It wasn’t the start the Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas Academy football team was looking for.
Four of the first five drives ended with a turnover on downs in the Titans’ 8-player playoff matchup with McDonell Central Catholic.
Those missed opportunities helped lead to a 44-8 halftime deficit, and the Macks went on to post a 64-29 win over the Titans on Nov. 7 in a state semifinal game at Stiehm Stadium in Weston.
It was the first loss of the season for top-seeded Lena/STAA, while the second-seeded Macks improved to 11-1 and will face Gilman on Nov. 15 in the WIAA state 8-player final in Wisconsin Rapids. Gilman, which handed the Macks their only loss this season, advanced to the championship game with a 30-12 win over Oakfield in the other semifinal.
The Titans moved the ball on their first drive but came up inches short on a fourth-and-5 play at the Macks’ 32-yard line. They soon had the ball again, however, as Dawson Moulton fumbled on McDonell’s first play, P.J. Finger recovered the loose ball, and the Titans took over at the 35-yard line.
McDonell’s defense came up with another stop by sacking Jake Farley on fourth down, and the Macks had the ball at their own 35-yard line. Moulton finished the drive with an 18-yard touchdown run before adding a two-point conversion run, and the Macks had an 8-0 lead with 4:41 to go in the first quarter. It was Moulton’s 13th touchdown in the last three games, but he was far from finished.
Lena/STAA’s next drive ended another turnover on downs and McDonell drove 70 yards, with the last 43 coming on Cael Holm’s scoring pass to Luke Andersen that gave the Macks a 14-0 lead with 9:07 to go in the first half.
Although the Titans’ Zander Thomson blocked the extra-point try, the touchdown turned out to be one of five trips to the end zone before halftime for the Macks.
Lena/STAA’s fourth drive ended with a three-and-out and a punt before Eli Stepp scored on a 62-yard run on the first play of the Macks’ next drive. Holm hit Andersen for the two-point conversion pass, and the Macks led 22-0 with 7:27 to go in the first half.
The Titans’ next drive ended with a fourth turnover on downs, and the Macks added to their lead with Stepp’s 42-yard run to make it 28-0 with just under six minutes remaining in the half.
Max Peterson set up the Titans’ first score with a 61-yard run from the Lena/STAA 29-yard line to the McDonell 10. Lucas Heimke finished the drive with a 15-yard run, and the Titans trailed 28-8 after Farley completed a two-point conversion pass to Finger with 4:14 to go in the half.
The Macks added two more scores in the opening half’s final two minutes. Holm capped a 68-yard drive with an 8-yard pass to Andersen, and Stepp’s two-point conversion run made it 36-8.
The Macks soon had the ball again after Moulton intercepted a Farley pass, and Stepp added to the Macks’ lead with a 15-yard run with 43 seconds before halftime. Holm hit Andersen with a two-point conversion pass.
McDonell had the ball in the red zone again before halftime after Caleb Leet recovered a fumble but was unable to add to its 36-point lead.
A running clock limited possessions for both teams in the second half, but the Titans and Macks still combined for six touchdowns.
The Macks were in the red zone on their first drive of the second half, but Heimke pulled the ball from Moulton’s hands and returned it to the McDonell 35-yard line. The Titans found the end zone on Farley’s 32-yard pass to Colt Miller midway through the third quarter and added a two-point conversion pass to Blake Behnke.
Stepp added to the Macks’ lead with a 20-yard run, on their next drive, and Holm added a 59-yard scoring pass to Stepp – his fifth touchdown of the game – as the Macks took a 57-16 lead into the fourth quarter.
Carson Joyce cut the Macks’ lead to 57-23 with a 39-yard touchdown run with 8:48 to go in the game, but the Macks added their final touchdown on their next drive on Holm’s 32-yard pass to Andersen with six and a half minutes to go in the game.
The Titans’ final touchdown of the season came a minute later, as Heimke returned a kickoff 82 yards.
Peterson finished with 140 of the Titans’ 233 rushing yards, while Moulton and Stepp ran for 196 and 179 yards, respectively, to lead the Macks.
Holm also completed nine of 11 passes for 242 yards and four touchdown passes.
Dale Lange, who coaches the Titans with Ed Huberty, said he knew his team would be undersized.
“They were just bigger, faster and stronger than us,” he said. “You look at them, they have 20, 25 pounds on every one of our players. We were small and we were quick, but they had speed and size. You can’t take anything away from those guys. That is one tough ball club.”
The Titans regrouped in the second half and played better despite trailing by 36 points, according to Lange.
“We were kind of nervous and scared and gun shy in the first half,” he said. “At halftime, we said, ‘Hey, guys, this is life. Go out there and give it your best shot in the second half.’ We came out in the second half and played a lot better. We chewed some yardage up and got some blocks. Those are the things we will build on with the guys for next year.”
Seven seniors – including Peterson, Heimke, Thomson, Behnke and Miller – suited up for the Titans for the last time and contributed to the team’s undefeated regular season that included an Across the Bay Conference championship this season.
“Some of these guys have been starters since they were freshmen,” Lange said. “They got in the weight room and built our program up. We have a lot more wins than losses in the last five years. Almost every loss has been in the playoffs or the championship bracket.”
The seniors played teams that went 37-6, won two conference championships and advanced to a state championship game.
Lange is confident the players will bounce back, just as they did last year after a loss to Owen-Withee in the state 8-player final.
“I don’t think you’ve seen the end of the Titans yet,” he said. “We’re going to work our butts off to get back here.”
