Led by bruising running backs Danny Tauchen and Hunter VanderLinden and 325 yards rushing, the Bonduel High School football team beat Manawa 41-14 Friday, clinching a spot in the WIAA playoffs that start next week.
“The kids did a really good job preparing this week in practice,” Bonduel coach James Westrich said. “They knew what was on the line.”
The field was muddy and damp, but once the players got their feet under them, they played really well, Westrich said.
VanderLinden had two touchdowns and 152 yards on 16 carries, finishing the regular season with 1,027 yards.
Tauchen rushed 17 times for 117 yards and also put in two touchdowns.
“Hunter has been running good all year,” Westrich said. “Our other backs are starting to find their groove. That’s when the wing-T is nice, when you have several backs that can take the ball. Our line is doing a nice job.”
Quarterback Colton Dobratz completed four of eight passes for 88 yards and a touchdown.
Bonduel (6-3, 4-3 Central Wisconsin Conference-8) will return to the playoffs after missing out last season.
“That was a big goal for our seniors,” Westrich said. “They were disappointed after not making it last year. A lot of things happened last year and they thought they were a playoff-quality team. They wanted to make sure it didn’t happen again.”
Tauchen got the scoring started in the first quarter with a 1-yard dive.
VanderLinden added a 2-yard touchdown run before Manawa’s Garrett Griffin scored to cut the Bears’ lead to 14-6.
Tauchen exploded for a 53-yard touchdown that put Bonduel up 20-6 at halftime.
In the third quarter, Hunter Berry scored on a 10-yard run for Bonduel. A VanderLinden 50-yard touchdown dash put the Bears up 34-6.
Manawa (4-5, 3-4 CWC-8) scored again in the fourth quarter when quarterback Brandon Radloff connected with Tanner Meyer for a touchdown and Casey Johnson punched in the two-point conversion, cutting the Bears’ lead to 34-14.
Dobratz then found Connor Rosin on a 15-yard touchdown toss.
“It was really nice seeing our offense improve each week,” Westrich said. “Hopefully that continues into the playoffs.”
The Bears will learn where they will be next week at Saturday’s seeding meeting.
Categories
