This story is sponsored by: Wisconsin Homes of Marshfield
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
AUBURNDALE – Sometimes it takes just one play to change the course of a game.
Despite trailing by three touchdowns late in the third quarter, one play changed Auburndale’s fate in its Level 1 WIAA football playoff game with Marathon and momentum went all the Eagles’ way after that.
Wyatt Malsin picked off a screen pass deep in Marathon territory to set up Auburndale’s first score and the Eagles proceeded to score on their next two possessions to pull out a 21-18 victory over the Raiders on Friday night at Thorpe Field at Auburndale High School.
No. 1 seed Auburndale (9-1) will host No. 5 Coleman (8-2) in a Level 2 matchup next Friday, Oct. 27, at Auburndale High School. Coleman won at No. 4 seed Onalaska Luther 31-21 on Friday.
“We had to start making plays,” Auburndale coach Jay Anderson said. “We talked about it at halftime that we don’t change anything. What we were doing was pretty solid. It really felt like everything was out mistakes. Not taking anything away from them, (Tyler) Underwood is a really good player and they have some great athletes, but it seemed like everything that went wrong was our doing.”
Following a scoreless first quarter, Marathon scored three touchdowns on just five offensive plays in the second to take a seemingly commanding lead.
Quarterback Cooper Hoeksema hit a streaking Cody Radtke for an 80-yard touchdown pass to put the Raiders up 6-0.
After a three-and-out, Hoeksema threw a pass across the middle to Tyler Underwood, who took it 72 yards for another score. However, a holding penalty downfield negated the score, but set up Marathon at the 33, where Hoeksema connected with Underwood again for a touchdown to make it 12-0.
Auburndale looked poised to respond, driving inside the Marathon red zone, before Raiders’ defensive back Landon Sneider sat on an out-route and picked off a Kaden Anderson pass at the 5 and returned it 86 yards to the Eagles’ 9. Two plays later, Hoeksema and Underwood hooked up again for a 10-yard touchdown and Marathon led 18-0.
Auburndale again got inside the red zone just before halftime, but missed a field goal on the final play of the half.
Things turned around quickly for the Eagles in the third quarter when Malsin read a middle screen pass, hanging back in between Hoeksema and the receiver. He tipped the pass and hauled it in at the 20. Four running plays by Kaden Anderson led to a 1-yard touchdown run. Colton Weiler added a two-point conversion, cutting Marathon’s lead to 18-8 and changing the course of the game.
“We work on that and there was a call there for him (Malsin) to stay back and read it (the screen),” Jay Anderson said. “It was the right time and he did exactly what he was supposed to do, stayed back on it and read the play. You can put kids in position and they still have to make plays, and he made the play.”
Auburndale’s defense stepped up, pushing Marathon back six yards on three plays and forced a punt.
Taking over at its own 44, the Eagles turned to Weiler, who had been bottled up most of the game as he stepped into the starting running back role for an injured Evan Scholl. Weiler exploded for a 24-yard run and then scampered for 32 yards for a touchdown to make it 18-14 in the final minute of the third quarter.
“Colton is talented and a nice runner, a great backup to have,” Jay Anderson said. “He didn’t have a lot of reps with Evan carrying the load. Evan’s a tough guy, both offensively and defensively, to miss. Our line picked it up in the second half. They made some holes and Colton really hit it and he didn’t want to finish this football season right here tonight.”
Marathon’s next drive stalled at the 31 and Auburndale took over poised to find a way to pull out the victory.
A 32-yard pass from Anderson to Weiler on third-and-10 brought the ball across midfield, and the quarterback-running back duo did the rest on the ground, grinding out the final 33 yards on seven running plays. Weiler plowed in from the 11 on third-and-7 with the game-winning score with 2:18 to go.
Marathon did not pick up a first down and Auburndale was able to run out the clock to secure the win and move on to Level 2.
Weiler finished with 97 yards rushing, 86 in the second half, and Anderson added 90 yards on 28 carries for the Eagles.
Click here to view the statewide Level 1 football scoreboard
Eagles 21, Raiders 18
Marathon 0 18 0 0 – 18
Auburndale 0 0 14 7 – 21
Second Quarter
M – Cody Radtke 80 pass from Cooper Hoeksema (run failed), 7:23.
M – Tyler Underwood 33 pass from Hoeksema (run failed), 5:33.
M – Underwood 10 pass from Hoeksema (pass failed), 0:48.
Third Quarter
A – Kaden Anderson 1 run (Colton Weiler run), 2:54.
A – Weiler 32 run (kick missed), 0:46.
Fourth Quarter
A – Weiler 11 run (Aden Cherney kick), 2:18.
Team Statistics
First downs: M 7; A 18.
Rushing (att-yards): M 24-67; A 44-188.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): M 9-26-208-1; A 10-25-111-1.
Total yards: M 275; A 299.
Fumbles (total-lost): M 2-0; A 1-0.
Penalties (no.-yards): M 5-40; A 4-20.
Punting (no.-avg.): M 4-32.3; A 5-29.4.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: M, True Thurs 15-59, Chris Marcell 5-7, Cooper Hoeksema 4-3. A, Colton Weiler 15-97, Kaden Anderson 28-90, Aden Cherney 3-1.
Passing: M, Hoeksema 9-25-208-1, Thurs 0-1-0-0. A, Anderson 10-25-111-1.
Receiving: M, Tyler Underwood 4-88, Marcell 3-34, Cody Radtke 1-80, Thurs 1-6. A, Blake Raab 5-55, Cherney 2-14, Weiler 1-32, Mason Meissner 1-9, Jack Zenner 1-1.
Interceptions (defense): M, Landon Sneider. A, Wyatt Malsin.
Records: Marathon 4-6; Auburndale 9-1.