RACINE — The New Glarus Glarner Knights are accomplishing a lot in the Division 5 football playoffs this season. Not only have the third-seeded Glarner Knights knocked off No. 2 seed Racine Lutheran, they won a road playoff game, reached 10 wins for the first time in program history, and advanced to Level 3 in the football playoffs for the first time ever. They did it with a 39-13 win over the Crusaders on Friday, Oct. 31.
Racine Lutheran opened the scoring as quarterback Cohen Kraus ran four yards for a touchdown and Max Contreras added the extra point to give the Crusaders a 7-0 lead with 2:06 to go in the first quarter. The Glarner Knights responded right away. Starting from their own 35-yard-line, Will Pinnow picked up 27 yards on a screen pass and Luke Burton got a first down on a 16-yard run to put the ball at the Racine 13. Quarterback Matt Roth then fired a 13-yard touchdown pass to Bubba Weeden for the Knights’ first touchdown. The extra point was no good and the Knights trailed 7-6 with 31 seconds left in the first quarter.
New Glarus exploded for 20 points in the second quarter to take the lead. An interception by Milo Johnson got the Knights started on an eight-play, 72-yard drive that was capped by an eight-yard touchdown run by Burton and Ashlin Mihlbauer’s extra point to give New Glarus a 13-7 lead.
Racine Lutheran threatened to score on their next drive, but Contreras’ 36-yard field goal attempt hit the right upright. New Glarus followed with a six-play, 80-yard drive, ending in a one-yard touchdown run by Burton. A try for a two-point conversion came up short, but the Glarner Knights led 19-7 with 1:28 left in the second quarter.
Racine Lutheran was then forced to punt with 45 seconds left in the half and the Knights took over at midfield. That is when Tucker Sysko hauled in a 50-yard touchdown pass from Roth with 13 seconds remaining. Mihlbauer’s extra point gave the Glarner Knights a 26-7 halftime lead.
The Crusaders got the only score of the third quarter on an eight-yard run for a touchdown by Kraus, but New Glarus still had a 26-13 lead to start the fourth quarter. On third-and-10 from the 21-yard-line, Grady Johnson caught a tipped pass to pick up a first down at the 11 yard line to keep the drive alive. Milo Johnson scored on a four-yard run to cap a 12-play, 49-yard drive. The try for two failed, but New Glarus led 32-13 with 10:49 left. After forcing Racine Lutheran to punt, New Glarus sealed the win with a 10-play, 64-yard drive ending with a 17-yard touchdown pass from Roth to Pinnow, and then added Mihlbauer’s extra point.
Roth had a stellar night passing the football as he went 11-for-12 for 252 yards and three touchdowns. Burton scored two touchdowns on the ground for the Glarner Knights, who had 142 yards rushing overall.
New Glarus (10-1) will travel to Hartland to take on No. 1 seed Lake Country Lutheran (10-1) in a Level 3 matchup at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 7.
