Early turnovers and an onside kick knocked the wind out of the Oconto Falls High School football team in a 46-6 loss Friday at Seymour.
The Panthers sustained a drive of more than six minutes in the first quarter following an opening touchdown by Seymour, but an 80-yard interception return by Will Rydzewski ended the drive and put the Thunder ahead, 14-0.
Seymour (3-4, 3-3 Bay Conference) pulled ahead 20-0 early in the second quarter with a 1-yard push by Clayton Vanlanen and then recovered an onside kick, which led to a 32-yard touchdown run by Brett Banker and a 26-0 lead.
“They kind of surprised us with that inside kick, got a little momentum there and took our breath away,” Oconto Falls senior halfback Jacob Yatso said.
Oconto Falls coach Jeff Trochil said the onside kick caught the Panthers off guard, but he understood Seymour coach Matt Molle’s strategy, after Oconto Falls (0-7, 0-6 Bay Conference) had controlled the ball so well in the opening quarter.
“We were moving the football and they took advantage of us with that kick,” Trochil said. “We had a couple of good drives, though.”
Banker added two more touchdowns, on 1- and 5-yard runs, and the Thunder led 40-0 entering halftime.
Vanlanen had nine carries for a team-leading 92 yards for Seymour, including two touchdowns. Banker rushed for three TDs and 56 yards on six carries.
“Our guys did what they had to do, running the ball,” Molle said. “The good part is you got to see a little bit of them all. We have a lot of guys. We don’t necessarily give everyone 20 to 25 (carries) every night.”
Falls quarterback Connor Scray scored on a 2-yard touchdown run with six minutes remaining in the game. He finished with 47 yards rushing on 17 carries. He also completed two passes on five attempts for 26 yards and threw two interceptions on a windy night.
“We had a couple of turnovers that killed series, but Connor picked up where he left off and made good reads,” Trochil said.
Despite wearing a cast on his right hand to protect a broken thumb, Yatso was the Panthers’ leading rusher with eight carries for 60 yards.
“The thumb is what I worry about,” Yatso said. “It is kind of hard to hold onto the ball, but luckily tonight I did not turn the ball over.”
Despite the loss, Trochil said he is optimistic about his team’s play.
“We are getting better and improving each day and each game,” he said.
Categories
