ARGYLE - Black Hawk senior running back Jayden Rufenacht and the Warriors continued to put up video game-like numbers in a 55-13 win over Pecatonica-Argyle in a Six Rivers Conference showdown Saturday, Oct. 5.
Rufenacht rushed for 173 yards on seven carries and scored two touchdowns to propel the Warriors to the win.
Black Hawk (7-0, 6-0 Six Rivers) remains in the driver's seat to win its first conference championship since 2007.
For Black Hawk, ranked No. 2 in the WisSports.net Division 7 poll, the average margin of victory is 37 points in conference games. The Warriors entered the game concerned about the Vikings' speed on offense, but it was the Warriors who showed big-play ability with nine plays of 20-yards or more en route to piling up 497 total yards including 335 on the ground.
"We have so many weapons it's almost unfair to other teams," Rufenacht said. "Our tight ends are our backup running backs. They could start as running backs as well."
The Warriors are in line for not only winning a conference title, but an unbeaten regular season and a home playoff game.
"Our goal is to win conference," Rufenacht said. "We haven't won it in five or six years. Our saying this year is 'bring it back.' Getting to 9-0 would give us a better seed for the playoffs."
The Warriors forced the Vikings (6-1, 5-1) into four turnovers and scored 21 points off the miscues. Black Hawk seniors Tyler Peterson and Seth Butler both had interceptions. Black Hawk senior Tanner Sweeney had an interception return for a touchdown at the start of the third quarter.
"We have to commit to being a more disciplined football team," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Larry Green said. "It's the mental mistakes we have to correct if we are going to be a good football team down the road. Against a team like Black Hawk, if you make a mistake they will take it 50 or 60-yards or for a touchdown. Black Hawk is the most physical team we have played this year. Hopefully, that will help us against a tough Potosi team and the rest of the year."
Black Hawk senior Brett Lovelace had three catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Lovelace was also part of a defensive effort that limited the Vikings without a score until the third quarter.
"Those turnovers really help," Lovelace said. "When we get those turnovers it's a real momentum changer."
The Warriors started out with a bang with Rufenacht's 55-yard run in the first quarter. However, on fourth-and-goal from the Vikings' 3-yard line, Pecatonica-Argyle's defense stepped up and forced a fumble that was recovered by senior Tyler Hodgson.
The Warriors responded with their next drive. Facing fourth-and-4, Black Hawk junior Heath Butler connected with Peterson on a 39-yard TD pass. Lovelace ran in the two-point conversion to give the Warriors an 8-0 about midway through the first quarter. Butler was 7 of 11 passing for 162 yards and three touchdowns.
"Heath has been very accurate all year," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "It's a luxury we are enjoying to have the weapons we have. They (Pec-Argyle) put kids in gaps and they scramble a little to stop our inside run. They played a lot of man coverage with no safety help. Any time you are playing man coverage you are forcing us to pass and to the perimeter and you will give up some big plays to good athletes."
After Pecatonica-Argyle senior Tylor Henneman missed a field goal, the Warriors answered with a six-play, 80-yard drive capped off by Sweeney's 6-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. Sweeney rushed for 70 yards on nine carries and scored one touchdown.
The Vikings' offense was then short-circuited by turnovers. Peterson had an interception on Pecatonica-Argyle's Drew Schliem pass and that set up Butler's 52-yard TD pass to Lovelace. Seth Butler then had an interception on the Vikings' next drive. Rufenacht had touchdown runs of 34 and 57 yards to give the Warriors a 35-0 lead.
Black Hawk's Heath Butler hooked up with Lovelace on a 46-yard TD pass in the third quarter to give the Warriors a 49-0 lead.
"The first one felt good," Lovelace said of his first touchdown catch. "Our game plan was to run the ball. I think the coaches must have saw something would be open and it was. After the second one, it felt great. I have to give a lot of credit to Heath. He gets the ball where it needs to be."
Pecatonica-Argyle freshman Cam Treuthardt put the Vikings on the board with a 38-yard TD run about midway through the third quarter. Pecatonica-Argyle freshman Logan Green had an interception for the Vikings.
"They have a young team," Milz said of the Vikings, who have nine freshmen and sophomores playing varsity. "They will probably be the top team in the conference the next couple of years. I was really happy with how our defense played. They played fast and physical."
The Warriors also got big production from their No. 2 offense. Black Hawk's Jacob Quinn had a 34-yard run in the fourth quarter to set up the final scoring opportunity for the Warriors. Chase Stietz capped the drive with a 2-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 55-7 lead. Pecatonica-Argyle freshman A.J. Hendrickson had a 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter for the Vikings.
"Any time you get to play as a freshmen or sophomore, it will help you," Green said. "It will continue to help you understand the speed of the game at this level compared to junior varsity. It's a tremendous learning experience for the guys."
Rufenacht rushed for 173 yards on seven carries and scored two touchdowns to propel the Warriors to the win.
Black Hawk (7-0, 6-0 Six Rivers) remains in the driver's seat to win its first conference championship since 2007.
For Black Hawk, ranked No. 2 in the WisSports.net Division 7 poll, the average margin of victory is 37 points in conference games. The Warriors entered the game concerned about the Vikings' speed on offense, but it was the Warriors who showed big-play ability with nine plays of 20-yards or more en route to piling up 497 total yards including 335 on the ground.
"We have so many weapons it's almost unfair to other teams," Rufenacht said. "Our tight ends are our backup running backs. They could start as running backs as well."
The Warriors are in line for not only winning a conference title, but an unbeaten regular season and a home playoff game.
"Our goal is to win conference," Rufenacht said. "We haven't won it in five or six years. Our saying this year is 'bring it back.' Getting to 9-0 would give us a better seed for the playoffs."
The Warriors forced the Vikings (6-1, 5-1) into four turnovers and scored 21 points off the miscues. Black Hawk seniors Tyler Peterson and Seth Butler both had interceptions. Black Hawk senior Tanner Sweeney had an interception return for a touchdown at the start of the third quarter.
"We have to commit to being a more disciplined football team," Pecatonica-Argyle coach Larry Green said. "It's the mental mistakes we have to correct if we are going to be a good football team down the road. Against a team like Black Hawk, if you make a mistake they will take it 50 or 60-yards or for a touchdown. Black Hawk is the most physical team we have played this year. Hopefully, that will help us against a tough Potosi team and the rest of the year."
Black Hawk senior Brett Lovelace had three catches for 104 yards and two touchdowns. Lovelace was also part of a defensive effort that limited the Vikings without a score until the third quarter.
"Those turnovers really help," Lovelace said. "When we get those turnovers it's a real momentum changer."
The Warriors started out with a bang with Rufenacht's 55-yard run in the first quarter. However, on fourth-and-goal from the Vikings' 3-yard line, Pecatonica-Argyle's defense stepped up and forced a fumble that was recovered by senior Tyler Hodgson.
The Warriors responded with their next drive. Facing fourth-and-4, Black Hawk junior Heath Butler connected with Peterson on a 39-yard TD pass. Lovelace ran in the two-point conversion to give the Warriors an 8-0 about midway through the first quarter. Butler was 7 of 11 passing for 162 yards and three touchdowns.
"Heath has been very accurate all year," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "It's a luxury we are enjoying to have the weapons we have. They (Pec-Argyle) put kids in gaps and they scramble a little to stop our inside run. They played a lot of man coverage with no safety help. Any time you are playing man coverage you are forcing us to pass and to the perimeter and you will give up some big plays to good athletes."
After Pecatonica-Argyle senior Tylor Henneman missed a field goal, the Warriors answered with a six-play, 80-yard drive capped off by Sweeney's 6-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter. Sweeney rushed for 70 yards on nine carries and scored one touchdown.
The Vikings' offense was then short-circuited by turnovers. Peterson had an interception on Pecatonica-Argyle's Drew Schliem pass and that set up Butler's 52-yard TD pass to Lovelace. Seth Butler then had an interception on the Vikings' next drive. Rufenacht had touchdown runs of 34 and 57 yards to give the Warriors a 35-0 lead.
Black Hawk's Heath Butler hooked up with Lovelace on a 46-yard TD pass in the third quarter to give the Warriors a 49-0 lead.
"The first one felt good," Lovelace said of his first touchdown catch. "Our game plan was to run the ball. I think the coaches must have saw something would be open and it was. After the second one, it felt great. I have to give a lot of credit to Heath. He gets the ball where it needs to be."
Pecatonica-Argyle freshman Cam Treuthardt put the Vikings on the board with a 38-yard TD run about midway through the third quarter. Pecatonica-Argyle freshman Logan Green had an interception for the Vikings.
"They have a young team," Milz said of the Vikings, who have nine freshmen and sophomores playing varsity. "They will probably be the top team in the conference the next couple of years. I was really happy with how our defense played. They played fast and physical."
The Warriors also got big production from their No. 2 offense. Black Hawk's Jacob Quinn had a 34-yard run in the fourth quarter to set up the final scoring opportunity for the Warriors. Chase Stietz capped the drive with a 2-yard TD run to give the Warriors a 55-7 lead. Pecatonica-Argyle freshman A.J. Hendrickson had a 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter for the Vikings.
"Any time you get to play as a freshmen or sophomore, it will help you," Green said. "It will continue to help you understand the speed of the game at this level compared to junior varsity. It's a tremendous learning experience for the guys."
