BRODHEAD - Ethan Douglas and Brayden Fritsch belonged on Broadway on Friday night.
Douglas, the star and second-year starting Brodhead-Juda tailback, pummeled the helpless Mayville defense for two touchdowns and 192 yards on 14 carries in the first 16 minutes of play. After an opponent rolled over Douglas' Achilles heel, his understudy took over.
"I've been playing behind him for years, and I've just watched every move he's made," Fritsch said. "I've learned everything I know from him."
The result was a smashing season debut in which the Cardinals rolled their namesake 40-13. Fritsch amassed 135 yards on 11 carries and reached the end zone three times.
"It's such a rush of adrenaline when the starter goes out and you know it's time for you to step up," Fritsch said.
Fritsch scored on a 40-yard scamper with 3 minutes, 8 seconds left in the first half to stake his Cardinals to a 27-6 lead. Just 50 seconds later, he picked off a Scott Moyle pass down the left sideline. The Cardinals then methodically marched 45 yards to paydirt, capped by a 4-yard plunge by Fritsch that gave his club its biggest lead at 34-6.
Mayville scored just less than two minutes into the third quarter on a 46-yard keeper by Moyle. Two Brodhead possessions later, Fritsch broke free again for a 57-yard touchdown run. He was quick to thank his supporting cast, those beefeaters on the offensive line.
"It's all about the work those guys are doing. I couldn't have had a night like tonight without them," Fritsch said.
Devin Seitz had an impressive night on defense, notching a sack and an interception. The Cardinals also lost Douglas on the defensive side of the football, where the senior quarterbacks the defense from his linebacker position.
"The best thing I told the guys that happened tonight was that we lost guys - to cramps, injuries - and guys we plugged in there just stepped right up," Brodhead-Juda (1-0) coach Jim Matthys said.
Miscues for the home team were at a premium. Mayville (0-1) scored its first touchdown on a fumble recovery in the end zone. And a flurry of neutral-zone infractions and sloppy kick coverage reminded Matthys why his team doesn't wait for the conference schedule to face tough opponents.
"You don't get better by playing a soft nonconference schedule," Matthys said. "When you play good teams like Mayville, your mistakes get exposed, and you have a chance to correct them."
David Earlywine played well under center for Brodhead-Juda, lofting a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mike Peterson on fourth down that gave the Cardinals a 21-6 lead early in the second quarter. Earlywine also had a slick 10-yard scamper in the fourth quarter that helped run out the clock.
As for Douglas, he was a veritable steamroller. On his second carry, the third play of the game, he hurdled laid-out Mayville linebacker Shannon Fink at the line of scrimmage before stiff-arming Moyle just as he returned to the earth. Once Moyle was subdued, Douglas galloped 70 yards untouched to the house.
That play, along with his big night, had the stand-in thinking big about where his team could go from opening night.
"Hopefully 9-0," Fritsch said.
Douglas, the star and second-year starting Brodhead-Juda tailback, pummeled the helpless Mayville defense for two touchdowns and 192 yards on 14 carries in the first 16 minutes of play. After an opponent rolled over Douglas' Achilles heel, his understudy took over.
"I've been playing behind him for years, and I've just watched every move he's made," Fritsch said. "I've learned everything I know from him."
The result was a smashing season debut in which the Cardinals rolled their namesake 40-13. Fritsch amassed 135 yards on 11 carries and reached the end zone three times.
"It's such a rush of adrenaline when the starter goes out and you know it's time for you to step up," Fritsch said.
Fritsch scored on a 40-yard scamper with 3 minutes, 8 seconds left in the first half to stake his Cardinals to a 27-6 lead. Just 50 seconds later, he picked off a Scott Moyle pass down the left sideline. The Cardinals then methodically marched 45 yards to paydirt, capped by a 4-yard plunge by Fritsch that gave his club its biggest lead at 34-6.
Mayville scored just less than two minutes into the third quarter on a 46-yard keeper by Moyle. Two Brodhead possessions later, Fritsch broke free again for a 57-yard touchdown run. He was quick to thank his supporting cast, those beefeaters on the offensive line.
"It's all about the work those guys are doing. I couldn't have had a night like tonight without them," Fritsch said.
Devin Seitz had an impressive night on defense, notching a sack and an interception. The Cardinals also lost Douglas on the defensive side of the football, where the senior quarterbacks the defense from his linebacker position.
"The best thing I told the guys that happened tonight was that we lost guys - to cramps, injuries - and guys we plugged in there just stepped right up," Brodhead-Juda (1-0) coach Jim Matthys said.
Miscues for the home team were at a premium. Mayville (0-1) scored its first touchdown on a fumble recovery in the end zone. And a flurry of neutral-zone infractions and sloppy kick coverage reminded Matthys why his team doesn't wait for the conference schedule to face tough opponents.
"You don't get better by playing a soft nonconference schedule," Matthys said. "When you play good teams like Mayville, your mistakes get exposed, and you have a chance to correct them."
David Earlywine played well under center for Brodhead-Juda, lofting a 10-yard touchdown pass to Mike Peterson on fourth down that gave the Cardinals a 21-6 lead early in the second quarter. Earlywine also had a slick 10-yard scamper in the fourth quarter that helped run out the clock.
As for Douglas, he was a veritable steamroller. On his second carry, the third play of the game, he hurdled laid-out Mayville linebacker Shannon Fink at the line of scrimmage before stiff-arming Moyle just as he returned to the earth. Once Moyle was subdued, Douglas galloped 70 yards untouched to the house.
That play, along with his big night, had the stand-in thinking big about where his team could go from opening night.
"Hopefully 9-0," Fritsch said.
