D7 Battle For a Trip to State Brings Out the Best From the Best

What a night it was in Wisconsin Rapids, WI at Lincoln High School! 12-0 Lourdes Academy and 12-0 Cochrane- Fountain City came together for a showdown that would send the winner to Camp Randall Stadium to battle for the D7 crown. The stakes were clearly understood by both rosters and coaching staffs as everyone were giving their absolute best on and off the field. The defenses were unbelievably stout, forcing the opposing offense to earn every single yard.   The points were even harder to come by. However, the first came on the first drive following a fumble recovery on the opening kickoff. RB [player_tooltip player_id='2049866' first='Ethan' last='Smith'] would punch it in on the goal line on 4th & goal. That would be the only score of the first quarter. Early in the 2nd quarter Lourdes Academy would finally tie things up when junior QB/LB [player_tooltip player_id='1226971' first='Brady' last='Bauer'] would run the QB counter in for a short TD. C-FC did a great job of regaining their lead quickly. On the following drive QB Parker Kujak would weave through the defense and break loose for a 55 yard TD run. One of the only big chunk play of the entire game. It looked like C-FC would score again just before the half, but the LA defense would force an incompletion as time expired keeping their deficit to 7-14 at the half.   The second half started off with more defensive dominance. It was once again [player_tooltip player_id='1226971' first='Brady' last='Bauer'], this time flying around at LB, who would make the difference. He would perfectly read and intercept a screen pass and return it for 6, however a flag would bring it back a bit. The field position still gave LA a great scoring chance and that is what they did. Tying the game on another QB run from [player_tooltip player_id='1226971' first='Brady' last='Bauer']. The rest of regulation would be more huge defensive blows back and forth until the final whistle blew and sent us to OT.   The switch to overtime didn't change the way this game played out. Every yard seemed to be even harder to gain. C-FC was up to bat first and would have the door slammed shut on 4th and short by Edge [player_tooltip player_id='1426803' first='Harlan' last='Kuehn']. Things seemed to be coming up positive for LA. They worked into field goal range, but that is when the momentum was taken from them. The field goal attempt would double doink off the right upright, bounce off the crossbar and bounce back into the field instead of through for the game-winning points. LA did a good job of staying focused. They started OT2 on offense, got some yards and gave their kicker another chance. However, the C-FC defensive unit would get their hands up for the block not once, but twice after the first attempt was nullified by an offsides. C-FC had just as hard of a time moving the ball on offense in OT2, and would have to settle for a field goal of their own. Their attempt would fly true and go right through the uprights for 3 giving C-FC the 17-14 double OT victory! It was an unreal game. High intensity, effort, big plays, momentum swings, and two rosters that never showed an ounce of quit. Both teams should be proud of that game.   With all that said, good luck to C-FC Thursday morning at State! I will be there to watch you all go to war again. Also congrats to Lourdes Academy on a historic season. I can't wait to see what they do next year with all their returning talent. Now let's talk about the individual talent in this game that the next level is going to want to get eyes on.   <h2 class="wp-block-heading">Recruits of the Game</h2>    Stats: 64 Passing Yards, 70 Rushing Yards, 1 Rush TD, 4 Tackles   2027 Parker Kujak is the leader of the C-FC offense. The junior brings a dual threat to the backfield. On the night we didn't see a ton of passing, but his rushing sparked success for C-FC. His 55 yard rushing TD seemed poised to happen at some point. The '27 ATH is agile and has that second gear in space and finally was able to flex both on that run. The junior did really well on the backend of the defense too, providing a last line of defense with his range. C-FC will need a big day from the junior on Thursday.     Stats: 5 Tackles, 2 TFLs   Caleb was one of the athletes I had circled when looking through the roster that I wanted to dive into more. He has a solid frame with length that will be able to fill out further at the next level. Friday night Caleb flashed several times on defense. He flew off the lines and made multiple disruptive plays, including stops in the backfield. Those TFLs highlighted his quick burst as he was in the backfield as soon as the ball was handed off to make the tackle. His tackles were some stout hits too, shutting down all forward momentum. Controlling the line of scrimmage will be huge on Thursday and Caleb will be one of the key contributors towards that.     Stats: 13 Carries, 95 Yards, 5 Tackles   One of the top players in this game was junior [player_tooltip player_id='1589842' first='Aidan' last='Lisowski']. Aidan was a runaway freight train as a ball carrier. Every step he takes is loaded with power and ready to unload on a defender trying to tackle him. His powerful lower body allowed him to move the pile and gain yards after contact. The 2027 ATH was a tone setter for the C-FC offense, wearing down the defense and grinding out tough yards. Then on defense we saw that same physicality as he could easily take on blocks and shed quickly then make tackles. I can't wait to watch him again on Thursday morning vs another talented front seven.     Stats: 3 Receptions, 34 Yards, 4 Tackles   Tye did a little bit of everything Friday night. He had just over half the team's receiving yards, winning early in the route so his QB could have a quick, easy throw. He made his biggest impact on defense where he is a CB for the unit. Tye was asked to play on an island and delivered on providing tight coverage. I'm excited to see if he can make even more of an impact in the passing game at State.     Stats: 24 Carries, 84 Yards, 1 TD, 1 Reception, 10 Yards, 9 Tackles, 2 TFLs   Ethan seemed to be everywhere Friday night. He carried the ball a ton and grinned out some very tough yards. Including his TD on the goal line where he had to fight for every inch. On offense we saw him flash some agility through traffic, and on defense we saw that maximized. He is undersized but found ways to get involved in so many tackles. His play through traffic and agility/quickness got him to the ball before OL could get to him over and over. The senior even was able to get penetration and stops in the backfield. Ethan is a Swiss Army knife that finds ways to make an impact on both sides of the ball.     Stats: 20/27, 144 Yards Passing, 18 Carries, 51 Yards, 2 TDs, 3 Tackles, 1 INT   Brady was the engine that moved the offense up and down the field. He put together more success through the air than I was expecting. Getting the ball out quickly, making good reads and placing the ball accurately. The yards he gained on the ground showed off the power in his 220 lbs frame as he tried to wear down the defense hitting them for 3-4 yards at a time. On defense we saw that same physical prowess as he would power through OTs on the edge to get pressure on the opposing QB and also set a stout edge vs the run game. This was the junior's first season leading the offense, so I'm looking forward to the leap he makes over this offseason. He is in line for what could be a big senior season with Lourdes Academy.     Stats: 3 Receptions, 36 Yards, 5 Tackles, 1 TFL   One of the best players in this game was [player_tooltip player_id='1426803' first='Harlan' last='Kuehn']. The 2027 DE/TE made several eye-catching plays. To start, I was impressed by his play at TE. I have been focused on his defensive work, but the long and lean target showed the body control to adjust to the ball last second and the natural hands to reel it in from outside his frame. On defense is where he made his biggest plays. The junior used that length so well to get separation and then could use his hands to disengage and get to the ball. That was highlighted on his 4th down stop in the first OT when he flew into the backfield to tackle the QB and force a turnover on downs. There are so many raw tools to like with the 2027 from his frame to his athleticism to his ability to step up in the big moments. Make sure this kid in on your radars and camp invite list this offseason.     Stats: 11 Receptions, 90 Yards, 3 Tackles, 1 TFL   It was great to see Lucas flying around the field live. The junior was a constant winner in the offseason at camps, so watching it translate was great to verify. Lucas sparked some huge moments for LA. He set up the tying TD with a deep reception showing off the speed, hands, and ball tracking. He also did really well turning some quick catches into chunk plays thanks to his vision, agility, and that second gear in space. It was also great to see the junior flying around on defense at CB providing tight coverage and also showing that he will come downhill to make tackles. The 2027 playmaker is heading into a big offseason and summer. Very excited to cover it!     Stats: 10 Tackles, 2 Receptions, 12 Yards, 17 Rushing Yards   This kid was stout and hard-hitting Friday night. In the key downs it always seemed to be Brady stepping up for the stop. The clutch senior showed off his ability to quickly read and react and also his power to play through blocks and still get to the ball. Brady has a solid frame to continue to pack strength onto at the next level too. I can see him carving out a career on one of the fantastic D3 programs in WI. Check this senior out.     Stats: 12 Tackles, 1 Sack   The junior LB was a tackling machine. The LA defense was extremely stout all night long and a big reason was the instincts of Max. He was everywhere and seemed to be a step ahead of the OL, making him a nightmare to try and get a hat on before he could close and make a tackle. Max did a great job in this game and all season playing in the trenches and keeping himself clean while doing it. The 2027 will be back next year and in line for a massively productive senior year.

What a night it was in Wisconsin Rapids, WI at Lincoln High School! 12-0 Lourdes Academy and 12-0 Cochrane- Fountain City came together for a showdown that would send the winner to Camp Randall Stadium to battle for the D7 crown. The stakes were clearly understood by both rosters and coaching staffs as everyone were giving their absolute best on and off the field. The defenses were unbelievably stout, forcing the opposing offense to earn every single yard.