Two area football teams have made it to the second round of the WIAA state playoffs after opening the postseason with a home win Oct. 23.
Pulaski handed Ashwaubenon a 41-3 loss in Division 2, while Bonduel improved to 10-0 with a 35-7 win over Lancaster in Division 6.
While the Red Raiders and Bears kept their season alive, Wittenberg-Birnamwood and Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas Academy ended theirs with a loss. Wittenberg-Birnamwood fell to Amherst 36-0 in Division 5 on the Falcons’ home field, while Lena/STAA headed to Oshkosh and fell to Valley Christian 52-20 in an 8-player Level 2 game.
Division 2
Pulaski 41, Ashwaubenon 3
After a scoreless first quarter, Anthony Ficarri opened the scoring for the Red Raiders with a 1-yard run with 3:58 to go in the first half. Ashwaubenon answered with a 48-yard field goal on the final play of the half to cut the lead to 7-3.
Those turned out to be the only points the Jaguars scored, as Pulaski added a 1-yard run from Andre Burnett and a 3-yard run from Bohdan Schmidt to take a 20-3 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
The Red Raiders added three more touchdowns in the fourth quarter on runs of 16 and 3 yards from Schmidt and Bryce VanLannen’s 43-yard interception return.
Schmidt and Burnett combined for 312 of Pulaski’s 337 rushing yards. Schmidt led the way with 182 yards on 24 carries, while Burnett added 130 yards on 20 attempts.
Pulaski’s defense held the Jaguars to 127 yards of offense and had three interceptions, including VanLannen’s touchdown.
Division 6
Bonduel 35, Lancaster 7
The top-seeded and unbeaten Bears overcame an early 7-0 deficit and scored 35 unanswered points to beat the eighth-seeded Flying Arrows.
Lancaster took the opening kickoff and drove 85 yards, with Toay Ragatz capping the drive with a 29-yard pass to Lukas Weber with 6:02 to go in the first quarter.
Bonduel answered on its first drive with Quinn Wesenberg’s 1-yard quarterback keeper, and the Bears took the lead for good on Wesenberg’s 10-yard pass to Carter Moesch with 30 seconds remaining in the first half.
Wesenberg and Andrew Kolaske connected for an 8-yard touchdown pass with 5:38 to go in the third quarter, and Moesch added a 2-yard run later in the quarter to give the Bears a 28-7 lead.
Moesch wrapped up the scoring with five minutes left in the game with a 5-yard run.
Division 5
Amherst 36, Wittenberg-Birnamwood 0
The Falcons defeated the Chargers for the second time in a week in Amherst after wrapping up the regular season with a 49-15 win Oct. 16.
Amherst found the end zone twice in the first and second quarters. Ayden Nerdahl opened the scoring with a 10-yard run with 4:24 to go in the first quarter and the Falcons took a 15-0 lead after JC Bohman recovered a loose ball in the end zone after a high snap on a Wittenberg-Birnamwood punt.
The Falcons added to their lead in the second quarter on a 5-yard run from Nerdahl and a 14-yard run from Cal Lusic that gave the home team a 29-0 halftime lead.
Amherst wrapped up the scoring with 1:05 remaining in the third quarter on Tyler Loken’s 47-yard touchdown pass to Nerdahl.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood, a No. 8 seed in the playoffs, ended its season with a 2-8 record.
8-player
Valley Christian 52, Lena/STAA 20
The Titans trailed 14-8 after one quarter, 31-14 at halftime and 52-14 after three quarters in a loss to the undefeated and top-seeded Warriors.
Lena/STAA didn’t have an answer for Sam Gloudemans, who rushed for 242 yards on 18 carries or quarterback Mason Everts, who ran for three touchdowns.
Lena/STAA came into the game as a No. 5 seed and ended its season with a 5-5 record.
Oct. 30 schedule (all games start at 7 p.m.): WIAA Level 2 11-player playoffs: Division 2: No. 3 Pulaski at No. 2 Kaukauna. Division 6: No. 4 Belleville at No. 1 Bonduel. WIAA Level 3 8-player playoffs: No. 2 Suring vs. No. 1 Wabeno/Laona at Wabeno.
Nonconference
Oconto Falls 41, Shawano 24
Shawano hosted Oconto Falls for an extra game Oct. 23 after both teams failed to make the playoffs.
Oconto Falls finished the season with a 5-5 record, while the Hawks wrapped up their season with a 2-8 mark.
