How do you bounce back after a tough conference loss? That’s the question the Bonduel High School football team answered this week and Wittenberg-Birnamwood will have to answer next week, after Bonduel steamrolled the Chargers, 61-0, Friday night in Bonduel.
“I was happy to see our kids come back and play a good game after last week,” Bonduel coach James Westrich said. “We felt we gave a few things away last week. So it was good to come back and take care of business.”
By whatever measure, Friday’s game was lopsided.
There was the score, 61-0, with a 42-0 first-half performance by the Bears.
On offense, Bonduel (3-1, 1-1 Central Wisconsin Conference-8) had 507 yards; Wittenberg-Birnamwood had just 74.
The Bears rushed 36 times for 496 yards, led by tailback Hunter VanderLinden, a 5-foot-11, 215-pound senior. He had 13 carries for 192 yards, which included a 75-yard run in the first quarter and a pair of second-quarter scores.
Senior running back Dan Tauchen (6-2, 165 pounds) added a pair of touchdowns — one from 34 yards out in the second quarter and another in the third from 6 yards out — and 118 yards on 11 carries.
Senior running back Hunter Berry (5-6, 125 pounds) had three carries for 86 yards, including a 69-yard run and a 2-yard touchdown in the first quarter.
Berry also had an interception of Wittenberg-Birnamwood quarterback William Switalla in the second quarter, recovered a fumble on the Chargers’ first possession and had a big punt return in the second quarter.
Westrich said he is pleased with his three senior running backs’ performance so far this season.
“It’s nice to see,” Westrich said. “They’re starting to gel. They’re running their fakes well, working hard for each other. They’re really coming together.”
The backups continued the Bears’ rushing performance in the second half. Junior running back Blake Stoss had a 37-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter. He finished with four carries for 88 yards. Josh Richter, a sophomore running back, had a 28-yard touchdown run to cap the scoring in the fourth quarter.
“It’s nice to see, top to bottom, kids, when their number is called, they’re focused on getting the job done,” Westrich said.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood (1-2, 1-1 CWC-8) rushed the ball 38 times for 56 yards. Sophomore Alex Peplinski had nine carries for 34 yards to lead the Chargers. Switalla finished 1 of 10 passing for 18 yards and an interception.
Bonduel quarterback Colton Dobratz (6-0, 160 pounds) scrambled for a 19-yard touchdown in the first quarter and connected with senior receiver Connor Rosin (6-2, 195 pounds) on an 12-yard touchdown pass in the second quarter.
The Bonduel defense forced the Chargers to punt six times and turn the ball over on downs twice, and created three turnovers.
A persistent rain throughout the game might have contributed to five fumbles, three by the Bears, including a mishandled punt by Berry, which might have been the only blemish to the win.
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