BRODHEAD - Brodhead-Juda junior quarterback David Earleywine didn't doubt going for a two-point conversion in a nail-biting 21-20 overtime loss to Walworth Big-Foot Friday night.
Big Foot, the defending WIAA Division 4 state champions stormed back from a 14-0 deficit. The Chiefs took the lead in overtime on junior running back Kenneth Walker's 25-yard TD run. The Cardinals (1-2, 0-1 Rock Valley South) answered when junior Jesse Delorme rammed his way in for a 1-yard TD run. The Cardinals elected to go for the win on a two-point conversion. Earleywine rolled out on a play action pass and his desperation pass as he was pressured out of bounds was incomplete.
"We put ourselves in a position to win it," Earleywine said. "Coach (Matthys) gave us the opportunity to win it with the two-point conversion."
Earleywine reviewed the play after the game as he was trying to connect with senior Alex Wallace or senior Mike Peterson.
"They (Big Foot) covered them pretty well," Earleywine said. "I rolled out to buy them some more time. They played it well. Give credit to Big Foot."
The Chiefs (1-2, 1-0) scored 21 unanswered points. Big Foot backup sophomore quarterback Carter Hehr capped off a 13-play, 78-yard drive with a 9-yard TD pass to Michael Kunes with 2 minutes, 33 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 14. Kunes started in the place of junior Jake Wedig, who was out with an ACL injury.
Brodhead-Juda coach Jim Matthys said that Big Foot had the momentum after scoring 21 unanswered points.
"It (the two-point conversion) was a decision made as a coaching staff," Matthys said. "We have improved. This is one game. We can't turn our season just into this one game. You can't put all your eggs in one basket. We will still get better."
Early on, the Cardinals were clicking on all cylinders. Brodhead-Juda junior Trenton Jordan set up the Cardinals' first scoring drive with an interception he ran back to the Chiefs' 22-yard line. Delorme cashed in on the turnover when he plowed in for a 7-yard TD run. After the Cardinals' defense forced a turnover on downs, the offense got back to work. The Cardinals faced a third-and-9 from their own 35-yard line. Earleywine hooked up with Wallace on a 65-yard TD pass to give the Cardinals a 14-0 lead with 10:57 left in the second quarter.
Delorme, who ran for two touchdowns, said the team has to look at the entire game.
"You can't just look at one drive, play or quarter," he said.
Delorme was confident the Cardinals would win the game on the two-point conversion.
"I felt like our offense was getting the push we needed," Delorme said. "I'm not going to doubt Coach Matthys. He is one of the best coaches in the state."
Both teams had chances to win or put the game away. The Cardinals recovered a fumbled punt late in the second quarter that gave them a golden scoring opportunity. The Chiefs thwarted the drive by intercepting Earleywine's pass. The Cardinals had a 17-play, 68-yard drive that chewed up most of the third quarter, but they failed to get any points out of the drive. The Cardinals missed a field goal at the end of the third quarter that would have given them a 10-point lead.
"We needed to score," Matthys said. "We knew that 14 points was certainly not going to be enough. We had some very untimely penalties and mistakes we made."
Hehr almost pulled off an improbable comeback at the end of the fourth quarter. He completed a 36-yard pass to Walker down to the Cardinals' 8-yard line with eight seconds to go. Hehr rushed to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock for a potential game-winning 25-yard field goal the Chiefs missed.
"They are a good football team," Matthys said of Big Foot. "We knew they were not going to quit or give up. "
Big Foot, the defending WIAA Division 4 state champions stormed back from a 14-0 deficit. The Chiefs took the lead in overtime on junior running back Kenneth Walker's 25-yard TD run. The Cardinals (1-2, 0-1 Rock Valley South) answered when junior Jesse Delorme rammed his way in for a 1-yard TD run. The Cardinals elected to go for the win on a two-point conversion. Earleywine rolled out on a play action pass and his desperation pass as he was pressured out of bounds was incomplete.
"We put ourselves in a position to win it," Earleywine said. "Coach (Matthys) gave us the opportunity to win it with the two-point conversion."
Earleywine reviewed the play after the game as he was trying to connect with senior Alex Wallace or senior Mike Peterson.
"They (Big Foot) covered them pretty well," Earleywine said. "I rolled out to buy them some more time. They played it well. Give credit to Big Foot."
The Chiefs (1-2, 1-0) scored 21 unanswered points. Big Foot backup sophomore quarterback Carter Hehr capped off a 13-play, 78-yard drive with a 9-yard TD pass to Michael Kunes with 2 minutes, 33 seconds to go in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 14. Kunes started in the place of junior Jake Wedig, who was out with an ACL injury.
Brodhead-Juda coach Jim Matthys said that Big Foot had the momentum after scoring 21 unanswered points.
"It (the two-point conversion) was a decision made as a coaching staff," Matthys said. "We have improved. This is one game. We can't turn our season just into this one game. You can't put all your eggs in one basket. We will still get better."
Early on, the Cardinals were clicking on all cylinders. Brodhead-Juda junior Trenton Jordan set up the Cardinals' first scoring drive with an interception he ran back to the Chiefs' 22-yard line. Delorme cashed in on the turnover when he plowed in for a 7-yard TD run. After the Cardinals' defense forced a turnover on downs, the offense got back to work. The Cardinals faced a third-and-9 from their own 35-yard line. Earleywine hooked up with Wallace on a 65-yard TD pass to give the Cardinals a 14-0 lead with 10:57 left in the second quarter.
Delorme, who ran for two touchdowns, said the team has to look at the entire game.
"You can't just look at one drive, play or quarter," he said.
Delorme was confident the Cardinals would win the game on the two-point conversion.
"I felt like our offense was getting the push we needed," Delorme said. "I'm not going to doubt Coach Matthys. He is one of the best coaches in the state."
Both teams had chances to win or put the game away. The Cardinals recovered a fumbled punt late in the second quarter that gave them a golden scoring opportunity. The Chiefs thwarted the drive by intercepting Earleywine's pass. The Cardinals had a 17-play, 68-yard drive that chewed up most of the third quarter, but they failed to get any points out of the drive. The Cardinals missed a field goal at the end of the third quarter that would have given them a 10-point lead.
"We needed to score," Matthys said. "We knew that 14 points was certainly not going to be enough. We had some very untimely penalties and mistakes we made."
Hehr almost pulled off an improbable comeback at the end of the fourth quarter. He completed a 36-yard pass to Walker down to the Cardinals' 8-yard line with eight seconds to go. Hehr rushed to the line and spiked the ball to stop the clock for a potential game-winning 25-yard field goal the Chiefs missed.
"They are a good football team," Matthys said of Big Foot. "We knew they were not going to quit or give up. "
