Forgive the Brent Musberger intro, but I get a little worked up for these things. It's about 35 minutes before kickoff of Oshkosh West and Fond du Lac. Check back here often for updates, insight and general sarcastic humor throughout the night.
You can also click here for updated scores and highlights from other games. My radio isn't working too well because of the rainy weather in the area, but I'll also post scores here as I hear of them.
Thanks for reading!
32 minutes before kickoff: I just thought I should let everyone know that there is more media here than for some lower level college games. I think I'm the only print media person, but there are two radio stations and two public access television stations set up to call this game. I'm occupying a box that is supposed to be used by WRST, the UW-Oshkosh student station, but I don't think they call games. At least I hope they don't, because I'm rather comfy and don't want to move.
8:37, first quarter: Aside from an 11-yard run by Chris Agrell on the game's first play, neither team is doing much of anything. It looks like Fondy's Ben Anderson is having some troubles getting his feet underneath him on the FieldTurf at Titan, which is quite slick from a soft drizzle. Both teams punted on their first possession.
End 1st quarter, 0-0: It's still scoreless, but West is at the Fondy 45 and just converted a fourth-and-1.
***Oshkosh West 7, Fond du Lac 0, 9:18 left, 2nd quarter: Kyle Hanford scored on a 9-yard run for the Wildcats, but the play that set it all up was a 30-yard pass from Tyler Wegner to Jamie Braasch. That brought the ball to the Fondy 14, and a 5-yard run by Robert Reed set up Hanford's 9-yard score.
3:00 left, 2nd quarter: Fondy's Will Dhonau left the game with an apparent knee injury. He's been looked at on the sidelines right now and had to be helped off the field. West, meanwhile, is putting together another drive. Keeping the ball on the ground, the Wildcats are at midfield.
Oshkosh West 7, Fond du Lac 3, Halftime: Quite the turn of events here at Titan Stadium. After West and Fondy traded interceptions, a 73-yard run by Fondy's Paul Biolo brought the ball down to the West 22. An 11-yard run by Josh Korb set up a 28-yard field goal by Kyle Senn just before the second quarter ended. Prior to Korb's 73-yard run, Fondy only had 17 rushing yards and one first down. Fondy gets the ball to start the second half.
Halftime thoughts: Anyone that has seen this game is probably tickled pink that Fondy was able to scrap a field goal out of that first half. This game could very easily be 14-0 instead of 7-3. The Cards are having big trouble moving the ball, and Ben Anderson hasn't looked comfortable at all dropping back to pass. The turf is slick and the rain is starting to pick up a bit.
The defense has been playing well in spurts, and has contained Chris Agrell for the most part. Agrell only has 8 carries for 28 yards, but Kyle Hanford and Robert Reed have combined for an additional 47 rushing yards.
***Fond du Lac 10, Oshkosh West 7, 6:29 left, 3rd quarter: So much for not being able to move the ball. The Cardinals opened the second half with an 11-play, 64-yard drive capped on a 7-yard touchdown run by Mike Shea, his first carry of the game. Shea replaced fullback Steve Chesna, who was injured on the previous play but walked off the field on his own power.
End of the third quarter: Fondy has all the momentum in this game. West fumbled just as it was about to take the lead, but the Cardinals recovered in the end zone for a touchback. Anderson just completed a 17-yard pass to a wide-open Kyle Duquaine over the middle, and Fondy is moving the ball again.
4:01 left: Fondy is going to hand this game over to its defense. Facing a fourth-and-2 at the West 46, coach Brad Kozaczuk has elected to punt rather than risk going for it. Fondy leads 10-7.
2:00 left: Chris Agrell fumbled on what may be West's last possession of the game, and Fondy takes over at its own 35. Moments earlier, Agrell looked to have broken loose for the potential go-ahead score, but was dragged down at midfield after a 43-yard gain.
1:18 left: West has the ball at midfield after a 35-yard pass from Wegner to Jamie Braasch.
:56 left: It's all but over. Paul Biolo intercepted a tipped pass at the Fondy 13. West had its chances.
Fond du Lac 10, Oshkosh West 7: Once again, the Fondy defense holds tough. Forcing a fumble when West was nearing the goal line was probably the biggest play of the season for the Cardinals.
But the offense deserves credit, too. The 11-play, 64-yard drive to start the second half was a thing of beauty, and exactly what coach Brad Kozaczuk had in mind when he implemented this version of the wing-T offense.
With a playoff spot already in its pocket, Fondy now becomes West fans. The Wildcats play Kimberly next week, and probably needs to beat the Papermakers for Fondy to have a chance at least a share of the conference title.
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