Wilmot football secures fourth straight victory

Wilmot 34, Burlington 27

 

Wilmot quarterback A.J. Frisby (14), only a sophomore, has amassed more than 850 total yards in seven games (6-1) and scored 16 touchdowns (12 rush, four pass). (Dave Baker/Westosha Report)
Wilmot quarterback A.J. Frisby (14), only a sophomore, has amassed more than 850 total yards in seven games (6-1) and scored 16 touchdowns (12 rush, four pass). (Dave Baker/Westosha Report)

 

By Jason Arndt

Sports Correspondent

There was no letting up for Wilmot Union High School in a Southern Lakes Conference showdown at Burlington Friday.

In the matchup, which featured the Panthers balanced rushing attack and the arm of Demons’ Cal Tully, Wilmot came out ahead 34-27.

Five rushers for Wilmot accounted for 235 total yards, while the Demons’ Tully completed 22 of 33 attempts for 315 yards and four touchdowns.

“It was a back-and-forth battle. At no point did we feel we could let up,” Wilmot coach Erick Kaiser said. “We knew Burlington was explosive, and we had to try to stay on step ahead in the scoring.”

The Panthers jumped ahead in the first quarter with a 6-yard scamper by sophomore quarterback A.J. Frisby, who accrued a team-leading 89 yards rushing on 21 attempts.

After a failed PAT attempt, sophomore running back Robert Brent, who had five rushes for 24 yards, scored on a 9-yard run, to give Wilmot a 13-0 lead entering the second quarter.

Frisby opened the second quarter with a 2-yard scrum into the end zone to put the Panthers ahead 20-0 before Burlington responded with two touchdowns.

Demons’ leading receiver Nick Klug (11 catches, 165 yards) caught the first of two Tully touchdowns in the second quarter on a 29-yard connection, but Burlington failed to convert the PAT attempt.

In the closing seconds, Tully found Tyler Weimer for a 27-yard score to diminish the Panthers’ lead to 20-13 entering the second half.

Kaiser acknowledged it was difficult to keep up with Tully through the game’s progression.

“Tully is an incredible talent. Coach Steve Tenhagen is known for producing incredible quarterbacks, and Tully is no exception,” Kaiser said. “But our defense stepped up at the very end to get the stop we needed.”

In the middle of the third quarter, Wilmot scored on a 5-yard run by Jake Raiman, who finished with 14 rushes for 41 yards, before Frisby hit senior wide receiver Christian Janssen on a 25-yard touchdown reception to pull the Panthers ahead 34-13.

Janssen’s touchdown is the second time in two games he caught a touchdown from Frisby, who completed six of 12 passes for 96 yards.

“Our entire receiving corps has been a work in progress,” Kaiser said. “We’ve been looking for guys to step up and make plays, and Christian has done it a couple times in the past two weeks.”

Burlington countered Janssen’s score with a touchdown reception by Klug in the closing moments of the third quarter on a 27-yard haul. Klug added the final touchdown on a 22-yard reception in the fourth quarter.

Burlington drops to 4-3 (2-3 SLC) after Friday’s loss.

Kaiser credited the team’s offensive line, along with the core of rushers for keeping pace with Tully’s passing game.

Senior Mason Nindl had 12 rushes for 56 yards, and sophomore Linc Bennett accumulated 25 yards on five carries for Wilmot (6-1, 4-1 SLC)

“Our offensive line played another great game. They’ve been paving the way all year and it was much of the same Friday,” Kaiser said.

“We have a stable of capable backs. We’re lucky enough to put in four quality running backs in Nindl, Raiman, Bennett and Brent,” he said. “We feel confident that any one of the four can carry the load and break a big play at any moment.”

Wilmot will take on county foe Westosha Central Friday, a team that will be ready to play, according to Kaiser.

“You can’t sleep on anyone in our conference, especially a school that’s eight minutes away,” Kaiser said. “They’ll be ready to give us a battle like they are every year.”


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