Toppers mauled by Wolves running attack, fall 32-20 in home opener
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
WITH A LITTLE blocking help from teammates Justin Moe (left) and Noah Brite, senior Brady McCarthy (#1) was able to run to the outside for a nice gain in the September 10 home opener versus Elmwood/Plum City. McCarthy finished with 80 yards and a touchdown on seven carries. However, it was not enough s the Wolves won 32-20. —photo by Shawn DeWitt
GLENWOOD CITY — Junior back Max Janson returned a pair of kick offs for touchdowns, the latter a 78 yarder that opened the second half of play here last Friday evening and helped Glenwood City earn a 20-20 tie with visiting conference foe Elmwood/Plum City.
Unfortunately, the Wolves potent rushing attack propelled them to answer with a pair of long touchdown drives including an eight-plus minute scoring drive in the fourth stanza that sealed a 32-20 victory and spoiled the Hilltoppers’ September 10 home football opener.
“We struggled to read our keys and stay disciplined on the perimeter option game,” said Toppers’ head coach Shane Strong. “You must remain focused on your keys or they will make you pay for it.”
“Offensively, we were inconsistent throughout the game. We would move the ball to only hurt ourselves with untimely errors,” he added.
The loss snapped the Toppers two-game win streak and left them at .500 in both conference (1-1) and overall play (2-2).
Elmwood/Plum City enjoyed success on the ground all evening long as it piled a 314 to 144 rushing advantage over Glenwood City and a 381 to 225 edge in total yardage over its host.
The Wolves’ senior quarterback Luke Webb and junior running back Trevor Asher gashed the Toppers’ defensive unit throughout the contest. Asher finished with 135 yards and two touchdowns on 31 hauls while the 6’ 7” Webb towered over the Toppers to collect another 127 yards and a six pointer on 15 attempts.
The Hilltoppers, who never led in the game, were unable to come up with key stops when needed.
After trading punts to open the game, the Wolves’ second offensive series got a big jump start when Webb sprinted 68 yards before Brady McCarthy made the touchdown-saving tackle at the Glenwood City 20. Following a pair of runs that went for no gain, Asher got around the Toppers’ end and went for 11 yards and a fresh set of downs. He then took the ball to the GC three on an eight-yard jaunt before Webb called his own number and went up the middle for the one-yard touchdown at the 6:15 mark of the first quarter. Asher carried in the two-point conversion to give Elmwood/Plum City an 8-0 lead.
It would take Glenwood City just one play and 19 seconds to punctuate the end zone with its first six-point score.
Following Max Janson’s nice 40-yard kick return to midfield, senior Brady McCarthy took the hand off from classmate and quarterback Bryce Wickman and darted 50 yards to pay dirt at 5:56. Although Wickman came up short on the two-point conversion run, the Hilltoppers were right back in game trailing just 8-6.
Glenwood City was back on the march late in the first and into the second when it reached the E/PC 20 only to turn the ball over on downs following four straight incompletions.
The Wolves took advantage and drove 80 yards in 11 plays, aided by a 30-yard Ambrose Malles run and a 15-yard pass interference penalty on the Toppers, capped by a 15-yard Asher touchdown run. Despite a failed two-point conversion, the Wolves held a 14-6 lead with 6:26 left in the first half.
That advantage quickly grew to 20-6 when Webb picked off a Wickman pass and returned it 21 yards to the Toppers’ 38. The drive seemed to stall at the 28 but on fourth down and 15, Webb launched an aerial to Asher who hauled in the catch for the 28-yard touchdown. Although the conversion for two failed once more, the Wolves now had a 14-point cushion with only 3:14 left in the opening half.
Enter Janson.
He took the boot from Wolves place kicker Payton Kopp at the 39 and sped through the Wolves special teams, breaking free of several hand-tackles and raced 61 yards for the score at 3:01. Marcis DeSmith knocked the PAT kick high through the uprights and GC was within 7 at 20-13.
The Hilltoppers had a chance to tie or take the lead when it recovered a Wolves’ fumbles three plays later on the visitors’ 19 but turned the ball over on downs after gaining just six yards as the first half ended.
Following intermission, the Hilltoppers’ lightning in a bottle, Max Janson, stunned the Wolves and electrified the home crowd when he returned the second-half kick off 78 yards for his second touchdown of the evening. DeSmith’s straight and true PAT knotted the score at 20 all with just 13 ticks gone off the second-half clock.
Glenwood City looked poised to take its first lead of the game when it took control near midfield following a short Wolves punt and drove to a first down at the E/PC 11, following runs of two, five and nine yards by Janson and ten and 16 from McCarthy. But, on fourth and three at the four, Janson gained just two yards to give the ball back to the Wolves on downs.
Taking over at its own two yard line, the Wolves proceeded to punish the Toppers on a series of short runs which eventually yielded a 55-yard burst by Webb on the heels of an offside penalty against the Toppers. That call drew the ire of the Glenwood City bench which resulted in an unsportsmanlike penalty during the run. When the penalty was tacked on to the end of Webb’s run, the Wolves had a first and goal at the GC two. Two plays later, Asher covered the final six feet to break the deadlock. Despite Webb’s conversion pass falling incomplete, E/PC had a 26-20 lead.
A short kick off that was returned to their own 48 by McCarthy gave the Toppers great field position. Runs of 11 and 16 yards on the final two plays of the third quarter moved Glenwood City to the Wolves’ 25.
Another six-yard Janson jaunt on first down put the Hilltoppers in the red zone. The drive, however, quickly sputtered and died when the Toppers lost a yard on the next three plays and turned the ball over on downs at the E/PC 18 with 10:18 to play.
The Wolves consumed 8:07 of game clock and 82 yards as it capped the decisive drive with a two-yard Asher run to the end zone with just 2:11 left. Despite missing on another two-point try, Elmwood/Plum City was ahead 32-20.
Glenwood City made one last push taking the ball to the Wolves’ five before a fourth-down Wickman pass into the end zone sailed over the outstretched arms of Brady McCarthy.
The Wolves took a couple of knees to run out the game clock and take home the 32-20 win.
Janson collected 176 yards and two TDs on three kick returns coming close to the 225 yards the Toppers’ offensive unit put up in the game.
McCarthy finished with 80 yards and a touchdown on seven carries to lead the GC ground game while Janson added 57. Wickman hit on eight of his 25 pass attempts for 81 yards with Drew Olson snaring three for 37 yards and Mitch Bliese gaining 23 yards on his three receptions. Brady Klatt and Janson each had a catch for 15 and six yards, respectively.
Glenwood City will be back on the road when it goes to Spring Valley this Friday. The Cardinals are fresh off a 35-6 manhandling of previously unbeaten Boyceville.