ELKHORN — Black Hawk-Warren’s upperclassmen had something to prove in a WIAA Division 7 Level 4 game against Reedsville on Friday, Nov. 10. In 2021, when they were freshmen and sophomores, the Warriors fell to the Panthers in a Level 3 game 30-12. 

The 2023 team flipped the script, defeating Reedsville 36-7 to earn a trip to the state tournament at Camp Randall.

“They didn’t have the size that they used to,” senior lineman Jaryn Fonseca said. “They weren’t as physical as they were in 2021. We were more physical than they were.”

Black Hawk-Warren’s defense allowed just 150 total yards compared to the 269 it gave up in 2021. The Warriors’ defensive effort began in Reedsville’s opening drive. Although the Panthers were able to gather a first down on Adler Strenn’s 5-yard rush, BHW kept Reedsville out of the end zone with a deflected pass from Andrew Figi.

Stout defense continued on Reedsville’s second possession, where the Panthers went 3-and-out. Bryce VanRaalte tackled quarterback Parker Maney for a 1-yard gain. Maney carried the ball twice more, falling two yards short of a first down.

Owen Seffrood received the ensuing punt and returned it to Reedsville’s 30-yard line. Had it not been for the slick turf, Seffrood would have kept his footing on a cutback toward midfield, evaded the punter and run the ball back for a touchdown.

Nonetheless, Seffrood (16 att, 133 yds 1 TD) received the ball two plays later and scored from 29 yards out to put Black Hawk-Warren on the board 6-0 with 2:45 left in the first quarter.

Although Reedsville got deep into BHW territory — down to the 33-yard line with a pass to Cam Dvorachek — the Warriors forced a turnover on downs. Strenn’s fourth-and-1 carry fell just short of the marker, requiring an official measurement.

Black Hawk-Warren’s third possession carried into the third quarter, where a horse collar put the Warriors at Reedsville’s 9-yard line. The Panthers allowed minimal yardage on the next three plays — looking for a critical stop — but Lane Marty (32 att, 141 yds, 3 TDs) brought it home with a 2-yard rush. Seffrood’s 2-point conversion gave the Warriors a 14-0 lead nearly three minutes into the second quarter.

It took just one play before the ball landed back in the Warriors’ hands. Ayden Sebo fumbled the ensuing kickoff, and Spencer Hay-Skattum recovered it at the Panthers’ 32-yard line. The Warriors were unable to capitalize on the mistake, though, as Reedsville forced a turnover on downs.

After another empty possession for the Panthers, the Warriors received the ball at their own 28-yard line. Seffrood ran the ball 33 yards into enemy territory. Marty then went another 14 yards, bringing BHW to Reedsville’s 23-yard line.

Marty, Seffrood and Riley Mosley (6 att, 22 yds) alternated carries, ultimately ending in a 1-yard TD run for Marty. Mosley was stopped short of the goal line on the 2-point conversion, but Black Hawk-Warren took a 20-0 lead with just over a minute left in the first half.

Reedsville set up camp at its 11-yard line, but defensive back Eli Schliem helped himself out by snagging an interception.

On the offensive side of the ball, Schliem (2-for-5, 21 yds, 1 INT) handed off to Seffrood and Marty as the clock wound down. Facing third-and-10 with less than 30 seconds remaining, Schliem lofted a pass to Andrew Figi. Ben Prochnow intercepted the pass, but the Warriors walked away unscathed as the clock ran out.

Despite ending the first frame on a miscue, Black Hawk-Warren opened the second half with vigor. The Warriors ate up the first seven minutes of the third quarter on a drive that ended in a TD run for Schliem.

“We try to break teams’ wills,” Black Hawk-Warren head coach Desmond Breadon said. “Being up and taking that first one (of the half) and punching it in is a huge momentum shifter. It sets doubt in their heads. It gives other teams a wakeup call — this is what we are capable of right off the bat.”

The possession began with an attempted onside kick from Reedsville, which was covered at the Warriors’ 47-yard line by Cole Dunlavey. On his only carry of the day, Figi ran 13 yards to the opponent 36-yard line. Between rushes from Seffrood and Marty, Black Hawk-Warren marched down to the 2-yard line. Schliem capped the drive with a rushing TD and the 2-point conversion for a 28-0 lead.

Just as the Panthers were starting to move the ball — thanks to a 15-yard personal foul on the Warriors — Figi intercepted Maney’s pass intended for Sebo. It was Figi’s fourth interception in just two games.

“He can light that fire and get the other guys set,” Breadon said of Figi’s defense. “They feed off that, knowing he’s that extra safety blanket — they can play more aggressive. He’s just been on fire.”

Black Hawk-Warren’s ensuing drive carried over to the fourth quarter, ending in a 3-yard TD run for Marty. His 2-point rush gave the Warriors a 36-0 lead and started the running clock.

If it weren’t for one blemish, the Warrior defense would have recorded its second straight shutout. The Panthers were able to get on the board, however, with a 71-yard touchdown pass from Maney to Dvorachek. Sebo’s extra point sailed through the uprights, as Reedsville dipped into the deficit.

That’s all Black Hawk-Warren allowed, though, as a first down from Seffrood ensured that the Warriors could kneel out the rest of the game.

With the victory, the Warriors punched their ticket to the WIAA Division 7 championship game — their second such opportunity in five years as a co-op and third in six years as a program.

“It’s been the greatest week of football I’ve ever had,” Fonseca said “I’ve been waiting four years to go to state and it’s finally happening.”