This story is sponsored by: Valley Communities Credit Union
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
Click here for a photo gallery of the game.
MARSHFIELD – Who knew the first play of the game could be so important?
Spencer/Marshfield Columbus Catholic senior Travis Pischel returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown and it proved to be the game-winner as neither offense scored in the Rockets’ 7-2 win over Cadott on Saturday at Beell Stadium.
Pischel busted through the middle, then raced down the left sideline untouched for the game’s first, and only touchdown.
“Our blockers did a good job up front. There was a huge hole. I had to make one cut and I was gone,” Pischel said. “We had a wedge set up. It did all the work with the blockers and no one was left to make a tackle on me.”
The Spencer/Columbus defense did the rest in a game marred by nine turnovers. The Rockets forced and recovered three fumbles in the first half and had picked off three Cadott passes, including two in the final 1:10 to seal the victory.
The Rockets held Cadott to 150 yards of offense and just 41 in the second half. Hornets’ running back Alex Glomski, who entered the game second in the Cloverbelt Conference in rushing, was limited to 76 yards on 22 carries.
“We were pretty well prepared,” Spencer/Columbus coach Greg Oestreich said. “When they run their counter they pull their guards. What we did all week was watch the down linemen and it was up to our defensive tackles and linebackers to key our reads. I thought they did that very well.”
Following the Spencer/Columbus touchdown to open the game, the Rockets recovered a squib quick at the Hornets’ 26. However, it was just the beginning of a frustrating day offensively for S/C.
Jordan Buss was intercepted two plays later and the Rockets failed to score on any of their first five possessions – all of which reached past or very near midfield. Spencer/Columbus’ best scoring chance came at the end of the first quarter when they had a 2nd-and-goal at the 3, but a high snap to Buss resulted in a fumble that was recovered by Mitchell Williams at the 9.
The Rockets never moved the ball past its own 45 in the second half and was held to 86 total yards – 84 on the ground – and only four first downs.
“Cadott gave us all we could handle,” Oestreich said. “Travis Pischel had hurt his arm last week against Regis and was tackled hard again today and went down. You can’t have your running back play when he can’t grip the football. It put us in a tough spot. I got pretty conservative because I thought our defense was doing well. They did a great job at the end.”
Cadott scored its only points on a safety with 2:12 to go in the game. Spencer/Columbus had a punt blocked on its previous possession and the coaching staff took no chances when punting out of its own end zone when the Rockets’ next possession stalled without a first down. The Rockets allowed the snap to the punter sail out of the end zone for a safety and put the game in the hands of their defense.
Following a 37-yard return of the free kick, Cadott had the ball at the S/C 26, but two plays later Brandon Nikolai intercepted a Roy Munroe pass with 2:02 to go.
Another three-and-out, and Cadott using its remaining two timeouts, gave the Hornets one last chance for a hail mary pass, but that too was picked off, this time by Jared Boyle, to end the game.
The win was the first of three-must wins for the Rockets, who came into the game needing to finish the season 3-1 to qualify for the WIAA playoffs. Games at winless Altoona and at home against Neillsville – both in the bottom half of the Cloverbelt standings – are up in the next two weeks before the season finale at undefeated Colby.
To say this was a must-win is an understatement.
“If we lose, we don’t have a shot at the playoffs,” said Pischel, who had a fumble recovery and an interception on defense for the Rockets. “The playoffs started now for us. Every game we have a little bit of urgency. We have to win, that’s pretty much all that’s left.”
Rockets 7, Hornets 2
Cadott 0 0 0 2 – 2
Spencer/Columbus 7 0 0 0 – 7
First quarter
S/C – Travis Pischel 90 kickoff return (Jared Boyle kick), 11:45.
Fourth quarter
C – Safety, S/C snap out of end zone, 2:12.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs: Cadott 9, Spencer/Columbus 4.
Rushing (att-yards): Cadott 41-124, Spencer/Columbus 31-84.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): Cadott 4-14-26-3, Spencer/Columbus 1-12-2-2.
Fumbles (total-lost): Cadott 3-3, Spencer/Columbus 2-1.
Penalties: Cadott 3-20, Spencer/Columbus 6-70.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: C, Alex Glomski 22-76, Roy Munroe 4-22, Dakota Wagner 10-15, Tyler Pecha 3-8, Paul Link 2-3. S/C, Adam Skrzeczkoski 9-44, Paul Selz 9-24, Jordan Buss 4-17, Travis Pischel 7-5, Brandon Nikolai 1-2, Team 1-minus 8.
Passing: C, Munroe 4-14-26-3. S/C, Selz 1-6-2-1, Buss 0-6-0-1.
Receiving: C, Glomski 3-24, Marty Dulmes 1-2. S/C, Pischel 1-2.
Fumble recoveries (defense): C, Mitchell Williams. S/C, Pischel, Wyatt Phillips 2.
Interceptions: C, Marty Dulmes, Glomski. S/C, Pischel, Nikolai, Jared Boyle.
Records: Cadott 1-5, 1-4 Cloverbelt Conference; Spencer/Columbus 2-4, 2-3 Cloverbelt Conference.