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NEKOOSA – The Spencer/Marshfield Columbus Catholic football team put up a fight but in the end the No. 1 seeded Nekoosa Papermakers were just too strong from the Rockets.
The Rockets led 16-6 in the first quarter before Nekoosa pulled away for a 46-26 victory in a WIAA Division 4 Level 1 playoff game Saturday afternoon at Nekoosa High School.
Nekoosa (9-1) moves on to a Level 2 game next Friday or Saturday against Wautoma. The Rockets’ season ends with a 4-6 record and their first playoff berth since 2006.
Spencer/Columbus took an 8-0 lead early when Wyatt Phillips ran 73 yards for a score and Charlie Mayeux added a two-point conversion run.
Phillips caught a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Buss and Alex Brostowitz had a 27-yard field to put Spencer/Columbus up 16-6 before the Papermakers came storming back.
Codey Ysquierdo returned the ensuing kickoff 77 yards for a touchdown and had touchdown runs of 63 and 7 yards in the second half. Austin Kukulka ran for scores of 1 and 8 yards as the Papermakers outscored Spencer/Columbus 34-7 during the second 24 minutes to pull away.
Nekoosa piled up 390 yards rushing, led by Ysquierdo’s 184 and Kukulka’s 100.
The Rockets also had a pair of 100-yard rushers. Phillips had 166 yards on just nine carries and Mayeux had 101 on 16 carries.
Papermakers 46, Rockets 26
Spencer/Columbus 8 11 0 7 – 26
Nekoosa 6 6 14 20 – 46
FIRST QUARTER
SC – Wyatt Phillips 73 run (Charlie Mayeux run).
N – Zach Jasin 8 pass from Derek Baker (run failed).
SECOND QUARTER
SC – Phillips 6 pass from Jordan Buss (Phillips run).
SC – Alex Brostowitz 27 field goal.
N – Codey Ysquierdo 77 kickoff return (kick failed).
THIRD QUARTER
N – Ysquierdo 63 run (Alex Tamez kick).
N – Austin Kukulka 1 run (Tamez kick).
FOURTH QUARTER
N – Kukulka 8 run (Tamez kick).
N – Ysquierdo 7 run (Tamez kick).
SC – Joe Meyers 5 pass from Buss (Brostowitz kick).
N – Ysquierdo 18 run (kick failed).
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: Spencer/Columbus 15; Nekoosa 20.
Rushing (att-yards): Spencer/Columbus 32-274; Nekoosa 58-390.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): Spencer/Columbus 10-26-116-1; Nekoosa 2-6-6-0.
Penalties (total-yards): Spencer/Columbus 6-30; Nekoosa 8-65.
Fumbles (total-lost): Spencer/Columbus 2-2; Nekoosa 1-0.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: SC, Wyatt Phillips 9-166, Charlie Mayeux 16-101, Eathen Aden 3-6, Jordan Buss 2-minus 5. N, Codey Ysquierdo 18-184, Austin Kukulka 21-100, Zach Jasin 9-70, Derek Baker 9-70, Ryan Darr 1-9, Colton Kulkulka 1-7, Aaron Brost 2-minus 2.
Passing: SC, Buss 10-26-116-1. N, Baker 2-6-6-0.
Receiving: SC, Josh Olson 3-36, Mayeux 3-23, Phillips 2-45, Derrick Green 1-8, Joe Meyers 1-5. N, Jasin 2-6.
Records: Spencer/Columbus 4-6; Nekoosa 9-1.