This story is sponsored by Victory Apparel
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Two crucial special teams mistakes and some untimely penalties proved too difficult for the Marshfield football team to overcome.
Menasha took advantage of the Tigers’ mistakes and ruined their homecoming, winning 35-27 in a Valley Football Association South Division game Friday night at Beell Stadium.
Dylan Szews rushed for 252 yards and four touchdowns for the Bluejays (5-2 overall), who move into a tie for second place in the conference with Marshfield (5-2 overall). Both teams are now 4-1 in the VFA South, one game behind Oshkosh North. North defeated Neenah 23-14 on Friday.
Marshfield had 14 penalties for 126 yards, including one that brought back a touchdown late in the game that would have brought the Tigers to within two points of the lead with just over 2 minutes remaining.
Things got off to a great start for Marshfield when Matt Oestreich returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown.
Menasha tied the game on a 37-yard touchdown pass from Cory Kuepper to Dakotah Reimer with 1:01 to go in the first quarter, but the Tigers quickly struck back.
Jeffrey Allison caught a short pass, broke tackles from three different Menasha defenders, and sprinted 63 yard down the right sideline for a touchdown on the second play of the second quarter to put Marshfield back up 14-7.
Menasha responded to tie it again when Szews ran 54 yards for a touchdown less than 2 minutes later.
On the ensuing kickoff – a short, high kick into the wind – no Marshfield player caught the ball and Menasha recovered at the Tigers’ 31.
Four plays later, Szews scored again from 7 yards away, putting Menasha up 21-14.
Menasha capped the scoring in the first half when Szews took an option pitch from Kuepper and ran 18 yards for a touchdown with 43 seconds to go in the half and give Menasha a 28-14 lead.
The 81-yard drive was helped by four Marshfield penalties totaling 40 yards – including a pass interference and an unsportsmanlike conduct on the same play on third down.
“It’s the same thing we talked about early in the season…penalties are going to cost you in a championship game and we’re in a championship game and penalties cost us,” Marshfield coach Denny Goettl said. “It’s on me, not having those kids disciplined enough not to do those things, but again, they’re still 16- and 17-year-old kids.”
Marshfield got closer when Keiron Howlett took a swing pass from Luke Zuiker and went 5 yards for a score on the Tigers’ first possession of the third quarter.
The Tigers then closed to within a point on a 64-yard touchdown pass from Zuiker to Caleb Alexander 1:30 into the fourth quarter. However, Brad Krueger missed the extra point and Marshfield trailed 28-27.
After forcing a Menasha punt, the Tigers made another key mistake on special teams when Daulton Varsho fumbled trying to break a tackle and the Bluejays’ Nick Losselyong recovered at the Tigers’ 19. Four plays later, Szews scored his fourth touchdown and gave Menasha a 35-27 lead with 7:22 left.
Marshfield was turned away on downs near midfield on its next possession and after forcing a Menasha punt, Howlett scored what appeared to be a 64-yard touchdown on a pass in the flat on the Tigers’ first play. However, the score was called back for a block in the back penalty.
Marshfield started over at its own 45 with 2:20 left and got down to the Bluejays’ 8. On fourth-and-2, Colton Zahradka’s pass into the end zone toward Allison was broken up with 35 seconds left.
“That’s a good football team over there,” Goettl said. “They beat the snot out of us. They’re physical. We’ll come back. We’re a good football team, we just have to prove it to people.”
Keiron Howlett had 106 yards rushing and scored on a receiving touchdown for Marshfield, and Allison totaled 110 yards on six catches.
The Tigers are back in action on Oct. 11 at Stevens Point. The game will be played at Goerke Field on the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point campus at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on WDLB-AM 1450 and wdlbwosq.com.
Marshfield can still lay a claim to a share or an outright VFA South title with wins in its final two games. Marshfield plays at Oshkosh North in the final game of the season on Oct. 18.
Bluejays 35, Tigers 27
Menasha 7 21 0 7 – 35
Marshfield 7 7 7 6 – 27
First Quarter
MAR – Matt Oestreich 95 kickoff return (Brad Krueger kick), 11:45.
MEN – Dakotah Reimer 37 pass from Cory Kuepper (Chris Munoz kick), 1:01.
Second Quarter
MAR – Jeffrey Allison 63 pass from Colton Zahradka (Krueger kick), 11:23.
MEN – Dylan Szews 54 run (Munoz kick), 9:26.
MEN – Szews 7 run (Munoz kick), 7:10.
MEN – Szews 18 run (Munoz kick), 0:43.
Third Quarter
MAR – Keiron Howlett 5 pass from Luke Zuiker (Krueger kick), 9:19.
Fourth Quarter
MAR – Caleb Alexander 64 pass from Zuiker (kick missed), 10:30.
MEN – Szews 8 run (Munoz kick), 7:22.
Team Statistics
First downs: Menasha 16; Marshfield 12.
Rushing (att-yards): Menasha 43-255; Marshfield 26-11.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): Menasha 10-21-149-2; Marshfield 14-26-220-0.
Fumbles (total-lost): Menasha 2-0; Marshfield 3-1.
Penalties (no.-yards): Menasha 7-88; Marshfield 14-126.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: MEN, Dylan Szews 34-252, Jadin Sell 1-4, Luke Nagel 1-2, Cory Kuepper 7-minus 3. MAR, Keiron Howlett 16-106, Luke Zuiker 5-9, Colton Zahradka 2-minus 1, Caleb Alexander 1-minus 2.
Passing: MEN, Kuepper 10-21-149-2. MAR, Zuiker 7-15-90-0, Zahradka 7-11-130-0.
Receiving: MEN, Emanuel Jenkins 3-27, Dakotah Reimer 2-49, Sell 2-39, Zac Hawn 2-31, Nick Siegel 1-3. MAR, Jeffrey Allison 6-110, Alexander 2-73, Jace Krasselt 1-13, Brad Krueger 1-12, Alex Strege 1-7, Kegan Fassler 1-6, Howlett 1-5, Thomas Gisvold 1-3.
Fumble recoveries (defense): MEN, Nick Losselyong.
Interceptions (defense): MAR, Matt Oestreich, Daulton Varsho.
Punting: MEN, Nagel 3-30.7. MAR, Craig Zalizniak 3-36.0.
Records: Menasha 5-2, 4-1 Valley Football Association South Division; Marshfield 5-2, 4-1 VFA South.