MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (July 18–24)
WFCA SMALL SCHOOLS ALL-STAR GAME: North 21, South 14
OSHKOSH — Potosi/Cassville’s Cyrus Siegert and Nate Wieseler played one final game as prep teammates Saturday at the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Small Schools (Division 4–7) All-Star Game at UW–Oshkosh’s Titan Stadium.
Siegert had the added bonus of playing for his father Mark Siegert, who was the South head coach, one final time.
A thunderstorm and a pair of delays moved the scheduled 1:30 p.m. start time, but eventually the game kicked off at 4:30 p.m.
The South team dropped a 21–14 decision to the North All-Stars, but the pair of Chieftains made lifetime memories and new friendships that may last a lifetime from the week-long experience.
Siegert, the 2018 Six Rivers Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year, split time at inside linebacker and finished with one tackle in the game.
Wieseler, a first-team All-SRC lineman, split time on the defensive line and helped hold the North to 142 yards of total offense.
This year, players again raised money for the American Family Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin and set an All-Star Game record of more than $180,000 raised by all six teams.
“The kids on our team alone raised over $85,000,” said coach Siegert. “We did an awesome job of fundraising. Each team has a goal to get a certain amount of money to donate; that’s part of- that’s the reason we’re here and the reason why we get to do this.”
The South got on the scoreboard first on a 19-yard touchdown run by Martin Luther’s Darious Crawley–Reid midway through the opening quarter. Mineral Point’s Curtis Cox added the extra point for a 7–0 lead.
The North responded with a touchdown drive on the ensuing possession. Stratford’s Kade Ehrike scored from nine yards out and Abbotsford’s Joseph Aguilera booted the point after to tie the game at 7–7 with 1:01 left in the first quarter.
An interception by Fennimore’s Maguire Fitzgerald’s at the South 15 early in the second quarter stopped a scoring threat kept the score tied momentarily, but Iola–Scandinvia’s Bryce Huettner scored on a 9-yard run with 2:37 left in the half on the North’s next possession as the North stars claimed a 14–7 halftime advantage.
The South stars tied the game late in the third quarter when Lakeside Lutheran’s Caleb Raymond recovered a fumble in the end zone. Cox’s extra point made it 14–14 with 4:17 left in the third quarter.
The put together the game-winning drive early in the fourth quarter and Ehrike crashed through from a yard out for the winning score with 8:11 left in the game.
Prairie du Chien’s Jason Thiry and River Valley’s Kevin Billington were assistant coaches for the South.
Other area all-stars that played on the Small Schools South team were Black Hawk’s Colby Argall (RB) and Reece Shelton (DB), Cuba City’s Brayden Holzemer (WR), Fennimore’s Logan O’Brien and Maguire Fitzgerald, Highland’s Drew Hennessey (TE/P), Lancaster’s Troy Klein (LB), Mineral Point’s Curtis Cox (K), Pecatonica/Argyle’s Colton Schraepfer (DB), Prairie du Chien’s Gavin Gillitzer (QB, injured) and Tyler Smock (DB), and River Valley’s Shane Liegel (LB) and Keegan Smith (DL).
Liegel led the South with seven tackles. Schraepfer and Shelton each finished with four tackles, while Fitzgerald and Klein were each in on three stops. Smith finished with two tackles. Shelton also played offense and had one carry for nine yards.
Argall caught two passes for 26 yards. Holzemer hauled in two passes for 22 yards. Smock had one carry for one yard and one catch for three yards.
The South won the 8-Player All-Star game 21–8 Saturday morning, while the North won the Large Schools (D1–3) All-Star Game 19–11 Saturday night.
WFCA Small Schools All-Star Game
North 21, South 14
(from Saturday, July 20 @ UW–Oshkosh)
South 7 0 7 0 — 14
North 7 7 0 7 — 21
First quarter
S: Darious Crawley-Reid (Martin Luther) 19 run (Curtis Cox (Mineral Point) kick), 5:34
N: Kade Ehrike (Stratford) 9 run (Joseph Aguilera kick), 1:01
Second quarter
N: Bryce Huettner (Iola-Scandinavia) 9 run (Aguilera kick), 2:37
Third quarter
S: Caleb Raymond fumble return (Lakeside Lutheran), Cox kick), 4:17
Fourth quarter
N: Ehrike 1 run (Aguilera kick), 8:11
First downs — S n/a, N n/a. Rushing — S 22-47, N 42-142. Passing (comp-att-int, yds) — S 11-23-1, 118; N 0-5-1, 0. Fumbles–lost — S 1-1, N 0-0.
Individual Offensive Leaders
Rushing — S: Darious Crawley-Reid (Martin Luther) 8-39; N: Bryce Huettner (Iola-Scandinavia) 12-70. Passing — S: Mitch Waechter (St. Marys Springs) 11-23-1, 118; N: Jarred Mandel (Spencer/Columbus Catholic) 0-4-1, 0. Receiving — S: Rudy Hommen (Cambridge) 2-48, Colby Argall (Black Hawk) 2-26, Brayden Holzemer (Cuba City) 2-22; N: none.
Individual Defensive Leaders
Tackles — S: Shane Liegel (River Valley) 7, Colton Schraepfer (Pecatonica/Argyle) 4, Reece Shelton (Black Hawk) 4, Maguire Fitzgerald (Fennimore) 3, Troy Klein (Lancaster) 3, Keegan Smith (River Valley) 2, Cyrus Siegert (Potosi/Cassville) 1; N: Caden Boettcher 5. Interceptions — S: Maguire Fitzgerald (Fennimore) 1, N:Andrew Barnes (Cumberland) 1.
