CUBA CITY — Like the start of the alternative fall spring football season, Black Hawk-Warren’s Week 6 COVID-Small Conference Championship game against Cuba City didn’t start ideally.

Back in Week 1, BHW lost to Fennimore — the program’s first loss since the 2017 state championship game. After that, the Warriors lined up each week like gangbusters. On April 30 at Cuba City, the Cubans went ahead 14-0 after the Warriors shot themselves in the foot a few times. BHW then scored 30 straight points and won 30-20, winning a share of the one-off conference title in the process. 

“It’s amazing. Hat’s off to the kids and the assistant coaches, to coach (Cory) Milz’s mentorship. This wouldn’t have been possible with all of that,” Warriors first-year head coach Desie Breadon said. “The kids came in everyday with a great attitude and effort. That’s why we were able to make some changes, even with small numbers.”

BHW finished the season 5-1 overall and 4-1 in league play — the only blemish to Fennimore. Belleville, which lost to the Warriors in Week 3, also finished 4-1 in league play, tying for the conference championship.

“We used that loss for motivation and we ended on a huge win streak,” sophomore Lucas Milz said. “It feels amazing. Words can’t explain it. We knew we weren’t going to have much of a season to play for, and we knew this conference championship is what it came down to. It’s what we wanted and what we worked for.”

“We don’t have a state championship this year, and everyone kind of thought of us as an underdog this year, because we lost a lot of seniors last year. This means everything to us, because we were able to prove that we are still good,” Thatcher Schliem said.

Cuba City put the Warriors behind early. On the game’s fourth snap, Ryan Molitor lost the pigskin at his own 38-yard line. The Cubans then went on an 8-play drive before Chayse Barth scored from 2-yards out on a run with 6:25 left in the first quarter.

BHW’s next possession lasted 12 plays and 52 yards, but an incomplete pass on 4th-and-8 turned it over at Cuba City’s 22-yard line. The Warriors’ defense forced a quick punt, but the Cubans got the ball back with 8:01 left in the second when Brayden Bohnsack was hit hard on a sack and fumbled away the possession near midfield. Three plays later, Cuba City QB Beau Kopp hit a wide-open Mason Reese on a post route for a 65-yard TD.

“The big thing we talked about was ‘what does done look like?’ That was the big theme this week,” Breadon said. “Are you going to do just the bare minimum, or are you going to do everything you can to finish the job? We told them that this is not what ‘done’ looks like for Black Hawk-Warren. We need to finish it off.

“The other theme was who would step out of the phone booth and be Superman? Who was going to step up and make a play? Then we just started having guys step up and make plays.”

BHW’s next drive plodded 66 yards in 13 plays, culminating in a 1-yard score by Milz with 37 seconds left before halftime. A two-point conversion put the Warriors behind 14-8 at the break.

“That was huge — absolutely huge. It kept the score tight and gave us some momentum,” senior lineman Thatcher Schliem said.

Just as important as the late first-half touchdown was the immediate turnover to start the second half. On the Cuban’s first snap of the third quarter, Milz forced a fumble and the Warriors took over at the Cuba City 34. Six plays later, Landen Mahoney plunged forward from 3-yards out to tie the contest. Molitor ran in the conversion attempt to put BHW ahead 16-14 with 9:28 left in the third.

“That was the turning point in the game,” Milz said of the fumble. “That’s what gave us all the momentum on our sideline.”

The momentum had just begun to swing. A quick three-and-out on defense forced a Cubans punt. On the ensuing possession, it was the bulldozing work of Milz that set the tone. On the first play from the BHW 17, Milz broke three tackles and made it 31 yards down the field before he could be brought down. 

“I didn’t want to lose. I knew what was on the line. I played for those seniors, and I knew a conference championship was on the line — and that’s what pushed me,” Lucas Milz said.

The play was reminiscent of a few runs his brothers, Brody (Class of 2018) and Cayden (2020), all-state performers while their father, Cory Milz, led the program. 

“They’ve been inspirations my entire life. Watching them on the field — I always wanted to be just like them, if not even better,” Milz said.

Two plays later, Milz ran for 14 yards and another first down, then had a short 2-yard run followed by another booming 18-yard gainer. Mahoney capped the drive with runs of 8 and 10 yards, and the Warriors went up 22-14. 

BHW’s final score came with 4:35 left in the fourth. Following an Elijah Shelton interception of Kopp, the Warriors went 53 yards on seven plays with Milz scoring on an option pitch from 10 yards out. Bohnsack ran in the 2-point conversion to make it 30-unanswered Warrior points.

Cuba City got a late score with 1:45 left in the game, but Milz recovered the onside kick and on second down, Mahoney carried a boatload of Cubans for 20 yards and a first down, sealing the victory.

Mahoney ended the night with 164 yards rushing on 26 carries, while Milz had 162 yards on 24 attempts. Bohnsack was 2 of 6 passing for 42 yards. 

“It’s nice knowing we have these guys back (in the fall). Knowing what we can do with this group run-wise — and knowing that our passing game is getting better — it’s pretty exciting,” Breadon said.

Kopp threw for 260 yards on 23 of 40 passing. Blake Bussan had 10 catches for 101 yards, while Riley Richard had 7 catches for 74 yards.

Neither team scheduled a game for the final week available by WIAA standards. The Black Hawk senior class, which includes Thatcher Schliem and Jexen Stietz, had the opportunity to end each of their four seasons with the Warriors in what they knew would be the final game, with the three previous years ending in the state championship at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.

“You normally don’t know when your season’s going to finish, but we knew there was an end-date on this and we said that it was kind of like state the last three years and we wanted to finish it off like that — you’re going for a conference championship, so get after it,” Breadon said.