This story is sponsored by: Norm-E-Lane Farm
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield football team is getting hot at just the right time.
The Tigers have found a strong rushing attack and used it to their advantage in a dominating 38-13 win over Eau Claire North on Friday night at Heiting Community Stadium at Marshfield High School.
With the win, Marshfield clinches a WIAA playoff berth for the eighth-straight year as it improves to 4-4 overall and 4-2 in the Wisconsin Valley Conference after its third win in a row. Eau Claire North is now 2-6 and 2-4 in the WVC.
Senior Grayden Rode ran for 184 yards and four touchdowns to pace a Tigers’ run game that totaled 287 yards behind a strong effort from an ever-improving offensive line.
“I was just doing academic all-state (nominees) this week, and our six or seven linemen that we have are all 3.8 and above grade-point averages,” Marshfield head coach Denny Goettl said. “Hats off to Coach (Randy) Hartwig on how he teaches the linemen, and the belief he has in them. Our line is playing really well, and our running backs with Grayden and Haiden (Carlson), they are running like men.”
Following a scoreless first quarter, Marshfield put together an 11-play drive that ripped off the first five minutes of the second quarter and ended with a 7-yard touchdown run by quarterback Chase Robinson.
A big defensive play then changed the entire feel of the game.
On Eau Claire North’s first play of its next possession, Marshfield defensive lineman Brok Carolfi and defensive back Lukas Halan met the Huskies’ ball carrier in the backfield. Carolfi stripped the ball and Halan recovered at the Huskies’ 9.
Three plays later, Rode ran in from the 4 and Marshfield was up 14-0.
Eau Claire North went three-and-out and the Tigers responded with another long drive, going 58 yards in 10 plays. An 18-yard pass from Robinson to Haiden Carlson brought the ball to the 3, where Rode ran it in on the next play 49 seconds to go before halftime and Marshfield took a 21-0 lead into intermission.
Rode’s third touchdown came midway through the third quarter, this time on a 35-yard sprint, making it 28-0.
The Huskies made it a little closer with touchdowns on their next two possessions on TD passes from Peyton McCracken to Zachary Shipman and Aaron Solberg, before Marshfield put it away.
Rode capped off his big night with a 36-yard TD scamper following an 18-yard run on a fake punt by Keegan Fredrick to push the Tigers’ lead to 35-13.
Fredrick ended the scoring by setting a new Marshfield record with a 49-yard field goal with 2 minutes to go.
Marshfield will finish its regular-season schedule at Stevens Point next Friday, Oct. 18 at Goerke Field and then head back to the postseason. Click here to view the Wisconsin Valley Conference football standings
“We started out playing some really good teams,” Goettl said. “No matter what sport, it takes some time to get your feet underneath you, and it took us a while to get our identity. But we are running the football really well right now. We’re hitting a peak right where we want to hit a peak, right here at the end.”
Tigers 38, Huskies 13
Eau Claire North 0 0 7 6 – 13
Marshfield 0 21 7 10 – 38
Second Quarter
M – Chase Robinson 7 run (Keegan Fredrick kick), 6:57.
M – Grayden Rode 4 run (J.J. Steinbach kick), 5:13.
M – Rode 3 run (Steinbach kick), 0:49.
Third Quarter
M – Rode 35 run (Steinbach kick), 7:48.
ECN – Aaron Solberg 24 pass from Peyton McCracken (Solberg kick), 5:15.
Fourth Quarter
ECN – Zachary Shipman 20 pass from McCracken (run failed), 8:23.
M – Rode 36 run (Fredrick kick), 6:02.
M – Fredrick 49 field goal, 2:00.
Team Statistics
First downs: ECN 12; M 13.
Rushing (att-yards): ECN 25-102; M 46-287.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): ECN 12-27-123-1; M 3-9-48-1.
Total yards: ECN 225; M 335.
Penalties (no.-yards): ECN 2-19; M 9-72.
Fumbles (total-lost): ECN 1-1; M 0-0.
Punting (no.-avg.): ECN 3-35.7; M 3-35.0.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: ECN, Lavonte Bean 14-45, Zachary Shipman 5-35, Brody Heinbuch 3-10, Peyton McCracken 1-5, Aaron Solberg 1-5, Tyce Gorman 1-2. M, Grayden Rode 23-184, Chase Robinson 8-49, Haiden Carlson 8-35, Keegan Fredrick 1-18, Josh Taylor 2-14, Keegan Young 2-3, Adrian Pieper 1-minus 5, Tyler Gingery 1-minus 11.
Passing: ECN, McCracken 10-25-106-1, Shipman 2-2-47-0. M, Robinson 3-9-48-1.
Receiving: ECN, Shipman 5-64, Solberg 3-71, Ben Mettler 2-15, Bean 2-3. M, Carlson 1-18, Jackson Wernberg 1-16, Taylor 1-14.
Interceptions (defense): ECN, Bean. M, Beckett McFarlane.
Fumble recovery (defense): M, Lukas Halan.
Records: Eau Claire North 2-6, 2-4 Wisconsin Valley Conference; Marshfield 4-4, 4-2 Wisconsin Valley Conference.