A few big special teams and defensive plays were not enough for the Shawano Community High School football team, whose offense could produce only a pair of field goals in a 19-14 homecoming loss to Luxemburg-Casco on a rainy Saturday.
A stout Shawano defense that provided six points when senior Zack Sousek returned a fumble for a touchdown and forced two punts and three turnovers on downs gave the Hawks the lead until the fourth quarter.
The defense, however, could not overcome four interceptions thrown by sophomore quarterback Jack Hanauer and two drives that turned into field goals rather than TDs.
“The defense did a great job today, kept us in the football game, forced turnovers, got some stops,” Shawano coach Al Tomow said. “We needed to do some more on offense, and we just didn’t get it done today. We wasted a good effort by our defense.”
After stalling on their first drive, the Hawks (3-4, 2-4 Bay Conference) regained possession when the Luxemburg-Casco (5-2, 4-2 Bay) punt returner dropped the wet ball and Shawano recovered at the Spartan 30. The Hawks, however, had to settle for a 25-yard field goal by senior Braden Mueller .
On Luxemburg-Casco’s ensuing drive, the punter's knee touched the ground as he fielded ta low snap, giving Shawano the ball at the Luxemburg-Casco 39. A fumbled snap gave the ball back to L-C.
Once again the Shawano defense held firm, getting a stop on fourth-and-3 at midfield. The Hawks turned that into Mueller’s second field goal of the day, a 24-yarder, that put Shawano up 6-0.
“We moved the football, we sustained drives, we just didn’t finish in the end zone,” Tomow said. “It’s the same details that have killed us all year. It’s the one missed assignment on the play and that’s what takes us back. We’re not quite good enough to overcome those yet. We need to play good, sound football. For the most part we did today.”
Shawano threatened again late in the first half, on a drive extended by Sousek on a 20-yard fake punt.
Hanauer, a 6-foot, 160-pounder who took over the quarterback position last week in Marinette, threw a jump ball to Sousek at the 1-yard line, a battle the 5-10 receiver has been able to win against defensive backs all season.
This time Sousek lost the fight to Luxemburg-Casco defensive back Kyle Routhieaux, who snagged the interception.
The Spartans ran the ball effectively in its opening drive of the second half, capped by a 45-yard touchdown run by Seth Peters, who ended up with 140 yards rushing on the day.
Things appeared bleak for Shawano when Hanauer threw his second interception of the day on the Hawks' ensuing drive, but a fumble on an inside run by the Spartans ended up in Sousek’s hands. Sousek had an open field and went 73 yards for a touchdown. He then plowed in for the 2-point conversion to give Shawano a 14-7 lead.
“Big plays find Zack,” Tomow said. “That shows what kind of athlete that he is, that’s he’s able to come away with a big play even when they know he’s on the field.”
Luxemburg-Casco responded with a 57-yard drive, capped by a 2-yard Peters dive. The Shawano defense swarmed on a 2-point conversion attempt, though, to preserve a 14-13 Shawano lead.
The Spartans finally took the lead in the fourth quarter when quarterback David Vlotho found Dylan McGuire for a 36-yard touchdown.
Shawano’s offense had no answer late, with two drives ending with interceptions.
“We knew there would be growing pains with Jack,” Tomow said. “Jack will tell you that there were a couple of throws he wishes he could have back that kind of put us in a tough spot. He’s making the right reads, and he’s running hard. The guys believe in him. We need to minimize the mistakes that we make and make other teams beat us.”
Hanauer completed 15 of 30 passes for 136 yards. His favorite target was Adam Bartz, a 6-1, 175-pound junior who had eight catches for 83 yards. Sousek was the leading rusher with 10 carries for 44 yards.
Vlotho finished 5 of 8 passing for 97 yards. McGuire had three catches for 88 yards.
Hopes for Shawano to make its first playoff appearance since 2010 diminished greatly with Saturday’s loss. Shawano needs to win its last two games to be eligible for playoff consideration. It faces undefeated Menasha (7-0, 6-0 Bay) on the road Friday.
“Menasha is a tough team. They’re one of the top teams in the state,” Tomow said. “We know how good they are, but we’re going to go in there and give them our best shot.”
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