By Adam Krebs
editor@themonroetimes.com
NEW GLARUS — For the second straight week, New Glarus picked up an energetic win on their new home turf. Also for the second straight week, Belleville lost a one-score heartbreaker with a late fourth-quarter score.
“You can throw record books, you can throw stats, you can throw everything out — when this one plays out, it’s just pure emotion. It was just another classic tonight,” third-year New Glarus head coach DJ Schuett said after his team’s riveting 16-13 win over the Wildcats in Week 2 of the high school football season.
The annual contest between the two teams is dubbed the Highway 69 rivalry, and for those in attendance, it did not disappoint. Both teams struggled to put points on the board in the first half of their chess match.
Belleville missed a field goal in the first quarter, while Ashton Mihlbauer of New Glarus nailed his attempt from 30-yards out at the 7:09 mark in the second. The Wildcats took a late lead, 7-3, in the final minute before halftime, when Brennan Keyes connected with Logan Derke for a 20-yard wheel pass touchdown strike.
“I just said we played a good half of football. We turned the ball over a couple of times, we had some penalties and a couple of players lose their composure — but if you throw those things out, it was toe-to-toe football in the first half. All we had to do was keep playing — you don’t quit playing. Whatever happens at the end, happens,” Schuett said.
Knights junior Will Pinnow said the team just needed to stay focused in the second half. After one failed possession in the third quarter, the Knights got the ball back at their own 40. That’s where Pinnow got the opportunity to show his teammates and supporters that he understood the assignment. On first down, he took a pass from Matt Roth 28 yards up the field for an electric first down. Two plays later, he caught a seam pass wide open for a 27-yard score to give his team a 9-7 advantage.
It wasn’t the last electric play the Knights would have on the night. A possession later, his teammate Milo Johnson sparked the enthusiasm of his sideline with a strong, second-effort run early in the third quarter, quite literally carrying a pile of Wildcats on his back for a 19-yard pickup. While that drive ended with a no-call defensive pass interference on a ball to Johnson deep in Belleville territory, the Knights bent, but didn’t break.
Belleville marched into New Glarus territory but turned the ball over on downs with just 4:22 remaining. Disaster nearly struck for the home team, though, when the Wildcats forced a 3-and-out. New Glarus punter, Clayton Streiff — the soccer goalie for his school’s co-op with Belleville, which just won a state title last fall — dropped the snap on the punt attempt and was tackled at his own 32 with just 2:49 left in the game. Two plays later, Keyes rushed up the middle himself on an option keeper and scored on a 20-yard scamper. While his 2-point conversion rushing attempt came up short, the Wildcats led 13-9 with just 2:30 in regulation, meaning New Glarus needed a touchdown to win — a field goal wasn’t enough.
Enter Roth, Pinnow and Andrew Sarbacker. The offense converted one fourth-down attempt on the ensuing drive, and Roth peppered the field, hitting Sarbacker and Pinnow in traffic, with the receivers showing off their athleticism to make catch after catch.
On second-and-10 from inside Wildcat territory, Roth took off for the edge and was hit late out of bounds, earning a flag that gave his team a first down at the Belleville 9 with less than a minute left. Two plays later, and coming out of a timeout, Roth flipped to the right side of the end zone where Pinnow had found himself separated from his defender for the go-ahead score with just 26 ticks left on the clock.
“I’m not going to lie — I was a little worried when they shoved that one in because we looked down. But we rallied really well — throwing some short balls underneath, made good catches at the right time and we got a key penalty, which always helps, and then the big play in the end zone. You can’t ask for anything more,” Schuett said.
The Wildcats had a big kick return to the New Glarus 45, but three plays later Keyes’ pass deep down the sidelines as time expired was picked off by Knights senior Alex Ruschman, sealing the victory.
“We practiced hard all week. We just play to win — that’s all we do. We have our expectations for the season and we’re confident with ourselves,” Pinnow said. “I’m excited for that for the rest of this season.”
Pinnow, who was in on defense for the final play, led all players with 11 catches for 161 yards. Sarbacker had six catches for 62 yards, as well as 16 tackles, including 11 solo. Roth was 18 of 32 passing for 226 yards with two scores and an interception.
“Will Pinnow for two years has been right on the cusp of knocking on the door — he’s going to be a special kid for the next year and half,” Schuett said. “There was a question at quarterback, and Matt won the job in the preseason. Through two games, he’s been good.”
Keyes was 15-for-23 passing for 131 yards, a TD and an INT. He added 58 yards rushing on 11 carries. New Glarus had 283 yards of offense to Belleville’s 236. Both teams had 11 first downs and combined for 14 penalties for 130 yards.
“This is our third year in this system and it’s just gotten better every year. We’re learning the kids being able to run it has been great,” Schuett said.
Belleville (0-2), which lost 28-27 to Weyauwega-Fremont (1-1) in the season opener, hosts Cuba City (1-1) in Week 3 as SWAL play begins. New Glarus (2-0) opens conference play in the SWC on the road at Lancaster (1-1).
“We’re going into a conference where we’re not really familiar with our opponents, but I feel really good with the way our kids are competing and playing. Let’s bring on the conference season and see what happens,” Schuett said.
