Glenwood City rallies in second half for homecoming victory over Turtle Lake

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username

Password

Login

Lost your password?

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.

Email

Submit

← Back

GLENWOOD CITY — As they say, it’s not how you start, but how you finish that counts.

Well, Glenwood City got off to a bit of a rough start in its annual homecoming football game played against visiting Turtle Lake last Friday, October 4.

Surrendering some long pass plays to the Lakers coupled with a few untimely penalties, the Hilltoppers trailed 13-0 midway through the second quarter.

Glenwood City finally got on the scoreboard when Javier Vilar Alvarez booted a 41-yard field goal straight through the uprights. Still the Toppers trailed 13-3 at the intermission.

The Hilltoppers were in need of a spark and they would get just that in the second half on a special teams play that saw senior Esdyn Swenby bust through the Lakers’ line and block the punt of Brandon Wagner.

Glenwood City recovered on the Turtle Lake 13 and two plays later were in the end zone with its first touchdown at the half way point of the third.

The blocked punt ignited a second-half Hilltoppers’ rally.

“The blocked punt was the turning point by Esdyn Swenby,” stated Glenwood City head coach Shane Strong. “That really sparked our kids, a much needed big play from a senior leader. I thought in the second half we played far more intense on both sides of the ball.”

Glenwood City would add a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns, the final one, a 15-yard interception return by Brody Riba that capped the comeback and gave the Toppers a fitting 23-19 homecoming victory despite being outgained by the Lakers, 321 to 173.

“We knew Turtle Lake would be physical and that we needed to play disciplined football,” noted Strong. “We made some young mistakes in the secondary that allowed them to get out front. We stopped their run very well, but gave up some big plays in the passing game.”

“I was proud how our kids responded in the second half. They played far better with a few adjustments, mainly a check up from the neck up,” he added.

Turtle Lake wasted little time in demonstrating its aerial acuity.

In their first play after taking the contest’s opening kickoff, Lakers’ quarterback Brody Tarman went to his favorite target of the night, Brandon Wagner, for a 51-yard gain to the Hilltoppers’ 17 yard line. The duo would connect five more times throughout the game for 120 yards and a pair of scores. Five plays later, Vincent Stoll carried it two yards to pay dirt at 8:34. Wagner added the Point After Touchdown kick and it was 7-0 Lakers.

Glenwood City’s first two possessions ended in a punt and a lost fumble.

On the latter, which was just a few plays into the second quarter, GC senior Tyler Harrington was stripped of the ball after making a reception. Turtle Lake’s Brady Jabe scooped up the loose pigskin and returned it 46 yards to the Toppers’ 39-yard line. Six plays later, Tarman and Wagner hooked up on a 25-yard pass play to extend the lead to 13-0 with 8:01 left in the half.

Ryley Dickmann returned the ensuing kickoff 42 yards to set the Hilltoppers up at the Laker 34. A nine-yard pass from Brody Olson to Brody Riba followed by a five-yard Mitchell McGee run produced a fresh set of downs at the 20. Olson lost four yards on a first-down scramble and two incompletions left a fourth and long. Javier Vilar Alvarez came on and kicked the 41-yard field goal to put Glenwood City on the scoreboard at 6:52.

The teams each garnered an interception on subsequent possession, but were unable to capitalize for points and the half ended with the Lakers in front 13-3.

Brady Thompson took the second half kickoff near midfield, but Glenwood City had to punt three plays later.

A pair of penalties by Turtle Lake on its ensuing possession led to a punt attempt. That’s when Swenby broke through the line and blocked Wagner’s punt. Glenwood City took over at the Lakers’ 13-yard line.

Senior running back Mitchell McGee took over from there. Following a three-yard gain on first down, McGee ran wide left and reached across the goal line to finish off the 10-yard scoring scamper for the Toppers’ first touchdown of the game at 8:06 of the third. Harrington kicked the extra point and GC was within three points at 13-10.

Turtle Lake, however, turned its next possession into six points thanks to a late hit penalty on third down by the Toppers that gave the Lakers new life with a fresh set of downs. Three plays later, Tarman threw a swing pass to Stoll who raced 26 yards to the GC 26. Then on fourth and five following a Lakers timeout, Tarman and Wagner hooked up for their second pass-and-catch score with 2:21 left in the third. Glenwood City blocked Wagner’s extra point kick, but Turtle Lake had extended its lead to 19-10.

“Four times we stopped Turtle Lake only to lose it to a penalty. Three of them were poor judgement and understanding down and distance. One of them was not a penalty at all, you just have to accept it and move on to the next play,” said Strong.

As the third quarter came to a close and the fourth began, Glenwood City went on the march after another solid return by Dickmann had the Hilltoppers starting at its own 45. Mixing the run and pass, Glenwood City eventually moved the ball inside the Turtle Lake ten and scored on a four-yard keeper by Brody Olson with 8:45 left in the contest. Harrington’s PAT pulled the Toppers to within a pair of points at 19-17.

Turtle Lake began its next drive in the shadow of its own end zone after a holding call on the kickoff brought the football back to the eight-yard line. Back-to-back runs yielded just a yard and Turtle Lake went to the air on third down. Riba stepped in front of Tarman’s intended receiver and intercepted the ball and raced 15 yards for the pick six score, giving the Toppers’ their first lead with 7:02 left. A two-point conversion pass fell incomplete but Glenwood City lead 23-19.

“Riba has made a big play in two consecutive games to lift our team. He is a hard worker and makes the big play when we need it,” Strong said.

Another penalty on the kickoff had Turtle Lake back up to its two. To the Lakers credit, however, they moved the ball quickly via the pass, with gains of 26, 12 and nine yards. A pass interference call on GC took Turtle Lake near midfield. A 23-yard pass from Tarman to Wagner had the Lakers near the red zone. Brady Thompson made a great interception on the next play to thwart the Lakers’ scoring threat.

McGee had runs of 12, seven and two yards which was followed by a seven-yard gain from Olson that drained the Lakers of their remaining timeouts. After that, Olson took a knee twice to run out the game clock and secure the Toppers’ 23-19 victory.

McGee led the Toppers’ ground game, which netted just 83 yards, with 60 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries. Olson, who added 21 yards on nine carries and a score, went 10-for-17 passing for 90 yards and threw two picks. Riba was his favorite target, hauling in five receptions for 78 yards.

Tarman accounted for a large portion of the Lakers’ offensive yardage as he passed for 209 yards and two TDs on a 11-of-20 performance but was intercepted three times. He also was the top rusher for Turtle Lake with 71 yards on 17 carries. 

Glenwood City, who improved to 3-2 and 5-2 with the win, travels to Elmwood this Friday to face the 1-6 Wolves of Elmwood-Plum City.