Editor’s Note: Catholic Central improved to 6-0 Thursday night with a 42-8 victory at Whitefish Bay Dominican. The Toppers led, 35-0, at halftime and dominated in all phases of football.
The Toppers ran for 212 yards, led by 142 from Cole Kresken along with three touchdowns. Kresken only needed nine carries to do his damage. Catholic Central hosts Thomas More Friday, Oct. 2, at 7 p.m.
Heiligenthal, Kresken go off in rainy conditions
By Jason Arndt
Sports Correspondent
Ben Heiligenthal and the Burlington Catholic Central Hilltoppers could not be stopped, not even on a muddy and rainy night at Racine’s Horlick Field.
The senior quarterback completed five of seven passes for 145 yards with three total touchdowns, en route to a 42-6 drubbing of host Racine Lutheran High School Sept. 18.
Tom Aldrich, coach of Catholic Central, cited an impenetrable offensive line, and a blitzing defense as key ingredients.
“Our focus was to get better, we want to try to get better each week, and we did a pretty good job of doing that,” said Aldrich. “I think the big focus for us was to continue to get off the ball and get their playmakers out of the game early on.”
The Hilltoppers’ defense held Lutheran to 25 yards of total offense, stuffing the running game to negative 13 yards.
Scott Smith, Crusaders’ coach, knew it would be a difficult task to compete with undefeated Catholic Central (5-0, 3-0 Metro Classic Conference).
“Their line was too quick for us, and that is what a good football team does, they got a good shot at state,” Smith said. “If they stay away from injuries, they have a realistic shot to go undefeated.”
Heiligenthal, who had two rushes for 47 yards, opened the game with a 43-yard touchdown run, and later connected with senior running back Jacob Webley on a 43-yard touchdown, followed by a 53-yard strike to junior wide receiver Cole Pankau to give the Hilltoppers a 21-0 lead entering the second quarter.
Senior running back Cole Kresken, who rushed for 70 yards on six carries, scored on a 33-yard run to start the second quarter.
Like Aldrich, Kresken acknowledged the Hilltoppers’ offensive line for its footwork on a rainy and muddy Friday night.
Heiligenthal echoed Kresken’s sentiments about the offensive line.
“I thought our offensive line did really well, it was wet, and slippery, but they still got after it and made some great blocks,” Heiligenthal said.
“They came out very strong, and that was huge,” Kresken said. “All week we were talking about getting a great start, they were slipping a little bit, but the holes were there.”
Defensively, the Hilltoppers rattled Lutheran freshman quarterback Gabe Brandies, who threw a second-quarter interception to junior defensive back Austin Neuhaus, returning it 27 yards for a touchdown.
Brandies completed four of 12 passes for 38 yards and a touchdown.
Catholic Central’s leading rusher, senior running back Webley, scored on a 1-yard run to send the Hilltoppers into the second half with a 42-0 lead.
Lutheran got on the board late in the third quarter on an Antonio Jenkins’ 31-yard haul from Brandies, but failed to convert on a 2-point conversion.
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