This story is sponsored by: Trudeau Construction and The Tile Guys
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
LA CROSSE – Todd Vantassel scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:32 left in the first half and the Marshfield football team made it hold up by the closest of margins, edging La Crosse Logan 7-6 in a WIAA Division 2 Level 1 playoff game Tuesday at Logan High School.
Neither offense could get much going with 40-plus mile per hour winds blowing throughout the game, and Marshfield’s 7-0 lead held until Logan’s D’Andre LaRoche scored a touchdown from 16 yards out with just 2:42 remaining in the game.
Logan barely missed the extra point kick to the left and Marshfield was able to run out the clock when Brad Dolezal converted a fourth-and-2 with a 3-yard run from the Tigers’ own 28.
Marshfield (6-3) moves on to a Level 2 playoff game at 1 p.m. Saturday at Hortonville. Hortonville beat Tomah 36-35 in double overtime.
Logan finishes its season with a 7-3 record.
“Our defense was phenomenal. We’ve got guys dinged, got guys hurt,” Marshfield coach Denny Goettl said. “The defense played superb and kept them out of the end zone until the end, but we lucked out again. Sometimes it’s nice to win ugly.”
Marshfield managed to slightly outgain the Rangers 149-148 as the opposing defenses, and the weather, hampered both teams’ offensive attacks.
With the wind blowing strongly from the south side of the field toward the north, each team’s punter took advantage of the wind, booming numerous 50-plus yard kicks. However, the wind was so strong that it didn’t help either team while on offense as both quarterbacks continuously overthrew or underthrew receivers.
The muddy middle of the field also hurt both teams’ rushing attacks, as each was held to 35 yards on the ground in the first half.
“We said we were going to try to run the football, but we didn’t do that very well,” Goettl said. “The field conditions hurt us a little bit, and it hurt them too, their big back couldn’t get going either. But we did as much as we could.”
Marshfield linebacker Justin Sternweis, who recovered a fumble in the first quarter and was in the middle of the action all game again for the Tigers, said it was tough to do anything on the field.
“In the middle it was wet and muddy and hard to make cuts,” Sternweis said. “As soon as the blockers hit us, we’d slide all over the place and running back would come straight on. If the running back stopped, he couldn’t cut back.”
Marshfield took advantage of a 16-yard punt into the wind to set up a possession on the Logan 49 with 4:28 to go in the first half.
A pass interference penalty on Logan and a key 27-yard pass from Elliot Ashbeck to Cody Tarnowski on fourth-and-22 from the 31 set up Vantassel’s 2-yard run to the right side following a direct snap to the tailback. Gus Utecht connected on the all-important extra point to give the Tigers a 7-0 lead going into halftime.
“A big play by anyone could change it and ours was by Tarnowski catching that pass on fourth down,” Goettl said. “That was unbelievable what he did there. It got us in position to score a touchdown and got us in position to win the game.”
Marshfield made a crucial mistake as it was trying to hang on late in the fourth quarter when a high snap eluded Utecht, who was punting, at his own 15. Utecht recovered the ball and ran it to the 20, which well short of the first-down marker and Logan took over with 3:49 to go.
A pass interference call on Marshfield on fourth-and-15 with 3:27 left gave Logan new life and following a sack, LaRoche broke a few tackles and burst through for a touchdown to make it 7-6 with 2:42 remaining. David Leifer got the extra point kick high enough, but it was just wide left.
Logan elected to kick deep and Marshfield was left with a fourth-and-2 at its own 28 with a huge decision to make.
The Tigers went for it and Brad Dolezal took a direct snap out of the shotgun formation and plowed forward for three yards, giving Marshfield a first down. Ashbeck ended the game with two kneel downs.
“For a young team, the first one is definitely a major win for us,” Sternweis said.
With as well as Marshfield’s defense was playing, the decision to go for it deep in its own territory was an easy one for Goettl.
“When you punt only 10 yards against the wind …,” Goettl said. “We knew if we got the first down, we could run the clock out. It wasn’t hard, but I flew by the seat of my pants with that decision.”
Tigers 7, Rangers 6
Marshfield 0 7 0 0 – 7
La Crosse Logan 0 0 0 6 – 6
Second quarter
M – Todd Vantassel 2 run (Gus Utecht kick), 1:32.
Fourth quarter
L – D’Andre LaRoche 16 run (David Leifer kick missed), 2:42.
TEAM STATISTICS
First downs:Marshfield 12, Logan 9.
Rushing (att-yards): Marshfield 40-68, Logan 34-100.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): Marshfield 7-20-81-0, Logan 7-19-48-0.
Penalties: Marshfield 3-33, Logan 5-49.
Fumbles (total-lost): Marshfield 2-0, Logan 2-1.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: M, Todd Vantassel 20-69, Brad Dolezal 11-23, Cody Tarnowski 2-5, Gus Utecht 1-minus 7, Chris Stemen 1-minus 9, Elliot Ashbeck 5-minus 13. L, D’Andre LaRoche 20-87, Torrence Reik 3-18, Jonah Waite 1-13, Matt Heisz 5-8, Ryan Schreiner 1-0, Vince Kube 5-minus 26.
Passing: M, Ashbeck 6-16-68-0, Stemen 1-4-13-0. L, Kube 7-19-48-0.
Receiving: M, Jake Lisiecki 2-27, Tarnowski 1-27, Dolezal 2-17, Ian Padron 2-10. L, Hans Erickson 5-36, Jesse Waite 1-7, Trevor Jorgenson 1-5.
Fumble recoveries (defense): M, Justin Sternweis.