By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
It’s not weather for the faint of heart.
Temperatures in the 30s. Whistling winds knocking over clipboards and flinging rosters every which way. Biting cold that makes the guy next to you offer you hand-warmers.
It’s late October, and that means playoff football. Teams have been busting it since as early as July, kicking each other’s butts every day in practice to get to this moment. For several area teams, all that sacrifice paid off Friday night.
Perhaps none benefitted more than Catholic Central. A No. 5 seed in Division 7 that had to trek about two hours to fourth-seeded and inherent favorite Randolph, the Toppers were up for the challenge.
A Cole Kresken touchdown early in the fourth followed by stingy defense proved to be the difference in the Toppers’ 24-21 upset win.
And, no, they didn’t kick a field goal to win the game. Actually, if there was such thing as backing into a victory, that’s kind of what happened. Catholic Central scored four touchdowns, but two missed extra points and a botched two-point conversion resulted in a too-close-for-comfort outcome.
Touchdown runs by Kresken and Jeff Stemper put Central up 12-7, but Randolph answered with a Duke Vandergalien touchdown to make it 14-12 Randolph at the half.
Vandergalien, who rushed for more than 1,200 yards during the nine-game regular season, was held to 92 yards on 17 carries.
Randolph tacked on a scoring pass early in the second half, and the Toppers faced a daunting 21-12 deficit midway through the third quarter.
On the road. In the playoffs.
But like they have done all season, Toppers quarterback Ben Heiligenthal and Tyler Burzawa hooked up when their team needed them the most. With six minutes left in the third, the duo connected for a 34-yard catch and score.
The extra point was no good, though. Kresken dealt the decisive blow in the fourth. The sophomore running back scooted into the end zone from one yard out, making it 24-21 with 10 minutes to play.
Catholic Central’s defense then stepped up, holding the lead the rest of the way.
The Toppers now will host top-seeded Fall River, a 9-0 club which crushed eighth-seeded Rio, 56-14, Friday night.
Pick up Thursday’s Burlington Standard Press for a complete game story.
Waterford 26, Greenfield 7
The two teams paired up in this Division 2 playoff opener came from opposite ends of the spectrum.
The second-seeded Wolverines, co-champions of the Southern Lakes Conference, had won their last six games and were one of the hottest teams in the state. Greenfield, on the other hand, was a loser of four straight and backed its way into the playoffs with a 3-3 conference mark despite a 3-6 overall record.
Well, Waterford continued its winning ways, but it wasn’t so lopsided in the first half. Each team committed two turnovers in the first 16 minutes, and the Wolverines only led, 6-0, at the half.
In the second half, Waterford picked up the pace on the ground. To start the third quarter, Stone Nycz, who scored a touchdown in the first half, fired off a 50-yard run. On the next play, Jake Bauer took the counter and bounced it outside to the right for a 15-yard touchdown.
Bauer added another rushing score to extend Waterford’s lead to 19-7, but Greenfield bounced back on the ensuing kickoff with a 90-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
But no worries, Waterford faithful.
The team’s bread and butter, its defense, stepped up to seal the deal. Alex Schwalbach picked off a Greenfield pass and dashed 50 yards for a touchdown with a minute to play, and the victory was secure.
Waterford hosts third-seeded South Milwaukee (8-2) next weekend, either Friday or Saturday.
Check Friday’s Waterford Post and www.myracinecounty.com for updates.
Other area scores
Whitefish Bay 6, Wilmot 3
Badger 16, Racine Horlick 7
Pewaukee 20, Elkhorn 6
Big Foot 44, University School of Milwaukee 6
Kenosha Indian Trail 52, Oak Creek 28
Mukwonago 25, Madison La Follette 0
Franklin 62, Milwaukee Pulaski 0
Milwaukee Marquette 41, Milwaukee Riverside 15
Waukesha West 49, Bradley Tech 8
Racine St. Cat’s 49, Poynette 0
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