Bulldogs sink Turtle Lake “Lakers” for level one win in WIAA football playoffs

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by Marlys Kruger

Sports Correspondent

BOYCEVILLE — Playing at home against a team they had defeated by a score of 46-14 earlier in the season, the Boyceville football team overcame a slow start by their standards and beat the Turtle Lake Lakers once again, this time by a score of 49-20. 

Playing in Division 7 as a number 2 seed, the game was a WIAA Level 1 game and advances the Bulldogs to Level 2 against number 3 seed Pepin-Alma who defeated Eleva-Strum 37-0. The game will be played on Boyceville’s Evenson Field this Friday night, November 1.

Turtle Lake started with the ball in this game and the Bulldog defense shut them down quickly to force a punt. Starting on their own 34, quarterback Carson Roemhild completed an 11-yard pass to Landyn Leslie for a first down, and Leslie gained eight yards on a run. But two incomplete passes, a penalty and a quarterback sack made it fourth and 23 and it was the Bulldog’s turn to punt.

The sturdy Bulldog defense shut the Lakers down once again and they punted the ball back to Boyceville. The offense woke up and on first down at their own 35, Jake Bialzik scooted for a 47-yard gain to the Lakers 18. Zach Hellendrung picked up a yard, Bialzik added four more yards and Hellendrung took it to the seven before Roemhild took the ball in for six points. Roemhild ran the two-point conversion in and it was 8-0 with 3:56 left in the quarter.

After the Lakers took the kickoff to their own 25, quarterback Brody Tarman threw two incomplete passes, but on third down took off and ran for 22 yards and a first down. The Lakers continued to move the ball and on a fourth and seven on the Bulldogs’ 38, Tarman completed an 11-yard pass. After a two-yard loss, Tarmon found Brady Jobe for a 29-yard TD pass and after an incomplete conversion pass it was 8-6 at 10:55 of the second stanza.

Neither team could do much on their next possessions, resulting in punts by both but the Bulldogs found paydirt again with around a minute left in the half. Roemhild connected with Bradley Maes for a 43-yard pass and score and then ran the ball in again for the two-point conversion and the half ended with Boyceville up 16-8.

“This really didn’t feel like the playoff atmosphere I was hoping for,” stated Boyceville head coach Michael Roemhild.

“I don’t know if it was because Turtle Lake is a conference team that we already played or what, but that playoff feel just wasn’t there tonight. I think that reflected how we played as well. We didn’t really wake up until the second half. We kind of just went through the motions in the first half and we went into the shed with a 16-6 lead. We talked a few things out and got that playoff fire back. I was really happy how we came out in the third quarter and put the game away,” he added.

Carson Roemhild brought the second-half kickoff to the 36 and the Bulldogs proceeded to move the ball downfield, picking up two first downs before Roemhild ran it into the end zone again from 18 yards out. The extra point kick was missed but the Bulldogs had some breathing room with a 22-6 lead.

Boyceville continued to pull away with two more touchdowns in the quarter, Roemhild scored on a six-yard run with 5:11 left, but a penalty on the conversion resulted in an incomplete pass making the score 28-6. 

The Laker players must be seeing Carson Roemhild in their dreams after he intercepted a Tarman pass on their next possession and ran it back to the Lakers’ eight. Bialzik gained five yards and Hellendrung blasted it in from there. The conversion was no good again but the Bulldogs had a commanding 34-6 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.

Turtle Lake caught the Bulldog defense napping as Tarman completed a 53-yard TD pass to Vincent Stoll and after an incomplete conversion pass it was 36-12 with 9:57 left in the game.

It didn’t take long for the Bulldogs to respond, however as Roemhild hit Leslie for a 33-yard scoring pass and this time Hellendrung made the kick to put the score at 41-12.

Boyceville put their final points up with Hellendrung taking the ball in from 16 yards out and an Andrew Tonn two-point run made it 49-12.

With 2:26 to go, Tarman connected with Brandon Wright for a 56-yard Turtle Lake score and a two-point pass finished off the game with the 49-20 Bulldog win. 

Roemhild passed just seven times in the game but completed five of them for 97 yards and two TDs. The Bulldogs combined for 301 rushing yards as Bialzik led the way with 88 yards on 11 carries while Hellendrung gained 72 on 17 attempts and Roemhild added 60 yards on eight carries. Leslie snared three passes for 47 yards and Maes and Jacoby Kurshner both snagged one.

“I think Level 2 will feel more like playoffs as we play a team we have never played at the varsity level before,” coach Roemhild said. “Pepin-Alma is very well coached, disciplined, and know how to win. It is going to be a battle and we need the whole town to show up and be loud!” he added.