Bulldogs smash Hornets in D-SC football opener

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BOYCEVILLE — The Dunn-St. Croix football opener between Boyceville and Cadott, played in a steady drizzle on the Bulldogs’ Evenson Field last Friday evening, began with a bang when the two squads combined to score 15 points in the first 28 seconds of the contest.

After Cadott’s Ryan Sonnentag returned Jacob Granley’s game-opening kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown, and the first points of the game, Boyceville responded immediately.

Junior running back Bash Nielson took the hand off from senior quarterback Ira Bialzik on the Bulldogs’ first play from scrimmage and raced 76 yards for the six-point score. Nielson also ran in the two-point conversion to give Boyceville an 8-7 lead with 11:32 left on the first-quarter clock.

From that point on, it was pretty much all Boyceville.

The Bulldogs, who recovered six Hornet turnovers and turned four into touchdowns, added two more touchdowns in the first quarter and a couple more in the second to take a 36-15 advantage into the intermission. Then cruised to a 50-22 triumph in the September 3 conference opener behind Nielson’s 188-yard, two-TD rushing performance for a 3-0 start to the 2021 campaign.

“To start out conference play with a win is always huge, especially when you are going up against Cadott,” said Boyceville head coach Michael Roemhild. “I thought Coach (Jamie) Olson had our offense firing on all cylinders in the first half. The guys came out determined and wanted to send a message.”

That message was a bit muted in the beginning when Cadott scored on the long kick return to open the game.

“Unfortunately, to start the game, Cadott sent us a message by taking the opening kickoff to the house,” Roemhild stated.

“To say I was upset is an understatement,” he continued. “We have very good players on our special teams, but instinct is taking over player assignments, and when that happens we put ourselves out of position.”

Roemhild said that his team needed to respond after giving up that long kick return for the score.

The Bulldogs did just that when Nielson ran away from the Hornets’ defense for a 76-yard touchdown on the team’s first play of the game and then added the two-point conversion.

“Once that happened everybody settled back down,” Roemhild said.

The Bulldogs rolled up the yardage and points as they squashed the Hornets despite losing starting quarterback Ira Bialzik to a hand injury in the second quarter.

After standing tall on Cadott’s second offensive possession and forcing a punt, Boyceville moved the ball 65 yards in seven plays, all on the ground, highlighted by a 25-yard Nielson romp and capped by a 12-yard Tyler Dormanen touchdown run at 6:48. Despite coming up short on Nielson’s two-point conversion run, the Bulldogs had extended their lead to 14-7.

Just ten seconds later, Boyceville found itself striking pay dirt once again.

Cadott fumbled the ensuing kickoff and Tyler Dormanen recovered the ball at the Hornets’ 26-yard line.

On the very next play, Bialzik found Jacob Granley open on a pass play that went the distance for the touchdown. Nielson ran in the two-point conversion and Boyceville was in front 22-7 with 6:38 still to play in the first quarter.

It stayed that way until early in the second quarter when Bialzik scooped up a fumble by Hornets’ quarterback Jordan Peters and returned it 45 yards for six at the 9:49 mark. Despite a motion penalty on the point after attempt, that set the Bulldogs back five yards, Bialzik managed to find Braden Roemhild open on the conversion pass that pushed the local’s lead to 30-7.

Jordan Peters would engineer a five-play, 78-yard drive for Cadott which was capped by Peters’ 10-yard scoring pass to Ryan Sonnentag at 7:18. Peters then tossed the conversion pass to Gavin Tegels as the Hornets pulled to within 30-15.

Shortly thereafter, Boyceville was on the move again when Bialzik was injured on a first-down run and had to leave the game for medical attention. Sophomore Nick Olson took over the signal calling duties but, on his first play under center, the ball came free in an exchange with Nielson and Cadott recovered.

The Bulldogs’ defense forced a punt but the offense was unable to move the ball and had to return the favor. The Hornets, however, fumbled Granley’s punt and Nick Olson pounced on the loose pigskin at Cadott’s one-yard line.

That faux pas set up the Bulldogs fifth and final touchdown of the first half, a one-yard Nielson run on the ensuing play that gave Boyceville a 36-15 lead with 1:25 remaining in the first half.

The conversion run failed but the Bulldogs took the 21-point push into the halftime break.

Boyceville struck quickly to start the second half.

Just three plays after taking the kickoff, Olson found fellow sophomore Caden Wold wide open down field and threw a strike to him. And Wold did the rest, sprinting to the end zone to complete the 59-yard pass completion for the touchdown. Nielson added the conversion run and Boyceville’s lead was now 44-15 with 10:22 left in the third quarter.

The score remained that way until Hornets quarterback Jordan Peters connected with Gavin Tegels on a 17-yard pitch and catch a minute into the fourth quarter. Peter Wier kicked the PAT to cut the Hornets’ deficit to 44-21.

The contest’s final score came with under a minute left to play when Tyler Dormanen crashed into the end zone from a yard out to make the final score 50-22 in the Bulldogs’ favor.

Boyceville not only dominated on the scoreboard but on the stats sheets as well.

The Bulldogs easily out gained the Hornets, finishing with 380 total yards compared to the visitors 117. Much of that advantage came on the ground where Boyceville held a massive 265 to 24 advantage highlighted by Bash Nielson’s aforementioned 188 yard, two-touchdown effort. Tyler Dormanen added 55 yards and two touchdowns of his own.

“Tyler and Bash ran the ball very hard for us. Our offensive line blocked well and our receivers and wings stayed with their blocks to get the running backs clear lanes to run in,” stated Roehmild. “Its not fun as a skill player to be asked to block more than you run or catch the ball, but Jacob, Braden, Nick, Caden, and John have really bought in and are making some huge blocks for us offensively.”

Boyceville also chalked up another 115 yards and two scores through the air. Bialzik went 2-for-7 for 49 yards and a score before leaving with a hand injury. Olson came on in relief and hit two of his eight pass attempts for 66 yards much of which came on the long TD pass to Wold.

Jordan Peters was the leading rusher for Cadott finishing with 18 yards on nine attempts and was 9-for-24 passing for 102 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

“Defensively, I thought Caden, Braden, and Ira had great coverage all night,” continued Roemhild. “Nick, Jacob, Bash, and Paul were flying around all night at linebackers. The reason my linebackers were able to run around and hit people is because of the guys up front. Mason and Tyler did a great job on the edge, and up front Keegan, John, and Preston were filling gaps and taking on double teams. I was very happy with the intensity we brought tonight.”

Boyceville will take its unblemished record into Spring Valley this Friday when it takes on the 2-1 Cardinals in what could be a showdown for the conference title.

“Now we are focused solely on Spring Valley,” concluded Roemhild. “They are the top dog in the conference and rightfully so. They have been at the top for a long time. They are well coached, buy into their system, and have very good athletes. It should be one heck of a game!”