After coming up empty on its first drive, it was back to the drawing board for the Oconto Falls football team.
The Panthers headed to Waupaca on Aug. 21 for a nonconference matchup with the Comets, a team Oconto Falls hadn’t faced since both programs competed years ago in the Valley 8 Conference.
A pair of 30-minute delays after lightning was spotted in the area followed a scoreless first quarter, but the Panthers’ offense started clicking once the game restarted and the team returned home after handing the home team a 34-14 loss in the season opener for both programs.
“We did not look very good before (the delay),” coach Mark Jonas said. “I wasn’t very happy with our energy level, with our effort. There was a whole lot wrong with the first quarter. We only ran seven plays and didn’t finish that first drive. Quite frankly, on that first play, if Croix (Gardebrecht) would have made the cut to the outside, he was gone. There was nobody else out there, but we had only run the play three times, so it was not completely his deal. It’s mine, too, for not getting them as prepared as we could.”
Things weren’t any better for the Comets in the opening quarter. Starting quarterback Wyatt Buenning left with an injury less than three minutes into the game and didn’t return. Waupaca was already playing without its leading receiver from last season, Westen Lauritzen, who is out for the season following an ACL injury during the summer.
Once the game resumed nearly two hours after it started, Gardebrecht opened the scoring with a 52-yard run with 8:46 to go in the second quarter. Jack Falkowski capped a 65-yard drive the next time the Panthers had the ball, and Oconto Falls led 13-0 with 5:27 remaining in the half.
“Coming out of the break, I thought the kids were really fired up and it showed in the second quarter,” Jonas said. “There was a lot more teaching than yelling. We talked about where they were lining. It was easy to sit down with the iPads and really walk through our main plays. We got those two quick touchdowns that way.”
The Panthers opened the second half with a 67-yard drive that ended with Gardebrecht’s 2-yard touchdown run with 8:57 to go in the third quarter.
Levi Mommaerts’ interception on Waupaca’s next drive set the Panthers up on the Waupaca 30-yard line, and Nathaniel White connected with Aiden Cahak for a 25-yard pass that gave Oconto Falls a 27-0 lead midway through the third quarter.
Waupaca cut the lead to 27-7 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter on Erik Harms’ 20-yard pass to Dylan Johnson before White wrapped up the Panthers’ scoring with a 2-yard quarterback keeper with 8:28 to go in the game.
Waupaca added a touchdown with just under four minutes remaining, as Harms hooked up with JJ Peterson for a 34-yard score.
“We have an awful lot of kids who don’t have a lot of varsity experience, so this was a great learning curve for us,” Jonas said. “I was really happy with the offensive line after the first quarter. I think they did the adjustments that we talked about really, really well. This is Lucas Rugg’s first game at center. Onni (Hytinnen) had played center last year, was all-conference and we bumped him out to tackle. Lucas was a big question mark, and he answered it tonight. I was really happy with that.”
White was also effective throwing the football even though the Panthers heavily relied on Gardebrecht and other rushers.
“You can see that Nate can really throw the ball,” Jonas said. “I know we had a couple of drops, but that kid can really throw. Those running backs are a fabulous one-two punch, they’re quick.”
On the other hand, Jonas admitted there’s more work to do after the Panthers were flagged for six personal fouls in the game, including two on the final drive.
“Our tackling is reaching and that doesn’t do you a whole lot of good,” he said. “You have to use shoulder pads.”
The Panthers will wrap up their nonconference schedule Aug. 28 with the home opener against Seymour, while the remaining seven games on the schedule are against Packerland Conference opponents.
Oconto Falls moved to the Packerland this season after several seasons in the Northwoods Conference and are coming off of a conference championship in 2025.
“I used to coach at Southern Door, so I know the Packerland fairly well and they know me fairly well,” Jonas said. “I love the level of competition. Coleman was always the big rival, and they were always tough to beat, tough to play. Now, you have Kewaunee, Bonduel and Southern Door, and all three have played very good football lately. While they’re not bigger schools like a Waupaca, it’s still a step up in competition overall, and that hopefully will help us in week 10.”
The Panthers’ first Packerland game against Oconto is set for Sept. 4 in Oconto Falls. They will then head to Kewaunee before hosting Bonduel.
Before those conference games start, however, the Panthers will face Seymour in what Jonas said will be a big test for his team.
“Coach (Jason) Bins is not there anymore, he’s at Denmark, and he really helped turn that program around,” he said. “They play tough, physical ball. It’s going to be a war in the trenches, and that’s really going to be fun for kids.”
Croix Gardebrecht manages to stay inbounds while picking up a first down for Oconto Falls on Aug. 21 during the Panthers’ season-opening 34-14 win over Waupaca. (Greg Seubert)
Waupaca’s Wyatt Hansen breaks up a pass intended for Oconto Falls’ Jeffrey Pytleski. (Greg Seubert)
