SOUTH WAYNE - Black Hawk junior quarterback Merik Meythaler's mind didn't play tricks on him when the Warriors marched into the red zone late in the fourth quarter.
He remained confident even after the Warriors had four drives stall in the red zone, including three turnovers on downs. Meythaler barreled in for a 3-yard touchdown run with 4 minutes, 18 seconds to go to help the Warriors come back and beat Benton-Scales Mound (Ill.) 14-7 Friday night.
"Michael Walker did a great job of pounding it down the field," Meythaler said. "I knew they would all crash down on him. I knew if I could keep it I could sneak into the end zone."
It's the second straight week that the Warriors have survived a fourth quarter scare. The Warriors pulled out a 34-28 win over Belmont last week.
"A win is a win," Meythaler said. "We didn't play very good. We secured our spot back in the playoffs. We had a lot of lapses. We have to come back next week and keep improving."
Black Hawk coach Cory Milz was excited to get the win and assure a playoff spot as the Warriors improved to 5-1 in the Six Rivers Conference.
"Our big thing is we need to find a rushing attack that is consistent," Milz said. "We really have to find a power running game inside and we have to be able to stop the run game inside. Benton was a lot bigger than us. We were fortunate. How long our luck holds out, I don't know. Our lack of girth seems like it will haunt us."
The Warriors' defense gave up just 136 total yards and only 78 on the ground. The Warriors forced two turnovers and junior Kyle Walters had an interception late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
With Black Hawk trailing 7-6 about midway through the fourth quarter, the Warriors went to work with a seven play, 63-yard game-winning drive that was capped off by Meythaler's touchdown run. However, the big play of the drive was Meythaler's 30-yard pass to senior wide receiver Hayden Schliem. Walker, a fellow senior, also picked up some tough yards pounding between the tackles to sustain the drive.
"We put him (Walker) in the backfield because we need someone who will break tackles," Milz said. "He ran exceptionally hard in the fourth quarter."
The Warriors marched down the field and into the red zone on their first two drives of the first quarter only to have the drives stall in turnovers on downs. Jace Johnsrud changed that when he bolted 91-yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter. Johnsrud rushed for 104 yards on six carries. Walker added 85 rushing yards on 17 carries. Meythaler completed 7 of 15 passes for 70 yards and threw one interception.
"I know Michael Walker is a good blocker and the line did a great job of blocking and I was able to race into the end zone."
The Warriors were able to get into the red zone again late in the second quarter, but three straight penalties, including two false starts, killed the scoring opportunity. The Warriors had one last chance before the half after the Zephyrs were called for pass interference, but the Warriors were called for another infraction.
Meythaler looked like he would connect with Schliem on a long touchdown pass in the third quarter, but Schliem uncharacteristically dropped it. The Zephyrs responded with a 53-yard drive culminating in Franki Carlborg's 3-yard TD run that gave the Zephyrs a 7-6 lead with 2:31 to go in the third quarter. Johnsrud also had a 53-yard punt return to the Zephyrs' 14-yard line, but the Warriors couldn't cash in and turned the ball over on downs.
"I think it's a lack of execution," Milz said of the red zone struggles. "Right now are players are thinking too much out there and it is slowing us down."
He remained confident even after the Warriors had four drives stall in the red zone, including three turnovers on downs. Meythaler barreled in for a 3-yard touchdown run with 4 minutes, 18 seconds to go to help the Warriors come back and beat Benton-Scales Mound (Ill.) 14-7 Friday night.
"Michael Walker did a great job of pounding it down the field," Meythaler said. "I knew they would all crash down on him. I knew if I could keep it I could sneak into the end zone."
It's the second straight week that the Warriors have survived a fourth quarter scare. The Warriors pulled out a 34-28 win over Belmont last week.
"A win is a win," Meythaler said. "We didn't play very good. We secured our spot back in the playoffs. We had a lot of lapses. We have to come back next week and keep improving."
Black Hawk coach Cory Milz was excited to get the win and assure a playoff spot as the Warriors improved to 5-1 in the Six Rivers Conference.
"Our big thing is we need to find a rushing attack that is consistent," Milz said. "We really have to find a power running game inside and we have to be able to stop the run game inside. Benton was a lot bigger than us. We were fortunate. How long our luck holds out, I don't know. Our lack of girth seems like it will haunt us."
The Warriors' defense gave up just 136 total yards and only 78 on the ground. The Warriors forced two turnovers and junior Kyle Walters had an interception late in the fourth quarter to seal the win.
With Black Hawk trailing 7-6 about midway through the fourth quarter, the Warriors went to work with a seven play, 63-yard game-winning drive that was capped off by Meythaler's touchdown run. However, the big play of the drive was Meythaler's 30-yard pass to senior wide receiver Hayden Schliem. Walker, a fellow senior, also picked up some tough yards pounding between the tackles to sustain the drive.
"We put him (Walker) in the backfield because we need someone who will break tackles," Milz said. "He ran exceptionally hard in the fourth quarter."
The Warriors marched down the field and into the red zone on their first two drives of the first quarter only to have the drives stall in turnovers on downs. Jace Johnsrud changed that when he bolted 91-yards for a touchdown early in the second quarter. Johnsrud rushed for 104 yards on six carries. Walker added 85 rushing yards on 17 carries. Meythaler completed 7 of 15 passes for 70 yards and threw one interception.
"I know Michael Walker is a good blocker and the line did a great job of blocking and I was able to race into the end zone."
The Warriors were able to get into the red zone again late in the second quarter, but three straight penalties, including two false starts, killed the scoring opportunity. The Warriors had one last chance before the half after the Zephyrs were called for pass interference, but the Warriors were called for another infraction.
Meythaler looked like he would connect with Schliem on a long touchdown pass in the third quarter, but Schliem uncharacteristically dropped it. The Zephyrs responded with a 53-yard drive culminating in Franki Carlborg's 3-yard TD run that gave the Zephyrs a 7-6 lead with 2:31 to go in the third quarter. Johnsrud also had a 53-yard punt return to the Zephyrs' 14-yard line, but the Warriors couldn't cash in and turned the ball over on downs.
"I think it's a lack of execution," Milz said of the red zone struggles. "Right now are players are thinking too much out there and it is slowing us down."
