REEDSVILLE — Despite last winning the state title nearly two years ago, the Black Hawk-Warren Warriors were still considered the defending WIAA Division 7 champions until someone knocked them off their perch. That someone turned out to be the Reedsville Panthers.
Senior quarterback Brennen Dvorachek rushed for 151 yards and two touchdowns to propel the No. 4-ranked Panthers (11-1 overall) to a 30-12 victory over the ninth-ranked Warriors (8-4) in a hard-hitting D7 Level 3 playoff football game at the Reedsville Athletic Fields on Saturday, Nov. 6.
“Reedsville is a really good team. They are big and fast. They had a good game plan and were able to hit big plays on us,” said Warriors head coach Desie Breadon. “We told the guys to keep their heads up because there is no shame in losing to a team like Reedsville.”
Just like last week’s game against Hilbert, the scoring started with a field goal as the Panthers pounced ahead 3-0 on the opening drive of the game on senior Westen Liebzeit’s 29-yard kick.
Unlike last week’s game, the Panthers weren’t done scoring on the day.
The Warriors had an extended opening possession, but were forced to punt the ball away three times against a stingy Panthers’ defense. A running-into-the-kicker penalty on the first punt extended the drive, and then the Warriors’ recovered a muffed catch in Panther territory on the second punt to get a third chance with the ball.
However, after gaining just one yard on three runs, the Warriors were forced to kick it away again. On the next play, Dvorachek raced 87 yards for a touchdown to put the Panthers up 10-0 with 1:45 to play in the first quarter.
The Warriors got pinned deep in their own territory on their next possession thanks to a penalty on the ensuing kickoff and were forced to punt into a stiff wind after another three-and-out. The punt traveled just seven yards before being downed at the Warrior 27-yard line; then, five plays later the Panthers’ bruising 275-pound senior fullback Cole Ebert crashed into the end zone from a yard out to put the hosts on top 16-0 with 10:12 remaining in the half.
Coach Breadon crew got the offense moving on the next possession, pounding the ball down to the Reedsville 12 before a penalty and a fourth-down sack of senior quarterback Dempsey Schliem by DE Ryan Taddy halted the momentum. The Warriors’ D got the ball right back, and the offense went back to work with junior Landen Mahoney capping a four-play, 42-yard scoring drive with a 6-yard TD plunge with 2:28 to go in the half to cut the deficit to 16-6.
The Panthers stuffed the two-point try to keep it a two-score game, and then ran their two-minute offense to perfection with Dvorachek ripping off a 30-yard TD scamper with 41 seconds remaining to put the hosts on top 23-6 at the intermission.
Down three scores, the Warriors did all they could to mount a comeback in the second half. The Warriors outgained the Panthers, 108-44, in the second half but they just couldn’t get the quick scores they needed to get back into the game, which in turn forced them to start taking chances.
A pair of fourth-down sacks by Taddy halted a promising drive in Panther territory midway through the third quarter and a daring 4-and-10 attempt by the Warriors from their own 28 at the start of the fourth quarter.
The Panthers took advantage of the short field to add to their lead on a 9-yard TD run by Liebzeit with 8:46 to play.
With the season fading away, the Warriors put together one last scoring drive, marching 62 yards on nine plays with junior Lucas Milz covering the final 11 yards to close the scoring at 30-12.
“We are really proud of the season they had and to be able to do what they’ve done in the last eight months. These guys have won two conference championships and made a Level 3 appearance (since late March). I know we didn’t finish at our ultimate goal, but they still have a lot to be proud of,” Breadon said.
Mahoney finished the game rushing for a team-high 126 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries to join Milz over the 1,000-yard mark for the season. Mahoney ends the year with 1,024 rushing yards and 15 rushing TDs, while Milz led the team with 1,165 yards and had 12 TDs after gaining 42 yards on 12 totes with a score in the finale.
Milz also completed a pass for 28 yards to senior Elijah Shelton, who finished the game with two catches for 42 yards to lead the Warriors’ aerial attack.
Schliem filled in admirably for injured starter Brayden Bohnsack on Saturday, completing 3-of-8 passes for 22 yards amid the heavy pressure applied by the Panther D throughout the game.
Defensively for the Warriors, Milz led the team with 12 tackles. Seniors Antron Evans and Owen Huschitt tallied nine tackles apiece, while junior Seth Dunlavey added seven stops and senior Alex Marsden recovered a fumble.
Ebert ran nine times for 59 yards and a score and Liebzeit chipped in with 10 rushes for 30 yards and a TD along with two catches for 22 yards for the Panthers, who advance to Level 4 to face Cashton in Ripon on Friday, Nov. 12, for a chance at the program’s first state finals appearance. The Eagles (10-2) defeated Potosi-Cassville 15-6 for their deepest playoff run since 1999.
Playing in their final prep game for the Warriors on Saturday were seniors Alex Marsden, Elijah Shelton, Dempsey Schliem, Brayden Bohnsack, Nathan Figi, Blaze Janecke, Lane Raab, Cade Stietz, Owen Huschitt, Christian Eaton, Dayton Burmeister, Antron Evans and Gabe Nelson.
“Our seniors have done an incredible job. They are a great group and have definitely led and taught the younger players what it takes to be at the top levels and what our program is about — in season and out of season,” Breadon said. “The seniors have continued the legacy of this program. We are going to miss them and I know they will be successful in their other sports seasons and in life.”
