The Bonduel High School football team led with defense in a 39-12 win over Peshtigo on Thursday night at Rush Niles Memorial Field.
After a lackluster start, the Bears’ defense dominated Peshtigo, holding the Bulldogs (1-1) scoreless through most of the second quarter and all of the second half.
“I’m really happy with the way we came out and finished the game,” Bonduel coach James Westrich said. “I’m really happy with the way we played the second half. We have a lot of work to do before next week.”
Westrich’s defense added a pair of safeties to the scoring. The first came on a sack in the end zone by senior defensive tackle Isaiah Griesbach (5-foot-11, 195 pounds) in the second quarter and cut Peshtigo’s lead to 12-9.
“Our D-line is aggressive,” Westrich said. “They play hard and they have motors.”
Griesbach finished with seven tackles and three sacks.
The defense forced another safety in the third quarter, when Peshtigo was stopped on its 2-yard line and a fourth down snap sailed over the Peshtigo punter’s head and out of the end zone.
The Bears’ first drive ended when senior quarterback Colton Dobratz (6-0, 160 pounds) got picked off. That set up Peshtigo for a 13-yard touchdown pass to take a 6-0 lead.
Bonduel (2-0) regained its footing with a 51-yard drive capped by a 32-yard touchdown pass from Dobratz to senior receiver Connor Rosin (6-2, 195 pounds). With the successful extra point try, the Bears took a 7-6 lead.
Early in the second quarter, Peshtigo regained the lead on a 63-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Justin Thill to receiver Marcus Sharkey.
Bonduel’s defense would hold Peshtigo scoreless the rest of the way.
“We didn’t play very well in the first quarter, for whatever reason,” Westrich said. “We turned it around in the second quarter, made a couple of adjustments and got a few things we didn’t see on film covered. We did really well in the second half.”
Rosin snagged an interception of Thill later in the second quarter.
“He had a little mistake early on,” Westrich said. “He was sitting too tight and we said to stay deep and let it play out in front of him. That’s what he did there. We have athletes that can break on the ball. We just have to make those breaks. He did a nice job with that.”
Griesbach’s safety came after the Bonduel offense stalled on the preceding drive. Following the safety, the Bears scored on the next play from scrimmage when senior running back Hunter VanderLinden (5-11, 215 pounds) broke through the middle of the line and scampered 45 yards to the end zone.
VanderLinden would finish with 116 yards rushing on 17 carries. Hunter Berry, a 5-6, 125-pound running back, finished with eight carries for 51 yards and a 35-yard touchdown run in the third quarter that put Bonduel up 23-12.
“Our backs run hard and they fight,” Westrich said. “It was evident late in the game. Those 3-yard gains were turning into 6-, 7-yard gains.”
Rosin was back in the third quarter, catching a 43-yard touchdown pass from Dobratz.
Late in the fourth quarter, Bonduel defensive lineman Brandon Novitski fell on a loose ball that set up the final score, a 10-yard quarterback keeper by Trevor Pedersen with about 4 minutes left in the game.
Dobratz was 3 for 11 with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Thill finished 3 of 7 for 71 yards passing. Jake Jagielski, who also played some quarterback, was 8 of 19 for 65 yards. The Peshtigo defense had 30 carries for 8 yards total.
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