This story is sponsored by:
American Family Insurance – Randy LeMoine Agency
By Steve Pilz
For MarshfieldAreaSports.com
SPENCER – Colby’s Tyler Klement bolted 25 yards off right tackle the first time the Hornets touched the ball in overtime and when he crossed the goal line Colby had downed the Spencer/Columbus Catholic 28-22 in comeback fashion Friday night at Spencer’s Ted Fritsch Field.
If slow and steady wins the race, then the Rockets had the perfect recipe, running 54 times for 208 yards with junior halfback Eden Jacobson doing most of the heavy lifting. He had 31 attempts for 140 yards as the Rockets took a 22-14 lead into the fourth quarter.
While the Rockets were efficient in racking up yardage and time of possession, the Hornets gobbled up yards on big plays. Senior quarterback Roman Schmitt was throwing darts to the tune of 9-for-12 for 165 yards with passing plays of 34, 30, 28, 27 and 17 yards. The aforementioned Klement scored three times on runs of 48, 25 and 25 and finished with 131 yards on just 17 carries.
Klement started the scoring in the first quarter, getting around his left end for 25 yards for the first score of the game at the 10:19 mark.
Jacobson answered five minutes later, busting in from the five. Austin Bacon ran in the two-point conversion and the Rockets were up 8-7.
Schmitt hit Harley Schmelzer four minutes after that from 27 yards out and Colby led 14-8 after a quarter.
The defenses took over for a while, before Spencer/Columbus quarterback Gage Stratman drilled Bacon with a 29-yard scoring strike just 52 seconds before halftime for a 16-14 halftime for the Rockets.
Bacon put the home team up by eight with five minutes left in the third by scoring from the 2-yard line.
With 4:40 left in regulation Klement sliced off left tackle before getting to the sideline and out-running the Rockets’ defense to tie the score.
Then it got really wild.
The Rockets fielded an iffy kick at their own 42 and quickly played their hand: Jacobson left, Jacobson right and Jacobson up the middle.
The Rockets ran 15 plays in that four-minute span, two of which were thrown into the ground to stop the clock and Jacobson ran 10 times for 59 yards. With 1.7 seconds, Jacobson and the Rockets needed about 3 yards. They got about 2¾ as time ran out.
Colby won the toss for overtime and elected to play defense first.
Bacon ran for four and Jacobson for 10. Stratman got 5 more and the Rockets were aided by a Colby penalty, but Jacobson was stopped again, this time with fourth and goal at the one.
Klement’s TD a minute or two later set up the Hornets (5-1, 5-0 Cloverbelt Conference) to play for what will probably be for the Cloverbelt Conference crown next Friday, Oct. 4, when they take on Eau Claire Regis at home.
The Rockets (3-3, 3-2 Cloverbelt) will travel to Cadott for their next contest also on Oct. 4.
S/C coach Jason Gorst said he was proud of his team’s effort.
“Real proud of our guys,” Gorst said. “They had a great effort tonight and a great week of practice. They played their hearts out tonight. That one’s on me. I had to make the decisions in crucial moments and that one’s on me.
“I’m happy with the way guys are preparing right now. Excited to get back to work next week.”
Hornets 28, Rockets 22 (OT)
Colby 14 0 0 8 6 – 28
Spencer/Columbus Catholic 8 8 6 0 0 – 22
First Quarter
C – Tyler Klement 25 run (Harley Schmelzer kick), 10:19.
S/C – Eden Jacobson 5 run (Austin Bacon run), 5:06.
C – Isaac Karl 27 pass from Roman Schmitt (Schmelzer kick), 1:26.
Second Quarter
S/C – Bacon 29 pass from Gage Stratman (Jacobsen run), 0:52.
Third Quarter
S/C – Bacon 2 run (run failed), 5:12.
Fourth Quarter
C – Klement 48 run (Schmitt to Isaac Karl pass), 4:40.
Overtime
C – Klement 25 run.
Team statistics
First downs: Colby 12; Spencer/Columbus 14.
Rushing (att.-yards): C 31-118; S/C 54-208.
Passing (comp.-att.-yards-int.): C 9-12-165-0; S/C 2-6-32-0.
Total yards: C 283; S/C 240.
Fumbles (total-lost): C 1-1; S/C 1-0.
Penalties (total-yards): C 10-67; S/C 6-31.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: C, Klement 17-31, Gavino Lopez 6-20. Schmitt 7-minus 33. S/C, Jacobson 31-140, Hayden Bauman 11-43, Bacon 5-17, Stratman 7-8.
Passing: C, Schmitt 9-12-165-0. SC, Stratman 2-6-32-0.
Receiving: C, Schmelzer 3-48, Joe Hawthorne 3-45, Karl 2-44, Lopez 1-28. S/C, Bacon 1-29, Bauman 1-3.
Records: Colby 5-1 overall, 5-0 Cloverbelt Conference; Spencer/Columbus 3-3 overall, 3-2 Cloverbelt Conference.