WARREN — Facing its toughest test yet this season, third-ranked Black Hawk-Warren found a way to overcome a slow start and pick up a victory over another Top 10 team in Week 6. The Warriors outlasted No. 8 Seneca/Wauzeka-Steuben 14-7 on Sept. 26 at Meridian Park in Warren.
“We expected a big fight,” said junior quarterback Beau Podnar. “Last year it was a battle — even though the score didn’t prove it — and we knew we had to come ready to work.”
Looking to announce their presence with authority, the Blue-Golds pounded the ball on the ground from the start. SWS spun off a 13-play, 44-yard drive, but BHW’s defense held firm in its bend-but-don’t-break philosophy, forcing a turnover on downs at the Warriors’ 29.
BHW gave the ball right back to SWS, fumbling the ball away on just the third snap, which gave the Blue-Golds possession at the BHW 33. Eight plays later, SWS hit pay dirt as quarterback Cooper Lomas crossed the goal line on a QB sneak at the 9:41 mark of the second quarter.
“They took it to us in the first half,” said Warriors coach Desmond Breadon. “We knew they were going to be a physical team. We knew they were going to be fast off the ball, and they played that way. Hats off to them. They came to play.”
The Blue-Golds had gained 77 yards of offense on 21 plays through those first two possessions. Knowing the Warriors needed to improve on their three plays for just four yards through the game’s first 15 minutes, Podnar & Co. got to work right away.
“You have to face adversity and just come in with a no-quit attitude. Offensively, we just got in the groove and coach called some great plays and we got the job done,” Podnar said.
Jackson Berget took the kickoff back to the 50 to spark the home team’s sideline. A late hit out of bounds on second down pushed the Warriors comfortably into SWS territory. Podnar closed the drive with runs of 21 yards and five yards, scoring himself with 6:11 left in the half. His pass attempt on the two-point conversion was dropped, leaving SWS slightly ahead at 7-6.
“I’m proud of those guys. We really stepped it up in the second quarter,” Breadon said.
The Blue-Golds burned off seven plays for just 21 yards, turning the ball over on downs again on the ensuing drive, which handed the Warriors the ball back at their own 36. Podnar opened the series with a 19-yard option keeper to the left side. The drive seemingly stalled, however, at the SWS 47-yard line. With just 59 seconds left in the half, Breadon called his second timeout with his offense facing a third-and-12.
The coaches drew up the next play in the huddle, and the Warriors executed it to perfection. Podnar flung the ball deep, and tall wideout Bryce VanRaalte had picked up two steps on his defender on the post route. After catching the wide-open ball, he broke a tackle at the goal line to give his squad the lead.
The two-point conversion run by Dax Paquin was successful, and the Warriors led 14-7 with just 53 seconds left until halftime.
SWS gave one last push on a score of their own, but Podnar picked off his counterpart in the end zone to end the threat.
“Our boys stepped up. We talked about it after the game that you face adversity in games, you face adversity in life. You have to take it head on and you conquer it,” Breadon said.
In the second half, both teams made adjustments on defense, locking down their opponents. Van Raalte saved a postential score on an SWS fourth-down attempt from deep inside BHW territory, and SWS ruined scoring opportunities by the Warriors with an interception at the goal line and forcing a fumble at midfield.
“We just got our heads back into the game and got our jobs done like we were supposed to,” Podnar said.
When the clock struck zero to end the fourth, it was the Warriors celebrating the “W”.
Black Hawk-Warren finished the day with 191 rushing yards on 30 carries (6.3 ypc). Podnar had 68 yards on eight attempt, while Paquin had 63 yards, also on eight attempts. Jacob Woodruff added 60 yards on 14 carries. The Warriors had 238 yards of total offense, and committed six penalties for 35 yards.
SWS gained just 160 yards of offense, including 154 yards on the ground in all, and just 59 yards of offense in the second half.
Up next for the Warriors is a one-win Pecatonica-Argyle squad on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 4 in Argyle. The former top rival is just one of three teams remaining for BHW before the Warriors head back to the postseason once again. In Week 8, BHW travels to one-win Riverdale, and then the big matchup comes in Week 9 when the Warriors host No. 2-ranked and currently unbeaten Potosi-Cassville.
“We just have our eyes on our goals. We know what we want to do, and we know that if we want to achieve those, we have to come ready to work every single say and win every game,” Podnar said.
Breadon said the coaching staff reminds the team about last year’s ending. In Week 9, BHW lost a tight, one score game at Potosi-Cassville in a game of highly ranked teams. Then, one week later, the two squads had to face off in the first round of the WIAA Division 7 playoffs and Potosi-Cassville came out on top by a single score once again.
“We constantly talk about it. We know we can’t start drinking our own Kool-Aid this year. No matter who we are coming out against each week, you’ve got to show up. It doesn’t matter who you played the week before or anything else, you have to reestablish that every day in practice,” Breadon said. “And these guys are hungry.”
