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By A.J. Gates, Herald Independent

Peyton Alvarado, Sr., RB, Lancaster football
KENOSHA — After being knocked out of the playoffs last year by Kenosha St. Joseph, it was no secret coach Jordon Rolland and his Flying Arrows relished a chance at a rematch.

The opportunity presented itself last Friday night in a Division 6, Level 2 playoff contest between the state’s eighth-ranked Arrows (9–1) and the top-ranked Lancers (10–0).

Redemption was served on a cold blustery night in late October, as Lancaster overpowered the home team to the tune of 30–20, taking control from the start and only trailing once during the entire contest.

With linemen Evan Becwar (LT), Will Bussan (LG), T.J. Nelson (C), Connor Breuer (RG), Connor Raisbeck (RT) and Colby Lull (TE) paving the way, senior fullback Peyton Alvarado rushed for 230 yards and four touchdowns on 36 carries. He now has 1,838 rushing yards this season to go along with 25 TDs.

“The kids played well. They were definitely ready for the challenge,” coach Jordon Rolland said of his squad.

Orchestrating such a convincing victory over the state’s No. 1 ranked team took commitment and determination in all facets, but the play of Lancaster’s offensive line and defensive linebackers were both critical pieces to Friday night’s success.

Coming into Friday night’s contest, the defense of Kenosha St. Joseph had given up an average of just 4.7 points per contest, while their offense averaged a whopping 46.3 points per game. The Arrows crushed both averages, scoring 30 points on offense and giving up just 20 on defense.

The Arrows scored on their first offensive possession of the game, capping off an impressive drive with a 16-yard TD run by Alvarado. They extended there lead to 12–0 early in the second quarter, getting a 36-yard TD run from Alvarado with 10:10 to play in the first half.

Kenosha St. Joe’s closed to within 12–7 with an eight-yard TD run by quarterback Eric Kenesie and an extra-point kick by Andres Gamez.

Following a three-and-out by the Lancaster offense, the Lancers threatened again late in the second quarter, but a huge defensive stop by the Arrows preserved a 12–7 halftime lead.

Kenosha St. Joseph took their first and only lead of the game early in the third quarter, when Gordon scored on a 59-yard touchdown run on the Lancer’s second play of the opening drive. The extra-point kick by Gamez gave the home team a 14–12 lead.

The Arrows wasted little time with an answer, sustaining yet another long scoring drive that ended with a seven-yard TD run by Alvarado with 4:45 to play in the third quarter. The Arrows took an 18–14 lead into the fourth quarter, where they proceeded to outscore the Lancers, 12–6 to secure the victory.

In the fourth, Lancaster capped off a 10-play, 67-yard scoring drive with a 10-yard TD run from junior quarterback Nolan Wolf. Following a failed two-point conversion pass, the Arrows held a 24-14 lead with 8:46 to play.

Not accustomed to trailing, the Lancers seemingly panicked with a 10-point deficit and nine minutes to play, completely abandoning the run and taking to the air. On a 1st-and-15 from their own 40-yard line, Kenesie was hit just before a pass attempt, and the fumbled ball was recovered by Alvarado at the 45-yard line.

With five straight runs by Alvarado that produced 42 yards, the Arrows capped off a seven-play scoring drive with a two-yard TD run by the senior fullback, his fourth of the game.

Lancaster’s lead of 30–14 with 3:39 was never in any real danger, though St. Joe’s did get a quick score, taking one minute and 16 seconds off the clock. Following the ensuing kickoff, Lancaster took possession at their own 21-yard line, as Alvarado rushed for 24 yards on four straight carries before the Arrows could run out the clock in victory formation.

Lancaster (10–1) will travel to No. 1 seed Darlington (10–1) for a WIAA D6 Level 3 playoff game Friday night.

Roman Friederick, Sr., RB/LB, Potosi/Cassville football
POTOSI — When the field conditions warrant a straight-ahead, downhill, physical runner, Potosi/Cassville football coach Mark Siegert can thank his lucky stars to have someone like Roman Friederick in his corner.

The 6–1, 225-pound senior fullback carried the bulk of the offensive load last Friday night for the Chieftains, who defeated visiting River Ridge, 24–6, in a Level 2 Division 7 playoff contest. 

Friederick, who missed five games this season with a knee injury, returned to the team just in time for the playoffs, and has certainly been making his presence known.

After rushing for 103 yards and two TDs a week earlier against Hillsboro, Friederick rushed for a game-high 219 yards and two touchdowns on a whopping 36 carries last Friday night.

Following a couple days of rain leading up to Friday night’s contest, coach Siegert had a hunch he may just have to lean heavily on his senior fullback last Friday night. 

“You kind of know ahead of time when you’re practicing and it’s really greasy and wet. Going East or West on sweeps, or counters, or anything like that is really tough,” said Siegert. “But going in a straight line from point A to point B is a lot easier. Coach (Tony) Leibfried has that package in our playbook when we need it, so it’s great to be able to have that and to lean on someone like Roman. He ran really, really hard, and of course the offensive line did a great job too.”

On Potosi/Cassville’s first offensive possession of the game, the Chieftains drove 62 yards on 13 plays, only to turn the ball over on downs at the Timberwolves’ three-yard line.

Their second possession resulted in a 15-yard passing score from Fishnick to Adams, capping off an eight-play scoring drive that covered 40 yards in just under four minutes.

Coming out to start the third quarter, coach Siegert’s squad marched the ball down the field yet again, using 10 rushing plays to reach the end zone, and taking 5:49 off the clock. Friederick’s one-yard touchdown run and two-point conversion by Eli Adams, gave the Chieftains a 16–0 advantage.

“That was important, because we know they can move the ball,” said Siegert. “They’re explosive and they have kids that can hit pay dirt at any time. We wanted to make sure we continued to control the line of scrimmage and do the things that we needed to.”

River Ridge answered with a deep offensive surge on their next possession, but a stand by the Potosi/Cassville defense prevented the Timberwolves from getting on the scoreboard.

With both teams getting limited possessions throughout the contest, Potosi/Cassville essentially sealed the win midway through the fourth quarter on another one-yard touchdown plunge by Friederick. With the addition of a two-point conversion run by Adams, the Chieftains extended their lead to 24–0 with 5:24 to play in the contest.

The top-seeded Chieftains (10–1) will host Black Hawk/Warren (10–1) Friday night in a WIAA D7 playoff game at 7 p.m.