EDITOR'S NOTE: The Suppz.com Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week is a web-only feature that will publish each Thursday or Friday throughout the calendar year.
By Jason Nihles, The Platteville Journal / Fennimore Times / Boscobel Dial
Landon Friesen, WR/DB, Sr., Iowa–Grant football
ITHACA — After steamrolling a third straight playoff foe, Iowa–Grant is one win away from playing in its first WIAA football state championship game since 1979.
The No. 2 seeded Panthers used a 28-point second-quarter avalanche to bury top-seeded Ithaca/Weston 50–0 in a WIAA Division 7 sectional final Friday night, and Landon Friesen — this week's co-Suppz.com Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week, played a huge role in those pivotal 12-minutes.
The senior standout caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from classmate Brock Hinderman to give the Panthers (10–2) a 22–0 lead with 8:33 left in the half. Hinderman connected with Friesen for a 45-yard complete on the play prior to the touchdown.
A minute later, the IG defense forced the Bulldogs to punt from their own end zone. The Ithaca/Weston punter dropped the snap and junior Ty Cutts fell on the loose ball for another Panther touchdown.
Late in the half, Friesen picked off a Jacob Keller pass deep in IG territory and weaved his way through the Ithaca/Weston offense for a 75-yard interception return and a 34–0 lead.
Sophomore Grant Schauff picked off Keller on the Bulldogs’ next offensive play and moments later Hinderman delivered the knock out blow with a 22-yard touchdown pass to Owen Wyatt with 14.5 seconds left in the half to send IG to halftime with a 42–0 lead.
Friesen put the finishing touches on the blowout win with a 68-yard touchdown catch from Hinderman midway through the third quarter, and Cutts caught the two-point conversion pass to complete the scoring.
Friesen caught a game-high eight passes for 138 yards and two touchdowns, and intercepted two passes.
Boone Havens, WR/DB, Jr., Belmont football
WAUPACA — Pick your poison was the name of the game for Wabeno/Laona in last Friday's WIAA 8-Player state semifinal loss to #1-ranked Belmont.
In the end, the Braves' multiple offensive weapons (Temperly, Havens, Harcus, McNett) were too much to contain as Belmont pulled away for a 50–26 victory over the Rebels and will now play Gilman (12–0) in the 8-Player state championship Saturday at 1 p.m. at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln High School.
One of Belmont's brightest stars Friday night was junior WR/DB Boone Havens, who shares this week's -Suppz.com Swnews4u.com Athlete of the Week award, after scoring two touchdowns and a two-point conversion on offense, while recording seven tackles and an interception on defense.
Havens scored on a 27-yard touchdown pass from classmate Wyatt Temperly to open the scoring just over two minutes into the game.
Belmont took a 14–8 lead on a 21-yard Temperly to Griffin McNett TD pass, and later padded their advantage, capitalizing on an interception from Havens with 2:06 left in the first frame on the Rebels’ 41.
The Braves orchestrated a 10-play drive over 5:53 of regulation, finalized by a direct snap to McNett from four yards out. McNett then fired off a 2-point pass to Harcus, extending the lead to 22–8.
After W/L scored a little more than a minute later, Belmont drove 74 yards and scored with just two seconds left in the half on a 27-yard pass to Havens on another streak route with a perfectly placed pass from Temperly in the back corner of the end zone and Belmont took a 28–14 lead into halftime.
Havens finished the game with a team-high five catches for 92 yards for the winners.
HONORABLE MENTION (in alphabetical order):
Oliver Harcus, Jr., RB/LB, Belmont football
Harcus rushed for 119 yards and two touchdowns and recorded seven tackles in the Braves' 50–26 WIAA 8-Player state semifinal victory over Wabeno/Laona.
Griffin McNett, Jr., RB/WR/DB, Belmont football
Harcus caught a pair of touchdowns, rushed for a third, threw a two-point conversion pass, intercepted a pass and recorded a co-team-high eight tackles in the Belmont's 50–26 WIAA 8-Player state semifinal victory over Wabeno/Laona.
Blake Reynolds, Sr., QB/LB, River Ridge football
Reynolds completed 7 of 10 passes for 100 yards and two touchdowns — including a game-winning 27-yard touchdown pass to classmate Preston Gage with 2:58 left in the game — to lead the No. 2 seeded Timberwolves (11–1) to a 25-21 comeback win over #1-ranked Cochrane–Fountain City (11–1) in a WIAA Division 7 sectional final last Friday night. Reynolds also rushed for 65 yards on 15 carries, and recorded a team-high nine tackles and forced a fumble on defense in the victory.
Zeke Zuberbuehler, Sr., QB, Darlington football
Zuberbuehler rushed for a game-high 143 yards and 2 touchdowns, and passed for a third in the #1-ranked Redbirds' 47–28 WIAA Division 5 sectional final win over Durand–Arkansaw (10–2) last Friday night. Zuberbuehler and the reigning D6 state champions will face fellow unbeaten Amherst (12–0) Friday in a D5 state semifinal at Horicon High School at 7 p.m.
