HILBERT – For the fourth time in as many tries, the Warriors are headed to Level 3 of the WIAA Division 7 football playoffs. The three previous trips have all ended at Camp Randall.
“We’ve got a couple guys who were there in 2019 and saw what it was like,” Black Hawk-Warren coach Desie Breadon said. “They are kind of giving wisdom to those younger guys, and those guys have been really good at saying that you have to enjoy every moment you’ve got – you’ve got to keep working, but you’ve also got to enjoy it and live in the moment, because you don’t know when it’s going to done.”
On Oct. 30, the ninth-ranked Warriors took a 3-hour bus trip to seventh-ranked Hilbert in northeastern Wisconsin, just east of Lake Winnebago. The host Wolves had lost just one game all season, and used their overpowering size and power running ability to pound opponents into submission. That is, until the Warriors showed up.
“Coming in we knew we’d have to own that line up front,” Breadon said. “The boys worked their butts off this week.”
Elijah Shelton took the opening kickoff nearly 40 yards up field. Black Hawk-Warren’s first possession went backwards – but it was the only time that would happen in the game. The Warriors ran for 241 yards and passed for another 59 yards while holding Hilbert to just 150 yards of offense.
“The D-line and our backers did a phenomenal job of shutting everything down. We kind of threw some things at them a little different this week as far as what their responsibilities were going to be and how we were going to attack. Hats off to the scout team – the scout team just torched them last night (in practice). It gave those guys the look that was able to shut them down,” Breadon said.
Hilbert’s lone score came at the 4:10 mark in the first quarter on a 26-yard field goal by Reed Breckheimer. The Wolves (9-2) originally had a first-and-goal at the BHW 8, but a holding call and a key tackle for loss by Dayton Burmeister pushed the Wolves backwards. The Warriors (8-3) ensuing drive lasted 12 plays but concluded in a punt – a kick in which QB/punter Brayden Bohnsack pinned the Wolves inside their own 6. The next snap hit the turf and Hilbert punted away two plays later.
Just four hikes later, Landen Mahoney took a pitch off the left side for an 8-yard TD to put BHW ahead 6-3. Another three-and-out on defense led to another BHW possession. Facing second-and-20 after a fumbled pitch and a false start, Bohnsack tossed a screen pass to Lucas Milz, who followed his blockers up the visitor sideline for a 34-yard gain. Mahoney later broke off a 21-yard rush to the Hilbert 2, and Bohnsack took an option keeper in the end zone on the following snap. A second failed 2-point conversion left the score at 12-3 with 1:27 to play before halftime, but the score would hold going into the break.
“We wouldn’t have done this without our scout ‘O’. They put in a helluva good look,” said senior lineman Antron Evans, who bullied the Wolves all game at the line of scrimmage.
BHW’s defense stepped up again in the third quarter. Hilbert’s first drive of the second half stalled at the 19, and the Wolves elected to kick again with Breckheimer. Evans got into the backfield and put a mitt on the ball, blocking the kick.
“My teammates helped create me that hole so I could shoot that gap and block it. I saw him (the blocker) kind of turn his body a little bit,” Evans said.
The Warriors marched down the field on a 10-play, 80-yard drive that culminated with a 1-yard score by Mahoney. This time Milz was able to punch in the conversion to make it a three-score game at 20-3 with 4:19 left in the third.
Hilbert’s offense continued to struggle running into the Warriors’ box, and after burning all three timeouts, opted to punt with 20 seconds left in the third, down three scores.
“That area of the game, they just seemed like they were off all the way across the board. For us, that meant we had to strike and hit it while it was hot,” Breadon said.
The Warriors then ran off nearly seven minutes on a drive that ended with a turnover on downs at the Hilbert 9. Another three-and-out by the BHW defense had Hilbert punting – surprisingly to most in the crowd – with 3:19 left to play. The Warriors then ran on the clock on offense behind backup QB Dempsey Schliem, who entered the game the previous possession as Bohnsack went down hard on a tackle.
“He makes a lot of nice things happen with his legs and his arm. Dempsey understands the offense really well, which is nice to know that he has all of our audibles and everything, but Brayden gives us that extra dimension we need,” Breadon said.
Bohnsack had missed time earlier this year due to injuries, and Breadon said it appears his season will be done, as recovery time will likely take longer than the maximum three weeks left in the regular season.
Bohnsack had 37 rushing yards and was 3 of 6 passing for 51 yards, while Schliem completed a tight 8-yard pass on the outside to Lane Raab in the final possession. Milz had 146 yards rushing and 35 receiving, while Mahoney had 65 yards on the ground.
Sam Stumo led Hilbert with 59 rushing yards, and Carson Grenzer had 45 yards on three counters. The Wolves used an off-set Wildcat backfield switching up which back receives the snap each play, but the Warriors were not fooled all game. Breckheimer, who led his team with more than 1,200 yards (12.5 ypc) in 10 games coming into the contest, was held to just 10 yards on nine carries.
“The boys kept working all game to shut 10 (Breckheimer) down, because he is a phenomenal player. That was a huge key,” Breadon said.
Up next for BHW is fourth-ranked Reedsville (10-1). The Panthers have outscored opponents 478-117 this season, including an impressive 303-47 mark in the first half alone. Reedsville runs the ball on more than 75% of its plays, but is averaging 10 yards per pass and 8.3 yards per rush. The Panthers have turned the ball over just three times all season.
Brennen Dvorachek is the team’s leading runner, accumulating nearly 1,300 yards and 21 TDs on the ground. Dvorachek is also the QB, accounting for 1,060 yards through the air with 16 TDs to just one INT. Weston Liebzeit (636), Cole Ebert (494) and Dain Totten (229) are also threats to carry the football for Reedsville.
The Warriors have outscored opponents 280-127, but it has been the second half that has been key. BHW holds just an 86-65 lead in the first half, but is outscoring opponents 194-62 after the break.
The Warriors have thrown for nearly 600 yards this season and have picked up 2,540 on the ground collectively. Milz leads the way with 1,125 rushing, while Mahoney has 894. Bohnsack is third at 342. Schliem is 10 of 23 passing this season in relief of Bohnsack, collecting just 109 yards and a TD with two INTs.
“It’s a great feeling. It’s a big one next week, and we’ve got to get ready and get prepped. We have to maintain and keep going – keep pushing. We’re not done yet. We want more,” Evans said.
