WIAA Football: Wilmot whips Reagan in playoff opener

Panthers to host Waukesha West on Friday

By Jason Arndt
Staff Writer

Waukesha West has been a persistent pest for the Wilmot Union High School football team within the last five years in postseason play.

Since 2015, the Wolverines have ended Wilmot’s season twice, the most recent happening in a WIAA Division 2 Level 1 contest and 41-26 defeat last year.

But the Panthers have a chance to avenge the loss on Friday when they meet Waukesha West once again in Level 2 play at Wilmot’s Frank Bucci Field.

The meeting comes after second-seeded Wilmot drubbed visiting Milwaukee Reagan, 42-14, in Level 1 play on Oct. 25.

When asked about Waukesha West, Panthers coach Keiya Square acknowledged the Wolverines are a tough opponent, but he said his team can prevail through a well-engineered game plan.

“They are strong, they are well-coached. It is one of those things where we just have to come out and execute a game plan,” he said of Waukesha West (7-3, 5-3 Classic Eight)

“We just have to have a good week of preparation, and like you said, they have had our number the times we have played them. But I think our kids are hungry and ready to go.”

Panthers’ senior quarterback Zack Watson, who scored three all-purpose touchdowns against Reagan, said Friday’s meeting with Waukesha West would not come easy.

“We have to work really hard,” Watson said. “I know last year we lost to them and ended our season. We know they are going to be a great team and it is going to be a dogfight.”

Wilmot hounds Huskies
Meanwhile, as for the Oct. 25 contest with Milwaukee Reagan, the Panthers cruised to a 28-point victory against the Huskies.

Reagan, a predominant run team, entered its contest with only 151 yards passing compared to 2,403 yards on the ground.

However, Reagan was held to 158 yards on 39 attempts during its game against Wilmot (9-1, 6-1 Southern Lakes Conference).

“They ran that Power-T; they try to perfect what they are trying to do. There was a lot of misdirection stuff and a lot of (the run plays) were between the tackles,” Square said. “We wanted to make sure if they were going to try to beat us, beat us on the outside.”

Senior Austin Videlka said Reagan’s running scheme initially was confusing, but Wilmot quickly discovered what direction the Huskies planned to run the ball based on which direction its offensive guards were pulling.

Videlka finished with 12 tackles, third behind Logan Pye (16) and Hunter Ornberg (14).

While the Panthers defense contained the run game, Wilmot responded on offense, taking a 35-0 advantage into halftime.

Junior Caden Mullhollon opened the scoring with a 43-yard touchdown run at 9:03 in the first quarter.

The Panthers then forced the Huskies to punt on the next possession and took over at midfield.

Watson, who completed three passes for 139 yards, made each of them count, starting with a deep throw to Joey Tanski.

The senior quarterback threaded the well-placed football to Tanski for a 42-yard catch to bring the ball to the Reagan 4-yard line, where Watson scored on a 4-yard run.

Two minutes into the second quarter, Wilmot added its third score with a 13-yard Videlka run.

Watson followed up with a 49-yard touchdown pass to junior Leo Falletti and a 25-yard rushing score to extend the Panthers’ lead to 35-0.

Falletti added the Panthers’ final touchdown in the third quarter on a 9-yard run.

Reagan (7-3, 6-0 Milwaukee City-Blackbourn Division) scored twice with a running clock toward the end of regulation.

Wilmot held Huskies’ leading rusher Carter Grant to 70 yards on 20 carries.

Falletti finished with four carries for 34 yards and had one catch for 49 yards.

Watson had six carries for 48 yards.


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