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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Stevens Point scored on three-straight possessions in the first half and held Marshfield to 123 total yards in pitching a 21-0 shutout in a Valley Football Association game Friday night at Heiting Community Stadium in Marshfield’s Homecoming game.
Stevens Point (7-1, 6-0 VFA) clinches at least a share of the VFA title with the victory and the loss leaves Marshfield in a must-win situation in its final regular-season game of the season next Friday, Oct. 13, at home against Hortonville.
The Tigers (3-5, 3-3 VFA) need to defeat Hortonville (5-3, 4-2 VFA) in order to secure an automatic playoff berth. With a loss, Marshfield will be at the mercy of the WIAA, its computer formula, and the outright statewide number of automatic postseason qualifiers to get in with a below .500 conference record.
Marshfield’s defense came up big on the first possession of the game, turning the Panthers away on downs near midfield. But a bad snap on the first play and a penalty set the Tigers back and they eventually punted.
Stevens Point then put together three consecutive scoring drives, two last more than five minutes.
A slow-and-steady rushing attack of tailback Braylon Smola and quarterback Grant Chandonais, and a few throws from Chandonais led a 13-play, 61-yard drive that ended with Smola running in from the 5 to put Point on top 7-0 with 3:11 to go in the first quarter.
Following another Marshfield punt, Stevens Point drove 85 yards in 12 plays with Smola scoring on a 17-yard run.
Jackson Spees picked off his seventh pass of the season for Stevens Point on Marshfield’s next possession and returned it to the 48. The Panthers needed just four plays to score this time. A 27-yard pass from Chandonais to Charlie Belson set up a 12-yard touchdown run from Smola and Stevens Point had a 21-0 lead.
The Panthers reached the 2 in the closing minute of the first half, but a pair of penalties pushed them back and Brant Freis wrestled away an interception in the end zone for Marshfield with 12 seconds to go to leave the score at 21-0.
Marshfield was able to turn away Stevens Point on downs at the 13 midway through the third quarter after another long drive, but the Tigers’ offense never could get going until it was too late.
Marshfield’s lone strong offensive drive came in the fourth quarter as it drove from its own 33 to the Panthers’ 1. However, the Tigers couldn’t get in the end zone as time ticked down and Point finished off the shutout by knocking down a pass attempt on fourth down.
Smola racked up 140 yards rushing and all three of the game’s touchdowns, while Chandonais ran for 50 yards and threw for 128 in the first half before sitting out the second.
Marshfield quarterbacks completed just 1 of 9 passes for seven yards and the Tigers managed 116 yards rushing, averaging just 3.4 yards per carry.
Stevens Point will host winless Appleton West (0-8, 0-6 FVA) to wrap up its season on Oct. 13 at Goerke Field.
Click here for the Valley Football Association standings
Panthers 21, Tigers 0
Stevens Point 7 14 0 0 – 21
Marshfield 0 0 0 0 – 0
First Quarter
SP – Braylon Smola 5 run (Sawyer Zuege kick), 3:11.
Second Quarter
SP – Smola 17 run (Zuege kick), 6:38.
SP – Smola 12 run (Zuege kick), 1:46.
Team Statistics
First downs: SP 17; M 9.
Rushing (att-yards): SP 43-228; M 34-116.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): SP 13-20-133-1; M 1-9-7-1.
Total yards: SP 361; M 123.
Penalties (no.-yards): SP 15-100; M 5-23.
Fumbles (total-lost): SP 1-0; M 2-0.
Punting (no.-avg.): SP 2-33.5; M 6-40.0.
Team Statistics
Rushing: SP, Braylon Smola 29-140, Grant Chandonais 8-50, Izzy Moore 5-28, Kyle Madlena 1-10. M, Braden Anderson 22-86, Chase Robinson 4-26, Grayson Rode 3-22, Adam Gilbertson 1-3, Mason Seidl 1-0, Brooks Hinson 1-minus 7, Team 2-minus 14.
Passing: SP, Chandonais 10-13-128-1, Mason Dillingham 3-7-5-0. M, Gilbertson 1-6-7-1, Robinson 0-3-0-0.
Receiving: SP, Amon Konopacki 6-27, Madlena 3-48, Smola 2-23, Charlie Belson 1-27, Ethan Ehlinger 1-8. M, Seidl 1-7.
Interceptions (defense): SP, Jackson Spees. M, Brant Freis.
Records: Stevens Point 7-1, 6-0 Valley Football Association; Marshfield 3-5, 3-3 Valley Football Association.