot of athletes," Milz said. "It will be a really good test for us if we want to reach our goals this year."
Butler scored four touchdowns (two rushing and two passing) in his first varsity start to help the Warriors steamroll Benton-Scales Mound 52-0 in the Six Rivers Jamboree season opener Saturday, Aug. 24. The Warriors scored eight touchdowns on their first eight drives. Butler completed 6 of 7 passes for 107 yards.
"I have to give credit to the line," Butler said. "They gave me good protection. The more time I have, the easier it is to make plays and throw the ball."
Black Hawk senior Tanner Sweeney ripped off a 59-yard run on the first play of the game. Sweeney then pounded in a 4-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 7-0 lead with 11 minutes, 29 seconds left in the first quarter. On the Warriors' next possession, while facing a fourth-and-4, senior Jayden Rufenacht darted for a 25-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead with 4:14 to go in the first quarter.
The Warriors gashed the Zephyrs for 416 total rushing yards. Rufenacht rushed for 128 yards on 11 carries and two touchdowns and Sweeney rushed for 113 yards on eight carries. Like a true quarterback, Butler doesn't mind when his coach calls a passing play or chooses to go no-huddle like the Warriors did on their third drive.
"I like running the no-huddle because the wide receivers get more open and you get more open looks," Butler said. "Tyler Peterson ran good routes and our running backs really ran strong. We could have really run all game."
The Warriors' defense was just as dominant as the offense, limiting the Zephyrs to 17 total rushing yards. Rufenacht came up with a key interception moments after his touchdown run. That set up Butler's 49-yard TD pass to Tyler Peterson with 3:58 left in the first quarter to give the Warriors a 20-0 lead.
The Warriors' defense scored 14 points off three turnovers by the Zephyrs. Black Hawk junior Shawn Woodruff, who had two sacks, forced a fumble on the Zephyrs' next possession and Ryan Quinn recovered. The Warriors cashed in on the turnover when Rufenacht raced for a 22-yard TD run. The Warriors capitalized on a seven-play, 77-yard second quarter drive with Butler hooking up on a 6-yard TD pass to Peterson. Butler added a 7-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 39-0 lead at the half. Peterson had four catches for 82 yards and two touchdowns.
"We got on a roll the first game of the year," Rufenacht said. "We wanted to show people we could play. We got everyone's confidence up."
The Warriors' defense finished with three sacks and limited the Zephyrs to just 65 total yards. Black Hawk seniors Tanner Schiferl and Kurtis Paulson also combined on a sack for a defense that thrived on turnovers.
"We knew from previous years that they were a running team," Rufenacht said. "We know that defense wins games."
Butler put the game away, breaking loose for a 62-yard TD run in the third quarter to give the Warriors a 45-0 lead. Woodruff added a 3-yard TD run.
Black Hawk coach Cory Milz was excited with Butler's first start at quarterback.
"Heath played really well," Milz said. "He throws the ball well and he's accurate. He's a competitive kid. It's no surprise to us how physical he was. We still have to work on a few things with him with checks and audibles. Most of the time we run the play that is called."
The one area the Warriors may want to improve is in the kicking game, where they converted just 4 of 8 extra points.
"The kicking game is going away for us," Milz said. "The last two years our seasons have been cut short by the kicking game. We are going to just squash it."
Black Hawk will gear up for a non-conference game Friday at Cuba City, a Division 5 power, who won the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League last year.
"This will be a nice playoff test for us against a really good Cuba City team with a lot of athletes," Milz said. "It will be a really good test for us if we want to reach our goals this year."
