Panthers survive slow start against Broncos

By Dan Truttschel~ Sports Correspondent

It would make sense if the Wilmot football team was at least peeking a little bit at this week’s opponent while it prepared for Union Grove Friday night.

But for the next team on the schedule – Badger – to have any significance, the Panthers had to get past the Broncos.

It took a little bit to get going, but that’s just what Wilmot did.

Wilmot broke open a close 7-6 game with 28 second-quarter points en route to a 48-14 Southern Lakes Conference victory. The win improved the Panthers to 2-1 in the SLC and 2-2 overall.

“We came out a little flat,” Wilmot coach Mike Greinke said. “Not sure if (playing) two rebuilding teams in a row or having a huge game the next week had something to do with that.

“But as soon as our guys realized that the Broncos were going to fight, they cranked up their intensity and started doing what they were supposed to.”

Wilmot senior Bennett Kothe put the Panthers on the board with a 3-yard run in the first quarter. Union Grove cut the deficit to one point at 7-6 before the Panthers took control.

Quarterback Noah Strasser, who passed for 216 yards, connected on a 9-yard touchdown pass to Erik Nevoso, followed by touchdown runs of 28 and 3 yards by Kothe.

“(Kothe) had a great game,” Greinke said. “Bennett was making things happen without great blocking. (He’s suck) a good guy who worked so hard this off-season to get where he is. He also gets the other guys’ intensity going.”

Wilmot closed out the scoring onslaught with a 55-yard strike from Strasser to Nevoso.

The Wilmot defense got into the act for its last touchdown of the night on an interception by Mike Lindeman that he returned 33 yards to the end zone.

Union Grove added a fourth-quarter touchdown to account for the final score.

Wilmot’s Matt Christensen had eight catches for 130 yards to lead the Panthers’ receiving corps.

The game against Union Grove, which still is winless and under the direction of a new head coach, was one the Panthers had to win if they hope to make any post-season noise, Greinke said.

“(The win was) extremely important,” he said. “If we want a chance at the playoffs, a chance to be seeded or even a chance at being in the conference race, these are the games that we need to play well in.”

Next up is the showdown with Badger, which stands at 3-0 in the SLC, good for a first-place tie with Waterford. Badger, Waterford and Wilmot shared the conference title last week.

The Badgers rolled up 498 yards rushing in a 44-0 win at Delavan-Darien last week. Senior quarterback Peter Krien led a balanced attack with 123 yards rushing on just four carries, followed by Robert Johnson with 11 carries for 102 yards and Collin Broderick with 10 rushes for 74 yards.

Badger presents a number of problems, and it starts with its veer offense, which gives opponents fits, Greinke said.

“The problem three out of my four years (as head coach) has been our defensive level of play,” he said. “Badger’s veer offense is very tricky for high school kids to figure out.

“We give them simple rules to follow, but it’s (hard to tell) who has the ball that they get confused. Also, with the angles that they have, we have to key them differently than we would a standard opponent. That gives (Badger) the benefit of us not playing loose and with hesitation in the brain.”

Greinke said he and the team are ready for what’s certain to be an electric atmosphere in Lake Geneva Friday night.

“After losing the Waterford game, this is definitely our biggest game of the year,” Greinke said.

 


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