OCONOMOWOC — After upsetting 1-seed Cambridge, 5-seed Marshall and 2-seed Lancaster, Belleville’s magical run in the WIAA Division 6 playoffs came to an end with a 36-0 loss to Lomira in a Level 4 game Nov. 15. With the win, Lomira earned a berth to the championship game against Grantsburg Nov. 21 at Camp Randall.
“I hope in the near future, they can appreciate everything they’ve done for the community, especially in the last four weeks,” Belleville head coach Mike Nolden said. “I love them and appreciate everything they’ve given our program. You have to give credit to Lomira. They might go win the whole thing next week.”
Nerves were definitely a part of Belleville’s slow start, as four high snaps led to a 3-and-out and poor punt, giving Lomira prime field position at the Belleville 37-yard line. As it has all postseason, the Wildcat defense backed up its offense, keeping the Lions out of the end zone.
But when Belleville got the ball back on offense — starting at its own 1-yard line — the nerves hadn’t subsided. Another high snap got over quarterback Brennan Keyes and through the back of the end zone for a Lomira safety.
“I think there’s nerves for everybody,” Nolden said. “That’s probably the worst possible way you can start. Confidence is down.”
While the Wildcat defense was able to keep the Lions at bay, Belleville struggled to gain any traction on offense. Its first three possessions resulted in 3-and-outs. It wasn’t until the closing minutes of the first frame that Keyes picked up his team’s first, first down. Even then, the offense couldn’t convert.
On its first possession of the second quarter, Lomira struck. Jack Luedtke capped a four-play drive with a 1-yard TD run. Flyway Offensive Player of the Year Taylor Schaumberg did most of the damage, breaking out for a 51-yard gain on second-and-6.
When Belleville got the ball back, they quickly faced a deficit, as Caden Yanke sacked Keyes. After an incomplete pass, Keyes was forced to throw again to chip away at the third-and-14. But his pass intended for Cooper Nemec was short, resulting in an interception by Jack Luedtke.
Lomira capitalized on the turnover, scoring six plays later. Despite a holding penalty setting up first-and-goal from the 15, Lion quarterback Jackson Goebel led Brody Luedtke to the corner of the end zone with a touchdown pass.
The Lions threatened once more in the first half, but just as it did against Lancaster, the Wildcat defense made sure its opponent didn’t score before halftime and take too much momentum into the locker room. Marcus Hebgen and Treyton Myers had tackles at the line of scrimmage, and Ryker Swenson tackled Goebel for a loss, forcing Lomira to punt.
Out of the break trailing 15-0, Hebgen came up big again on third-and-1. He tackled Schaumberg for a loss, resulting in a punt.
“Marcus has been a phenomenal player for us — only a sophomore,” Nolden said. “In the beginning of the year, he wasn’t playing a lot for us, but in practice he continued to do the right thing, day in and day out. That resulted in him getting more playing time, especially in playoffs. We couldn’t give his opportunity back to anyone else.”
Belleville then had its first of two scoring opportunities. Keyes connected with Nemec, who broke several tackles on his way to Belleville’s 46-yard line. The Wildcats picked up another first down with a fake handoff to Logan Derke and pass to Sam Arndt. In Lomira territory, Keyes threw three consecutive incomplete passes — one of which was a would-be touchdown pass that slipped through Nemec’s hands.
Receiving the ball at their own 40-yard line, Lomira had a pair of third- and fourth-down conversions to keep a 17-play, 60-yard possession alive. It resulted in a 14-yard touchdown run for Schaumberg, putting the Lions up 22-0 three minutes into the fourth quarter.
Not wanting to give up on his team, Nolden went for it on Belleville’s remaining three possessions, all of which resulted in turnovers on downs.
“I’m just trying to send a message that I’m not giving up on these kids,” Nolden said. “I don’t want their last memory to be, ‘Well, coach Mike just punted.’ I want those kids to know I believe in them no matter what.”
Despite a close score through much of the contest, the game quickly got away from Belleville, as Lomira tacked on two scores in the final four minutes. Schaumburg, who finished with more rushing yards than Belleville’s total offense, had a 45-yard touchdown run. After another interception — this time by Brody Luedtke — Goebel took it home for a 3-yard touchdown rush. While the loss, one level away from the state championship, stung the Belleville Wildcats, Nolden reminded the team of the long journey it had taken from Week 1. The Wildcats lost five of its first six games with their only win coming from a forfeit from Abundant Life-Saint Ambrose. Belleville then won three of its final four conference matchups to clinch a playoff spot. There, the Wildcats upset three teams to earn a spot in Level 4.
“The only thing you can do is continue to believe in the kids and stay positive with them,” Nolden said of the slow start and how his team turned it around. “You hope at some point they get enough confidence to trust you and go make some plays. That’s what happened. That’s what allowed us to make this run — their belief in each other. You have to appreciate all of it — the journey.”
