NEW GLARUS — The Glarner Knights capped a program-best 8-1 regular season with a 35-7 victory over Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg on Oct. 16 in Week 9. The following day, New Glarus was given a No. 1 seed in the WIAA Division 5 playoffs.
“What’s exciting is coming into the last week of the regular season and knowing you’re playing next week,” said coach DJ Schuett. “What’s even more exciting is knowing you’re going to get at least two home games in the playoffs — if we take care of business.”
New Glarus out-gained BSMS in offensive yards 383-341, and won the turnover battle 4-2.
“We knew it would be a dogfight. They’re big and physical, and I told the kids all week that they would want to come out and fight them,” Schuett said. “We had a little bit of a play and try to run them sideline to sideline to wear them down. Whether or not that actually happened, it sure looked that way.”
New Glarus opened the scoring on its second possession, as QB Quinn Marty threw a perfect deep post pass to Tucker Sysko for a 74-yard touchdown at the 6:51 mark of the first quarter.
The next Glarner Knight possession ended in a fumble — a quick reversal of fortune on a long 33-yard thundering run by senior back Brent Weeden, who lost the ball just a yard away from the goal line.
The two sides traded possessions again before BSMS QB Matthew Duerr took a goal line sneak into the end zone with 2:12 left in the first half. However, New Glarus jumped right into its two-minute offense after the kickoff. Weeden rumbled 15 yards on the first play to get the ball to midfield, then added another 13-yard carry two plays later. On first down from the BSMS 32-yard line, Marty found Bradyen Schmitt on a corner route to get to the two. On the next snap, Carson Prechel scored on a rush, and Brock Weeden’s extra point made it 14-7 with 1:07 to play until halftime.
The second half was a different story altogether in that it was very one-sided.
“In the second half, I think our speed and endurance took over,” Schuett said.
BSMS had the ball for just three snaps on the ensuing drive, with Duerr fumbling the ball away on a strip-sack with just 19 seconds left. With 40 yards to go and a timeout in hand, the Knights were aggressive trying to get one more score, but BSMS DB Connor Doyle picked off Marty’s pass to essentially end the half.
On the first possession of the third quarter, Duerr’s pass along the sideline on the third play was intercepted by Tyse Hoesly, who had also recovered the strip-sack fumble late in the second quarter.
Six snaps later, New Glarus cashed it in as Marty rolled out of the pocket and found Brent Weeden in the flat for an easy 5-yard TD, making it 21-7.
BSMS then fumbled the ball away on its next drive as well — also on the third play from scrimmage — with NG’s Brock Roth recovering the loose ball. However, the ensuing New Glarus drive ended without points as Brock Weeden’s 33-yard FG attempt was blocked.
BSMS had its most sustained drive of the night on its next possession, marching 66 yards on 12 plays, only for Duerr to get intercepted yet again with 1:01, this time by Roth. Eleven plays and 83 yards later, Marty connected with Schmitt for an 18-yard score to make it 28-7. Three minutes later, the Glarner Knights had the ball again and Marty found Hoesly from 10 yards out for the game’s final score.
Overall, Marty was 9-for-14 passing with 164 yards, four TDs and the lone interception. Brent Weeden had 110 rushing yards on eight carries, and Prechel added 56 yards on 10 totes. Six different Glarner Knights caught a pass, four of which scored. Sysko’s lone 74-yard catch led the team in yardage, while Schmit had a team-high three catches for 56 yards.
Defensively, Brent Weeden led New Glarus with eight tackles, including five solo. Noah Garcia had six solo tackles, two for a loss, and forced a fumble. Gavin O’Bel had four tackles, one for a loss, with a forced fumble. Freshman Brock Weeden had five tackles and booted an impressive 69-yard punt on the game’s opening possession, which pinned BSMS at its own 10.
Marty, Prechel, Hoesly, Garcia, Sysko, Schmitt and Brent Weeden are among the New Glarus seniors. Schuett knows that every senior class is special to a coach, but what makes this senior staff unique is how committed they were to the weight room — and bringing their teammates along with them.
“They were there every morning when I came to open it up. They didn’t want to let each other down. They started a culture of that. Last year’s group was good about getting in the weight room, but they went downtown. This group was here and they tried to drag more people with them,” Schuett said. “I think that’s always good for a program to lift together, and the more kids we can get here in school doing it, the better off we are. I think we’re turning the corner.”
For the visiting Knights, Duerr had 160 passing yards. RB Connor Doyle had 90 yards rushing on 16 carries, with Brady Ubersox adding another 65 on 12 attempts. Doyle also had 61 yards receiving on three catches.
The WIAA awarded fifth-ranked New Glarus (8-1) with one of the top four seeds in the all of Division 5. The Glarner Knights will host Bloomer (4-5) in the opening round of the playoffs on Oct. 23, with the winner getting either Peshtigo (5-4) or Chilton (5-4). With SWAL champion and top-ranked Darlington (9-0) on the opposite side of the bracket, there is a potential for the Glarner Knights to avenge their lone loss of the season. That rematch — should it play out — would take place at Camp Randall in the state championship on November 19.
“I told my coaching staff that has been with me for the last five years, when I took over we were 1-8. We’ve come a long way from then,” Schuett said. “Over the five years, though, the great thing about our kids is they have never given up. They compete every week. That’s a testament to the kids. They believe in what we’re doing and it shows the last couple of years.”
BSMS (5-4) has now lost three straight games after starting the year 5-1 and is a six-seed in Division 6 and will travel to Cuba City (6-3) in Level 1, a rematch of a Week 6 matchup which saw BSMS come away with a 26-14 victory. All four BSMS losses this season came to playoff-bound teams.
