SOUTH WAYNE - The last time the Black Hawk football team played for a gold ball and the school's first state championship, seniors Brody Milz and Michael Flanagan were in eighth grade.
Now, they've moved one step closer to writing their own memories at Camp Randall Stadium after each scored two touchdowns to help Black Hawk pound out a 28-7 win over Six Rivers Conference rival Potosi-Cassville in a WIAA Division 7 state quarterfinal game Friday at Murphy Field.
"It feels incredible to beat a great team like that," said Flanagan, Black Hawk's senior QB who had 130 total yards and two scores. "I can't explain it. To beat a great team like Potosi-Cassville again is great. We had some adversity and had to push through some things. We got it done tonight."
Milz rushed for 164 yards on 19 carries and had two touchdowns. Flanagan rushed for 76 yards on 12 carries and had one touchdown. He completed 3 of 9 passes for 54 yards with one touchdown to lead the Warriors to touchdowns on their first three drives of the first quarter.
Black Hawk's defense shut down a Potosi-Cassville offense that was averaging 47.5 points per game. The Warriors limited the Chieftains 115 total yards and minus 3 rushing yards in the second half. The Chieftains were plagued by 11 penalties. Black Hawk sophomore Gunner Foecking had two of the Warriors' four sacks. Junior Kyle Lovelace and sophomore Nick Hull also had one sack each. Sophomore Jaylen Rufenacht had one interception and junior linebacker Mitchell Quinn had a fumble recovery.
"We have been preparing for this for weeks," Foecking said. "I have been waiting for it (sacks) all year. It's something I'm here to do. We're on turf now."
Black Hawk advances and will play Fall River in a state semifinal game at Breitenbach Stadium next week.
"It will be in Middleton. I'm not sure on the time or date yet," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "It was a great defensive effort. Potosi-Cassvile is a very good team. To beat a team like that twice is an incredible defensive effort."
Potosi-Cassville quarterback Will Bierman completed 5 of 14 passes for 53 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Since Cory Milz was familiar with Bierman's ability to make plays scrambling out of the pocket, he was not going to have the Warriors' defense sit back.
"We knew coming in we had to rush them to stop their passing game," Cory Milz said. "It's what we had to do. We were not going to just sit back. We had to rush him. He made us miss a lot, but there were big moments when we got him too."
Brody Milz ripped off a 57-yard touchdown run on the Warriors' first offensive play. Junior Rece Shelton caught a two-point conversion pass to give the Warriors an 8-0 lead. Disaster then struck the Chieftains. A botched snap sailed over Potosi-Cassville punter Jaydon Carbone's head on the ensuing possession. Carbone raced back to recover the botched snap and took a hit from Black Hawk senior Jett Rufenacht and the Warriors took over at the Potosi-Cassville 5-yard line. Two plays later, Flanagan hooked up with Shelton on an 8-yard TD pass to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead midway through the first.
"The first quarter ended up really being the difference in the game," Cory Milz said. "Potosi had the momentum in the second and third quarters. We kind of established it back in the fourth quarter. If we wouldn't have jumped out on them, it could have been a different ballgame."
On the Warriors' next possession, facing fourth-and-2, Flanagan raced for a 25-yard TD run to extend the Warriors' lead to 20-0.
"It felt good to get up on them early," Flanagan said. "Any time you are playing a great team like that it's good to build a lead. On that touchdown run, I got two great blocks from Brody and Rece. The line helped get me into the end zone."
The Warriors had a 6 minute, 54 second drive in the third quarter that chewed up the clock, but they didn't come away with any points. Flanagan's pass on fourth-and-8, sailed incomplete.
"We had some penalties that backed us up and we fought through some adversity," Brody Milz said. "It gave our boys confidence we could do it in the fourth quarter."
The Warriors had an 11-play, 71-yard drive culminate in Brody Milz's 2-yard TD plunge midway through the fourth quarter put the game out of reach. Milz tossed the two-point conversion pass to extend the Warriors' lead to 21-points.
It was a complete effort by the Warriors, according to the coach.
"That is Black Hawk football," Cory Milz said. "AKA Dennis Murphy (former Black Hawk coach). It's what we have been doing for 40 years. We try to run the ball, play good defense and flip the field with good field position. It's a good formula. It's been a good formula in winning a lot of games for Coach Murphy and us."
Now, they've moved one step closer to writing their own memories at Camp Randall Stadium after each scored two touchdowns to help Black Hawk pound out a 28-7 win over Six Rivers Conference rival Potosi-Cassville in a WIAA Division 7 state quarterfinal game Friday at Murphy Field.
"It feels incredible to beat a great team like that," said Flanagan, Black Hawk's senior QB who had 130 total yards and two scores. "I can't explain it. To beat a great team like Potosi-Cassville again is great. We had some adversity and had to push through some things. We got it done tonight."
Milz rushed for 164 yards on 19 carries and had two touchdowns. Flanagan rushed for 76 yards on 12 carries and had one touchdown. He completed 3 of 9 passes for 54 yards with one touchdown to lead the Warriors to touchdowns on their first three drives of the first quarter.
Black Hawk's defense shut down a Potosi-Cassville offense that was averaging 47.5 points per game. The Warriors limited the Chieftains 115 total yards and minus 3 rushing yards in the second half. The Chieftains were plagued by 11 penalties. Black Hawk sophomore Gunner Foecking had two of the Warriors' four sacks. Junior Kyle Lovelace and sophomore Nick Hull also had one sack each. Sophomore Jaylen Rufenacht had one interception and junior linebacker Mitchell Quinn had a fumble recovery.
"We have been preparing for this for weeks," Foecking said. "I have been waiting for it (sacks) all year. It's something I'm here to do. We're on turf now."
Black Hawk advances and will play Fall River in a state semifinal game at Breitenbach Stadium next week.
"It will be in Middleton. I'm not sure on the time or date yet," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "It was a great defensive effort. Potosi-Cassvile is a very good team. To beat a team like that twice is an incredible defensive effort."
Potosi-Cassville quarterback Will Bierman completed 5 of 14 passes for 53 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Since Cory Milz was familiar with Bierman's ability to make plays scrambling out of the pocket, he was not going to have the Warriors' defense sit back.
"We knew coming in we had to rush them to stop their passing game," Cory Milz said. "It's what we had to do. We were not going to just sit back. We had to rush him. He made us miss a lot, but there were big moments when we got him too."
Brody Milz ripped off a 57-yard touchdown run on the Warriors' first offensive play. Junior Rece Shelton caught a two-point conversion pass to give the Warriors an 8-0 lead. Disaster then struck the Chieftains. A botched snap sailed over Potosi-Cassville punter Jaydon Carbone's head on the ensuing possession. Carbone raced back to recover the botched snap and took a hit from Black Hawk senior Jett Rufenacht and the Warriors took over at the Potosi-Cassville 5-yard line. Two plays later, Flanagan hooked up with Shelton on an 8-yard TD pass to give the Warriors a 14-0 lead midway through the first.
"The first quarter ended up really being the difference in the game," Cory Milz said. "Potosi had the momentum in the second and third quarters. We kind of established it back in the fourth quarter. If we wouldn't have jumped out on them, it could have been a different ballgame."
On the Warriors' next possession, facing fourth-and-2, Flanagan raced for a 25-yard TD run to extend the Warriors' lead to 20-0.
"It felt good to get up on them early," Flanagan said. "Any time you are playing a great team like that it's good to build a lead. On that touchdown run, I got two great blocks from Brody and Rece. The line helped get me into the end zone."
The Warriors had a 6 minute, 54 second drive in the third quarter that chewed up the clock, but they didn't come away with any points. Flanagan's pass on fourth-and-8, sailed incomplete.
"We had some penalties that backed us up and we fought through some adversity," Brody Milz said. "It gave our boys confidence we could do it in the fourth quarter."
The Warriors had an 11-play, 71-yard drive culminate in Brody Milz's 2-yard TD plunge midway through the fourth quarter put the game out of reach. Milz tossed the two-point conversion pass to extend the Warriors' lead to 21-points.
It was a complete effort by the Warriors, according to the coach.
"That is Black Hawk football," Cory Milz said. "AKA Dennis Murphy (former Black Hawk coach). It's what we have been doing for 40 years. We try to run the ball, play good defense and flip the field with good field position. It's a good formula. It's been a good formula in winning a lot of games for Coach Murphy and us."
