This story is sponsored by: The Marshfield Tiger Booster Club
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
SUPERIOR – Superior quarterback Jarrett Gronski scored from 25 yards out with just more than 5 minutes to play to lift the Spartans to a wild 44-37 win over Marshfield in a WIAA Division 2 Level 1 football playoff game Friday night at Superior High School.
Marshfield held a 37-36 lead after a 4-yard touchdown pass from Joey Goettl to Simon Slade midway through the fourth quarter before the Spartans embarked on a 91-yard drive that ended with Gronski’s third rushing touchdown of the game.
The Tigers took over near midfield and had a big running play by Sam Hinson called back due to a penalty, and then failed to get a first down, turning the ball over on downs. Marshfield never got the ball back.
Marshfield’s season ends with a 6-4 record after it captured its third-straight Valley Football Association West Division title. Superior (8-2) moves on to a Division 2 Level 2 matchup on Nov. 1 at Pulaski.
Marshfield led 16-8 after the first quarter. Following a touchdown by Superior, Will Nikolai scored on a 17-yard run, Goettl threw a 2-yard TD pass to Wyatt LeMoine, and Kyle Tremelling drilled a 32-yard field goal.
Superior tied it early in the second quarter on a 52-yard pass from Gronski to Carter Fonger and a successful two-point conversion.
Goettl had a 36-yard touchdown run and threw a 3-yard TD pass to LeMoine to put the Tigers up 30-22 at halftime.
Gronski had touchdown runs of 1 yard in the third quarter and 60 yards early in the fourth to give Superior a 36-30 lead before Slade’s touchdown and Tremelling’s extra point put Marshfield back on top at 37-36.
Superior finished with 419 yards rushing and 540 total yards against a short-handed Marshfield defense.
Gronski had 180 yards and Stone 172 yards on the ground for the Spartans.
Nikolai led Marshfield’s rushing attack with an even 100 yards on eight carries, but missed the second half with an apparent injury. Goettl added 79 yards rushing and threw for 104 yards and three touchdowns.
Spartans 44, Tigers 37
Marshfield 16 14 0 7 – 37
Superior 8 14 8 14 – 44
First Quarter
S – Caden Stone 11 run (two-point conversion good).
M – Will Nikolai 17 run (Kyle Tremelling kick).
M – Wyatt LeMoine 2 pass from Joey Goettl (two-point conversion failed).
M – Tremelling 32 field goal.
Second Quarter
S – Carter Fonger 52 pass from Jarrett Gronski (two-point conversion good).
M – Goettl 36 run (Tremelling kick).
S – Stone 79 run (two-point conversion failed).
M – LeMoine 3 pass from Goettl (Tremelling kick).
Third Quarter
S – Gronski 1 run (two-point conversion good).
Fourth Quarter
S – Gronski 60 run (two-point conversion failed).
M – Simon Slade 4 pass from Goettl (Tremelling kick).
S – Gronski 25 run (two-point conversion good).
Team Statistics
Rushing (att-yards): Marshfield 30-228; Superior 51-419.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): M 8-16-104-1; S 6-11-121-0.
Total yards: M 332; S 540.
Fumbles lost: M 0; S 2.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: M, Will Nikolai 8-100, Joey Goettl 9-79, Logan Durham 9-27, Sam Hinson 4-22. S, Jarrett Gronski 21-180, Caden Stone 20-172, Carter Fonger 7-51, Brennan Morrissey 3-9, Cody Kurki 1-7.
Passing: M, Goettl 8-16-104-1. S, Gronski 6-11-121-0.
Receiving: M, Simon Slade 4-38, Wyatt LeMoine 3-20, Durham 1-35. S, Ben Hunter 3-33, Brady Herbst 2-31, Fonger 1-53.
Fumble recoveries (defense): M, Brenden Braund, Matt Donovan.
Records: Marshfield 6-4; Superior 8-2.