After their lone loss of the season two weeks ago, it looks like the Gillett High School football team is back to playing its game.
Holding an 11-point lead in the third quarter, Gillett scored two touchdowns in 57 seconds Friday to silence rival Suring. The Tigers’ defense did the rest as Gillett won 37-8 on its homecoming and senior night.
“I know (Suring is) having a tough season, but it’s a rivalry and you throw the records out,” Gillett coach Rick Kamps said. “I knew they were going to show up. I knew it was going to be a tough game.”
Gillett (7-1, 5-1 Marinette & Oconto Conference) amassed 482 yards while holding Suring (2-6, 2-4 M&O) to 156 yards.
“Gillett is a very good team and we stood toe-to-toe with them,” Suring coach Mitch Taylor said. “It came down to a couple of plays. We had the momentum a couple of times and we gave it right back. You can’t do that when you’re already on the edge.”
The Tigers did damage both on the ground (316 yards) and through the air (166 yards).
“We know that if we’re going to be somebody that’s going to make noise in the playoffs, we’ve really got to be balanced,” Kamps said. “In practice, we’ve really been working on our passing game.”
Gillett senior Monte Noffke rushed for 236 yards and four touchdowns on 35 carries. He has 26 scores on the season, which is tied for second in the state with Brandon Thull, of Kewaskum. Brown Deer quarterback Zack Baun has rushed for 28 touchdowns. Noffke, however, has played in seven games, while the others have played in eight games.
Noffke and the Tigers didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard Friday. On its first drive, Gillett went 53 yards and Noffke plunged in from 1 yard out. Eight of the Tigers’ nine plays were runs.
After a three-and-out by Suring, Gillett took the ball at Suring’s 32-yard line and quickly scored again. Noffke made a number of defenders miss on a 19-yard scamper into the end zone with 4:18 remaining in the opening quarter.
Suring answered on its second drive as Creo VanBellinger ripped off a 29-yard run down to the Gillett 19. Two plays later, VanBellinger, who finished with 74 yards on the ground, scored on a 1-yard run. Christensen, who was 5-for-11 passing for 78 yards, hit Mitchell Firgens for the two-point conversion to make it a 13-8 game.
After the teams exchanged fumbles, Gillett got the ball at the Suring 26. It took four running plays as Noffke, who had three of the carries, ran it into the end zone from 10 yards out.
Suring opened the second half with a promising drive that stalled at the Gillett 39. A pooch punt pinned the Tigers at their own 5. The Tigers stayed on the ground 11 of 12 plays of the drive, which ended with Noffke scoring his fourth touchdown of the game, this time from 7 yards out.
“Grinding it out like that, we’re just able to keep their offense off, start demoralizing them a little bit on defense,” Kamps said. “We pounded them on defense, pounded them on defense, pounded them on defense and we got in.”
Suring fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Gillett recovered at the Eagles’ 35. Two plays later, Gillett quarterback Alex Zeitler hit Leeland Kahler in stride for a 27-yard touchdown late in the third quarter.
The back-to-back touchdowns dug a deep and insurmountable hole for Suring.
“That was just a huge boost for us,” Gillett senior Matt Peterson said. “When we went into the locker room at halftime, we were still worried. But when we came out, we really wanted it then. It was homecoming and senior night and we weren’t going to lose, especially to our rivals.”
Gillett added its final score with just 1:48 remaining in the game. Zeitler, who was 10-for-16 passing for 166 yards and one TD, found Evan Bubolz for a 23-yard gain down to the 2, and freshman Nick Hertwig plunged into the end zone on the next play.
The Eagles only got inside the Gillett 25-yard line once after scoring their touchdown in the first quarter.
“I think we were just wearing down,” Taylor said. “They platoon a little bit where they have a few guys that can go in and out, and we’re 12.”
Peterson liked the way the defense played in the second half.
“I think everybody just realized we had to step up and we had to start being more aggressive because they were going to be aggressive with us,” Peterson said.
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