Elk Mound football loses second-half lead and homecoming game to Stanley-Boyd
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ELK MOUND — Just when it appeared that the Elk Mound football team was on the verge of becoming playoff eligible and securing a long-awaited homecoming victory in last Friday night’s game versus a solid Stanley-Boyd squad, the visiting Orioles dashed the Mounders’ hopes of either as they flew away with the win thanks to a trio of unanswered second-half scores.
The Mounders held a slim 22-19 halftime advantage over the Orioles in the pair’s October 6 Cloverbelt contest in Elk Mound. Things looked even better for Elk Mound when it scored early in the third quarter to go ahead by ten points, 29-19. Stanley-Boyd, however, scored 20 consecutive points on a pair of third quarter touchdowns and another in the final stanza to leave with the 39-29 win.
The heartbreaking loss leaves the Mounders, 2-4 in conference play and 3-5 overall, with one last opportunity to become playoff eligible when they travel to Neillsville/Granton this Friday, October 13 for the regular-season and conference finale. Stanley-Boyd, meanwhile, secured a playoff berth as it improved to 4-2 and 6-2. Level one playoffs will begin October 20.
Elk Mound’s defense put the game’s first points on the scoreboard when senior Kaden Russo scooped up an Orioles’ fumble and returned it 38 yards for the touchdown. Russo also added the Point-After-Touchdown kick to give the Mounders a 7-0 lead at the 6:48 mark of the first quarter.
Just two minutes’ later Stanley-Boyd punctuated the end zone for the first time on a short, 4-yard toss from quarterback Carter Isenberger to Alex Williams. The Mounders stopped the Orioles two-point run try to keep the lead at 7-6.
The second quarter featured a pair of alternating touchdowns by both teams in final four and a half minutes of the half.
Stanley-Boyd took its first lead in the game on a 24-yard Landon Karlen scamper with 4:31 left in the first half. The extra point kick by Jesse Allard gave the Orioles a 13-7 advantage.
A minute and a half later, Parker Dutzle broke free for a 60-yard scoring run to momentarily knot the game. Russo’s kick put Elk Mound back in front 14-13.
Just seven second later, at 2:42 of the second, Isenberger and Madden Mahr collaborated on an 80-yard touchdown pass that put the Orioles back in front. Another failed conversion run left the Stanley-Boyd with a 19-14 lead.
Elk Mound took the lead back with just 52 seconds remaining in the half when quarterback Logan Jerome completed a pass to Sam Wenzel for 15 yards and a touchdown. The pair hooked up again to complete the two-point conversion try which gave the Mounders a 22-19 lead at the intermission.
Taking the second half kickoff, Elk Mound put together a quick drive that ended in the end zone when Russo caught a 39-yard pass from Logan at 9:01 of the third. Russo tacked on the extra point kick and it was now a 29-19 Elk Mound lead.
But, in a span of less than four minutes, the Orioles erased their deficit and retook the lead, this time for good.
Isenberger threw his third touchdown pass of the contest, this one a 47 yarder to Rudy Kletsch at 7:37. Allard added the point after and the Mounder lead was cut to three at 29-26.
Elk Mound’s advantage completely disappeared minutes later when Isenberger and Mahr connected on a 40-yard passing score, the fourth TD for the former and second for the latter, with 3:50 still remaining in the third quarter of play. Although Stanley-Boyd’s two-point conversion pass fell incomplete it now had the lead at 32-29.
The game’s and the Orioles final tally came with 4:44 left in the contest. Karlen ran for six points from eight yards out and with Allard’s good extra point boot, Stanley-Boyd had secured a 39-29 victory.
The Orioles’ offense showed good balance throughout last Friday’s game as it gained 545 yards against the Mounder defense. That yardage included 336 through the air which resulted in four touchdowns. Orioles’ slinger Carter Isenberger went 14-25 for 334 yard for all four scores although Elk Mound did intercept two of his passes. Madden Mahr was a favorite target as he snared seven of Isenberger’s throws for 243 yards and two TDs. Stanley-Boyd also collected 209 yards rushing highlighted by Landon Karlen’s 127 yard, two touchdown performance on 21 carries.
Elk Mound finished the game with 297 yards total including 189 passing and 108 rushing.
Logan Jerome finished 9-of-24 passing for 167 yards with a pair of touchdowns and an interception. Brady Amble completed his only pass attempt for 22 yards. Sam Wenzel was the Mounders’ top receiver in the game as he made a half dozen catches for 114 yards and a score. Russo finished with two receptions, one of which was a touchdown, for 60 yards.
Parker Dutzle led the Mounder ground attack with 92 yards, most of which came his 60-yard, second-quarter TD run, on 16 attempts. Carter Vieth added 60 yards on 13 hauls and Jerome lost 53 yards on 11 running attempts.