This story is sponsored by The Williams-Gray Co.
Video highlights available at allmarshfield.com.
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Marshfield was its own worst enemy for much of Friday night’s homecoming football game against Oshkosh West.
However, the Tigers were able to muster one good offensive drive and a big play on special teams to make it a homecoming to remember.
Riley Gebelein scored a 5-yard touchdown with 4:30 to go and Daulton Varsho ripped off a 60-yard punt return for a touchdown with 3:05 left to lift Marshfield to a come-from-behind 14-10 win over Oshkosh West at Griese Park.
The victory moves Marshfield to 5-0 and 4-0 in the Valley Football Association South Division, and clinches a spot in the WIAA playoffs for the 17th straight season for the Tigers. Oshkosh West drops to 2-3 and 2-2 in the conference.
“They got after us,” Marshfield coach Denny Goettl said. “They moved around and they were quick. We were ready for it, we had a good game plan going, but when you just don’t get in that rhythm, we’re shooting bullets trying to hit something. We were lucky our defense was up to the challenge.”
Marshfield had four turnovers in the first half – one on a fumble following an interception, and three interceptions of its own – but only trailed 3-0 thanks to a stout defensive effort.
The Tigers allowed just 72 yards and four first downs in the first half, and despite gaining just 87 yards and turning it over four times, they were only down a field goal heading into halftime.
“We showed up as leaders,” Varsho said of the defense. “Our linebackers were awesome. Our defense just never gave up and made our offense keep working and working.”
West busted a big play on the third play of the second half when running back Justin Lee took a short pass and spun through four broken tackles for a 67-yard touchdown, putting the Wildcats up 10-0.
Marshfield got its offense rolling a bit in the second half, only to have West step up big time after time.
The Wildcats owned the line of scrimmage, sacking Marshfield quarterback Bo Howard five times in the second half and thwarting Tigers’ drives inside the West 25 on three occasions.
Marshfield finally put together a scoring drive late in the fourth quarter. Howard hit Isaac Accola for a 13-yard pass and Tanner Dennis Brown for 23 yards on back-to-back plays. After a penalty and a 4-yard run by Gebelein, Caleb Cline hauled in a 13-yard pass to push Marshfield to the 5. Gebelein scored on the next play to get the Tigers on the scoreboard, making it 10-7 with 4:30 remaining.
Marshfield’s defensive line took over from there, putting big pressure on West quarterbacks Sam Olejnik and Isaac Xiong to force a punt.
Varsho took the line-drive kick at the Tigers’ 40, darted toward the left sideline and outran the Wildcats for the go-ahead touchdown with 3:05 left.
“I didn’t go the right way, right away, but then I saw an opening to go to the left side,” Varsho said. “I couldn’t do it without my teammates blocking for me. That last block by Brandon Baltus, he made a helluva block on the punter.”
West picked up a fourth-and-8 with a 19-yard pass from Olejnik to Eli Stanek, but a sack by Brandon Watkins on the next play took away the momentum and Varsho picked off a pass on the following play to ice the win for the Tigers.
“Our defense is pretty stellar, that’s a strength of ours and we know that,” Goettl said. “Our offense is really good too. They had some players that were coming like men. We just couldn’t get going, but winning ugly is still winning and we’re still in the conference championship race and that feels good.”
Marshfield plays at Wisconsin Rapids next Friday at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on WDLB-AM 1450 and online at wdlbwosq.com with pregame beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Tigers 14, Wildcats 10
Oshkosh West 3 0 7 0 – 10
Marshfield 0 0 0 14 – 14
First Quarter
OW – Ethan Nelson 33 field goal, 0:29.
Third Quarter
OW – Justin Lee 67 pass from Isaac Xiong (Nelson kick), 11:08.
Fourth Quarter
M – Riley Gebelein 5 run (Brad Krueger kick), 4:30.
M – Daulton Varsho 60 punt return (Krueger kick), 3:05.
Team Statistics
First downs: Oshkosh West 7; Marshfield 11.
Rushing (att-yards): Oshkosh West 25-29; Marshfield 34-40.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): Oshkosh West 11-32-166-2; Marshfield 15-25-124-3.
Penalties (No.-yards): Oshkosh West 6-62; Marshfield 6-37.
Punting (No.-avg.): Oshkosh West 9-42.6; Marshfield 7-31.8.
Fumbles (Total-lost): Oshkosh West 1-1; Marshfield 2-1.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: OW, Justin Lee 9-34, Michael Lor 4-8, Isaac Xiong 3-7, Cole Yoder 1-4, Team 1-minus 8, Sam Olejnik 7-minus 16. M, Riley Gebelein 16-97, Keiron Howlett 2-5, Caleb Cline 2-3, Bo Howard 13-minus 48, Team 1-minus 17.
Passing: OW, Xiong 4-15-104-0, Olejnik 7-17-62-2. M, Howard 15-25-124-3.
Receiving: OW, Lee 4-86, Eli Stanek 4-69, Joel Hinke 1-12, Lor 1-2, Ethan Nelson 1-minus 3. M, Tanner Dennis-Brown 5-68, Ryan Trierweiler 4-39, Isaac Accola 1-13, Cline 1-13, Jeffrey Allison 1-12, Gebelein 1-2, Howlett 1-minus 7, Howard 1-minus 16.
Fumble recoveries: OW, Taylor Steeno. M, Craig Zalizniak.
Interceptions: OW, Yoder 2, Sam Bougie. M, Daulton Varsho, Ross Zillman.
Punting: OW, Nelson 8-42.6, Michael Yang 1-37.0. M, Zalizniak 7-31.8.
Records: Oshkosh West 2-3, 2-2 Valley Football Association South Division; Marshfield 5-0, 4-0 VFA South.