POTOSI – There was little doubt last Friday night as to whom was the better team as the host Potosi Chieftains cruised to a 44–24 win over visiting Williams Bay in a Division 7 Level 1 football playoff game.
Coach Mark Siegert and his squad improved to 9–1 with the win, and will host third-seeded Burlington Catholic Central this Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m. in Level 2 playoff action. Catholic Central is coming off a 38–22 victory over Shullsburg.
The Chieftains had it all working Friday night, as they rushed for 231 yards and two touchdowns, while gaining 178 yards and three TDs through the air.
Senior return man Riley Hawes even got things going on special teams when he opened up the scoring with a 79-yard punt return early in the first quarter to give Potosi a 6–0 lead.
The Chieftains took control of the game early by scoring 22 points in the first quarter, then 15 more in the second, to hold a 37–3 lead at halftime.
The two teams then traded touchdowns in the third quarter before the Bulldogs got two scores in the fourth against Potosi’s second stringers.
Leading Potosi’s ground attack was senior fullback Brent Curtis, who gained 93 yards and scored one touchdown on just six carries.
Curtis also had a two-point conversion run and caught a 70-yard TD pass to start the second quarter. In all, Curtis touched the ball eight times, gained 166 yards, scored two touchdowns and had one two-point conversion run.
Junior Nathan Friederick carried the ball four times for 54 yards, including a one-yard TD run in the second quarter, while fellow junior Teagan Friederick had nine carries for 74 yards, including a long of 39.
Senior quarterback Kyle Kaiser, who was playing through a badly sprained ankle, was equally as efficient through the air, completing 7 of 8 passing attempt for 175 yards and three touchdowns.
Hawes led the team with four catches for 46 yards, including a four-yard TD catch in the first quarter.
Kaiser also hooked up with junior Jacob Udelhoven for a 56-yard score early in the third, while Dan Post and Teagan Friederick each had one catch.
Defensively, the Chieftains were equally as dominant, holding the Bulldogs to just three points in the first half, before the Potosi reserves gave up 21 points late in the game.
Curtis led the Potosi defense with 16 total tackles, while Dan Nusbaum had 12, including three for a loss.
WIAA Division 7 Level I playoff game
Potosi 44,
Williams Bay 24
(from Friday, Oct. 24 @ Potosi)
#7 Williams Bay 3 0 6 15 — 24
#2 Potosi 22 15 7 0 — 44
First quarter
P: Spencer Hawes 79 punt return (Brent Curtis run)
P: Curtis 1 run (Daniel Post pass from Kyle Kaiser)
WB: FG Canzales 24
P: Hawes 4 pass from Kaiser (pass failed)
Second quarter
P: Curtis 70 pass from Kaiser (Gunther Williams kick)
P: Teagan Friederick 1 run (Friederick pass from Hawes)
Third quarter
P: Jacob Udelhoven 56 pass from Kaiser (Williams kick)
WB: Clark 2 run (pass failed)
Fourth quarter
WB: Breen 26 pass from John Higgins (Canizales kick)
WB: Higgins 7 run (Higgins run)
Team Statistics
First downs — WB 17, P 10. Rushing — WB 32-111, P 32-203. Passing yards: WB 204, P 175. Passing — WB 14-33-1, P 7-8-0. Fumbles-lost — WB 1-0, P 1-2. Penalties-yards — WB 3-22, P 9-70.
Individual leaders
Rushing — WB: Higgins 13-71; P: Brent Curtis 6-93, Teagan Friederick 9-74. Passing — WB: 14-33-1, 204; P: Kyle Kaiser 7-8-0, 175. Receiving — WB: Breen 5-106; P: Riley Hawes 4-46.
