EDITOR'S NOTE: The Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday throughout the calendar year.
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial
Lane Marty, Sr., RB/DB, Black Hawk/Warren football
POTOSI — A blowout wasn’t an expectation, but it’s what resulted when No. 3 seed Black Hawk/Warren dominated at No. 1 seed Potosi-Cassville last Friday, 36–0, in a WIAA Division 7 Level 3 playoff game.
But senior running back Lane Marty and the #7-ranked Warriors' rushing attack made their presence felt early and often. The senior piled up a season-high 176 yards and scored the visiting team's first two touchdowns on a 23-yard run with 2:20 left in the opening quarter, then a 1-yard plunge two minutes into the second quarter to make it 12–0.
“I am so proud of the players and how they played against the Chieftains,” said Warriors' head coach Desmond Breadon. “We came out and played with a chip on our shoulder, and like we had something to prove, which we did.”
Marty added a two-point conversion run following Owen Seffrood's 32-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter to give the Warriors (11–1) a 28–0 lead over the Six Rivers champion Chieftains (10–2), who beat Black Hawk/Warren 41–20 earlier in the season.
With just one game ahead of Camp Randall Stadium and the WIAA Division 7 state championship game, Black Hawk/Warren gets its chance to punch a ticket with a Level 4 showdown against another No. 1 seed in Reedsville (12–0) in Elkhorn at 7 p.m. on Friday.
Marty will enter the game with 1,408 yards rushing and 21 touchdowns on 161 carries. He also has 42 tackles and two interceptions on defense for the season.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Tye Crist, Sr., RB/LB, Darlington football
Crist rushed for a game-high 108 yards and the go-ahead touchdown in the third quarter of Darlington's 28–22 WIAA Division 6 Level 3 playoff victory over Lancaster last Friday night. He also intercepted a pass deep in Darlington territory with just over two minutes left to end the Flying Arrows' (10–2) final offensive possession.
Owen Seffrood, Jr., RB/LB, Black Hawk/Warren football
Seffrood rushed for 132 yards and a touchdown, and played a key role on defense, helping limit the Six Rivers conference champion Potosi/Cassville Chieftains to just 121 yards of total offense in a 36–0 victory in last Friday night's WIAA Division 7 Level 3 playoff game at Potosi High School.
