Pulaski football team suffers first loss

Red Raiders’ offense stifled
By: 
Morgan Rode
Sports Editor

The Pulaski High School football team suffered its first loss of the season after getting shut out 14-0 by Fox River Classic Conference-North Division foe Bay Port on a rainy Sept. 24 night in Pulaski.

Pulaski’s offense struggled to move the ball all night, but the Red Raiders’ defense kept the team in the game with some big stops and timely takeaways.

On the first play of the fourth quarter, Bay Port scored the game’s first points on an 80-yard touchdown run. The visitors then sealed up their win after recovering a fumble in the end zone after a fumbled snap on a punt attempt.

“They (Bay Port) know who we have. They have coaches that are teachers in our building. They know specifically the types of kids that we have and who we have walking the hallways. They do a great job of taking advantage of it,” said Pulaski coach Jerad Marsh.

Marsh also noted that the Red Raiders’ defense has been the “backbone” of the team this season, and that proved to be true again against Bay Port. The unit was constantly playing in its own territory, but was able to force stop after stop to keep the game scoreless.

A short punt after Pulaski’s first offensive possession set Bay Port up at the host’s 36-yard line. A holding penalty pushed the visitors back before a pair of incompletions forced a punt.

Junior running back Maverick Cole opened the ensuing possession with a 12-yard run, but Pulaski fumbled the ball back to Bay Port on the next play, setting the visitors up at the Pulaski 27-yard line.

On a third-and-11 play, senior linebacker Mason Petzel made an acrobatic interception to get the ball back for the offense.

“We’re just one big family and every drive that we went out there we have the same determination every time — stop them, three-and-out,” said Petzel. “Credit to Bay Port, they’re an an amazing team, they put together a really nice game.”

The Red Raiders’ offense worked the ball out to the 44-yard line before a fumble cost the unit eight yards and eventually led to a punt.

Bay Port’s next drive was one of the better possessions of the first half, with the visitors marching to the Pulaski 33. A false start pushed the Pirates back, and the Red Raiders capitalized, forcing a turnover on downs a couple plays later.

Pulaski then put together its best first-half drive, getting to the visitors’ 36 before fumbling the ball back to Bay Port on third down.

“It wasn’t Bay Port, they didn’t do anything special,” said Cole on what kept the Pulaski offense in check. “We just didn’t do our job tonight, and we have to do that next time. We just got to clean up the little things and we’ll be fine.”

Starting in its own territory again, the Pulaski defense forced another three-and-out, but the offense again couldn’t take advantage. A booming punt from junior Mason Wells helped flip the field and end any ideas of Bay Port trying to score before halftime, though. Wells punted from near his own end zone and got a favorable roll on his punt, forcing the visitors to take over at their own 16.

Pulaski’s offense appeared to have figured things out at halftime after getting first-down runs from Cole and senior Aaron Maroszek on the opening drive of the third quarter, but a sack on a second-down play slowed the momentum and eventually forced a punt.

Pulaski sophomore defensive back Elliott Karcz picked off a pass on third down of the next drive, giving the Red Raiders’ offense its best field position of the contest at the Bay Port 34.

Pulaski’s offense wasn’t able to take advantage, punting the ball back to Bay Port after three plays.

The teams traded punts at the end of the third quarter. A touchback on a Pulaski punt set the visitors up at their own 20 to start the final quarter.

Bay Port quarterback Cole Bensen faked a jet sweep handoff and then busted through the middle of the Pulaski defense before outrunning a couple defenders for the 80-yard touchdown.

The teams then traded punts before Bay Port scored again on the recovered fumble in the end zone.

Pulaski’s defense got the ball back two more times for the offense, but it was forced to punt and then turned the ball over on downs after failing to convert a fourth-and-1 run play.

Before being shut out, the lowest point total for Pulaski this season was 30 points.

The Red Raiders are now 5-1 overall and 3-1 in FRCC-North play.

Pulaski sits in a tie for second in the conference standings with Bay Port, and trails De Pere by a game. Pulaski hosts De Pere on Oct. 8 after visiting West De Pere on Oct. 1.

“We got to keep our heads up,” said Karcz. “New week. The focus is on West De Pere now and going 1-0.”

Bay Port 0 0 0 14 —14

Pulaski 0 0 0 0 — 0

Fourth quarter

BP: Cole Bensen 80-yard run (Nick Fitt kick), 11:48

BP: A.J. Courchaine fumble recovery in end zone (Fitt kick), 6:09

sports@newmedia-wi.com