Catholic Central comes up short
By Mike Ramczyk
Correspondent
How many teams give up a nearly 400-yard rusher and end up winning the football game?
Not a lot.
But the Burlington Demons pulled off what may seem like the unthinkable Friday night in the 2019 season opener at Don Dalton Field, thanks to an onslaught of offense, a late rally and a few key defensive plays to seal the deal.
Fred Gauger provided a late interception with Whitnall driving, and Zach Wallace scored the game-winning touchdown with 8:54 left in the game to give the Demons a season-opening home victory, 42-35, in a thrilling comeback.
The Falcons were driving to tie the score in Demon territory late in the ball game when the defense finally corralled running back Nate Valcarel, who ran for the most yards, 386, against a Steve Tenhagen-led Demon team (six seasons), and forced a fumble.
Cody Benzow hustled to recover the ball, and the Demons ran out the clock, completing an impressive 14-point comeback after trailing, 35-28, in the third quarter.
Valcarel scored on touchdown runs of 75, 66, 52 and 24 yards, finishing with five touchdowns on 31 carries.
It was the most yards allowed by a running back in Burlington High School history.
Burlington, however, countered with senior quarterback Dalton Damon, who tossed two touchdown passes and 194 yards on 11-of-19 through the air, and added 74 yards and a scoring run to knot the game at 35-35 late in the third quarter.
Dalton’s touchdown throws went to Ethan Safar and Dylan Runkel, a Division 1 Western Illinois commit who caught two balls for 59 yards.
Safar led the Demons with 79 yards on three catches.
Zach Wallace, the team’s bell cow running back, ran for 150 yards and three touchdowns, and added 42 yards on four catches.
Whitnall outgained Burlington, 470-418, but when it came to winning time, the Demons scored three of the final four touchdowns.
Dalton’s 16-yard touchdown to Runkel with 7:08 left in the third tied the game at 28-28, but Valcarel erupted for a 66-yard score only a minute later.
The season opener was filled with fireworks and big plays, but it was the Demons’ balanced offensive attack that ended up being the difference.
Jack Shenkenberg led the Demons with 9.5 tackles, and Skyler Danielson and Luis Guevara each added 4.5.
Runkel added a quarterback sack, and Shenkenberg and Benzow each added a half-sack.
Damon averaged 51.5 yards on two punts, and Wallace added 157 return yards, averaging 30 yards on five returns (four kicks, one punt).
Burlington travels to nonconference rival Racine Horlick Thursday night.
Kickoff at Horlick Field is set for 7 p.m.
University School of Milwaukee 10, Catholic Central 9
If the game was finished after the first quarter, the Hilltoppers would’ve been in business Friday night, 60 miles north of Burlington.
But a complete game was needed, and University School scored the game’s last 10 points, and an extra point came back to bit the Toppers.
Reid Muellenbach opened the scoring with a 58-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, but Christian Pedone’s extra-point kick was no good, and Catholic Central added a 19-yard field goal by Pedone late in the first for a comfortable 9-0 lead.
But University School boasted a 166-yard performance from its top running back.
In the fourth quarter, the Toppers fell behind, 10-9, after a 26-yard field goal.
The Toppers mustered 124 total yards, led by Muellenbach’s 74 on the ground.
Brandon Pum, playing in his first varsity game at quarterback, was 1-for-1 for 30 yards passing with 11 yards rushing.
Henry Amborn caught one pass for 30 yards.
Catholic Central opens its home slate Friday night against Living Word Lutheran.
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