BURLINGTON - There was no miracle Hail Mary finish for the Black Hawk football team on Saturday.
Black Hawk lost a thrilling WIAA Division 7 Level 2 playoff game to Burlington Catholic Central 35-34.
"We just told the kids it was a situation where there were two very good football teams," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "The fact that we had a chance to win it says a lot about our determination. They should have no regrets. They left it all out there."
Midway through the fourth quarter, it looked like the Warriors would knock off Catholic Central, which has played in the last three state championship games including winning back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
Black Hawk made a critical tackle on fourth down midway through the fourth quarter on an end around to force the Hilltoppers into a turnover on downs. Black Hawk senior Michael Walker scored the go-ahead 1-yard touchdown with 5 minutes, 7 seconds left. Walker reinjured his knee and officials forced him to leave the game. Without their kicker in Walker, the Warriors went for a two-point conversion and junior quarterback Kyle Walters' sprint out pass was just a little high of the receiver. The go-ahead scoring drive was set up by Walters' 31-yard pass to senior Hayden Schliem. Walker missed most of the final three weeks of the regular season due to a knee injury.
"He (Walker) was forced to go out of the game and we would have had to go to our backckup kicker," Milz said. "We thought we had a better chance of getting the two-point conversion."
Catholic Central answered by pounding the ball at the Warriors from midfield. Catholic Central quarterback Carson Meinholz scored a 1-yard run and the Hilltoppers made the decisive extra point. The Warriors' drive with about 1:30 left was thwarted when the Hilltoppers intercepted a pass. Just when the game looked like it was over, Black Hawk's Dejay Warrell recovered a Meinholz fumble with 35 seconds to go. Walters was sacked and dinged up on the ensuing play. Walters returned and his last-second Hail Mary was knocked down.
"Field position was a big problem all day," Milz said. "They started at the 45 or 50-yard line all day."
Early on, it was the Warriors that jumped out to the lead when senior Jace Johnsrud returned an interception 37-yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Warrell had a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to tie the game at 14 with 8:54 left in the second quarter. Black Hawk sophomore Jayden Rufenacht had a 1-yard TD run late in the second quarter to tie the game at 21.
The Warriors rallied again when Walters connected with Schliem on a 90-yard TD pass to tie the game at 28 with 1:34 left in the third quarter. That set the stage for a dramatic finish.
Black Hawk (8-3) limited Meinholz, who was averaging more than 100 yards a game, to just seven rushing yards. The Warriors limited the Hilltoppers to just 136 rushing yards as a team. Johnsrud rushed for 110 yards on 10 carries to lead the Warriors. Walters completed 4 of 8 passes for 171 yards. Schliem caught four passes for 171 yards.
"We did something a lot of Division 7 teams haven't been able to do," Milz said of shutting down the Hilltoppers' rushing attack. "They prepared all week like champions. They knew Catholic Central's offense to a tee. BCC has an incredible offense. For us to be able to do that, it speaks volumes for our kids."
Black Hawk lost a thrilling WIAA Division 7 Level 2 playoff game to Burlington Catholic Central 35-34.
"We just told the kids it was a situation where there were two very good football teams," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "The fact that we had a chance to win it says a lot about our determination. They should have no regrets. They left it all out there."
Midway through the fourth quarter, it looked like the Warriors would knock off Catholic Central, which has played in the last three state championship games including winning back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
Black Hawk made a critical tackle on fourth down midway through the fourth quarter on an end around to force the Hilltoppers into a turnover on downs. Black Hawk senior Michael Walker scored the go-ahead 1-yard touchdown with 5 minutes, 7 seconds left. Walker reinjured his knee and officials forced him to leave the game. Without their kicker in Walker, the Warriors went for a two-point conversion and junior quarterback Kyle Walters' sprint out pass was just a little high of the receiver. The go-ahead scoring drive was set up by Walters' 31-yard pass to senior Hayden Schliem. Walker missed most of the final three weeks of the regular season due to a knee injury.
"He (Walker) was forced to go out of the game and we would have had to go to our backckup kicker," Milz said. "We thought we had a better chance of getting the two-point conversion."
Catholic Central answered by pounding the ball at the Warriors from midfield. Catholic Central quarterback Carson Meinholz scored a 1-yard run and the Hilltoppers made the decisive extra point. The Warriors' drive with about 1:30 left was thwarted when the Hilltoppers intercepted a pass. Just when the game looked like it was over, Black Hawk's Dejay Warrell recovered a Meinholz fumble with 35 seconds to go. Walters was sacked and dinged up on the ensuing play. Walters returned and his last-second Hail Mary was knocked down.
"Field position was a big problem all day," Milz said. "They started at the 45 or 50-yard line all day."
Early on, it was the Warriors that jumped out to the lead when senior Jace Johnsrud returned an interception 37-yards for a touchdown in the second quarter. Warrell had a 92-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to tie the game at 14 with 8:54 left in the second quarter. Black Hawk sophomore Jayden Rufenacht had a 1-yard TD run late in the second quarter to tie the game at 21.
The Warriors rallied again when Walters connected with Schliem on a 90-yard TD pass to tie the game at 28 with 1:34 left in the third quarter. That set the stage for a dramatic finish.
Black Hawk (8-3) limited Meinholz, who was averaging more than 100 yards a game, to just seven rushing yards. The Warriors limited the Hilltoppers to just 136 rushing yards as a team. Johnsrud rushed for 110 yards on 10 carries to lead the Warriors. Walters completed 4 of 8 passes for 171 yards. Schliem caught four passes for 171 yards.
"We did something a lot of Division 7 teams haven't been able to do," Milz said of shutting down the Hilltoppers' rushing attack. "They prepared all week like champions. They knew Catholic Central's offense to a tee. BCC has an incredible offense. For us to be able to do that, it speaks volumes for our kids."
