Amherst put a stop to the Bonduel High School football team’s four-game winning streak and its season Friday with a 36-20 win at home in a WIAA Division 5 Level 3 playoff game.
Senior running back Hunter VanDerLinden ran for 116 yards and three touchdowns on 17 carries, but Bonduel was not able to stay with the undefeated Falcons early in the game and unable to make up the deficit in the second half.
Bonduel (9-3, 5-2 Central Wisconsin Conference-8) also lost to Amherst (12-0, 7-0 CWC-8) during the regular season, falling 54-20 on Sept. 5.
“They are a great ball club and are well-coached,” Bonduel coach James Westrich said. “We did not give up big plays like last time. We made them earn them tonight.”
Junior quarterback Garrett Groshek threw two touchdown passes in the opening quarter as the Falcons built a 14-0 lead. He connected first with Davis Cowden on a 5-yard score and then with Connor Zblewski on a screen pass that went 31 yards to the end zone.
VanDerLinden produced Bonduel’s first points in the second quarter on a 10-yard run. Amherst responded, however, with a 14-yard scoring run by Brandon Piotrowski.
VanDerLinden again answered for Bonduel, throwing an option pass to Hunter Berry for a 30-yard score to cut the Bears’ halftime deficit to 21-13.
“We battled back and came into halftime within eight,” Westrich said.
VanDerLinden added his third touchdown of the game in the third quarter with a 1-yard run.
“He had a great game,” Westrich said. “He scored a running touchdown, passing touchdown and recovered a fumble. He had a great all-around game.”
Amherst produced two touchdowns in the third quarter, on a 9-yard run by Groshek and an 8-yard run by Zblewski, who finished with 151 yards on 25 carries. Groshek completed six of 13 passes for 86 yards and rushed for 98 yards on 29 carries.
The Falcons closed the scoring with a safety in the fourth quarter.
Bonduel’s hopes for a comeback were hurt by two botched punts.
“We had two snaps over the punter’s head and that put us in a bad spot,” Westrich said.
Bonduel quarterback Colton Dobratz completed nine of 21 passes for 159 yards passing.
“He had a good game, but there some dropped passes,” Westrich said.
Berry had five catches for 81 yards, along with six carries for 19 yards.
Weistrich said he would miss this year’s squad and its senior leaders.
“It has been a lot of fun coaching these seniors,” he said.
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