All season long, the game plan for the JWP Bulldogs has been to run the football.
So that’s what they did in the Section 2AA playoff quarterfinal against the NRHEG Panthers Tuesday, Oct. 22 at Janesville.
The Bulldogs ran on all but six offensive plays and handed the Panthers an 8-0 setback. It ended NRHEG’s season at 3-6 overall while JWP improved to 5-4.
“It was an end to the season we didn’t expect,” said NRHEG coach Marc Kruger. “It’s not the way we thought it would be.”
The game was fairly even from a yardage perspective, with JWP outgaining the Panthers 260-225, but the Bulldogs ground out 19 first downs to the Panthers’ five while holding onto the ball for more than 29 minutes. JWP outrushed NRHEG 234-49.
“It was a very even game, each team playing really well,” said Kruger.
But the Panthers couldn’t capitalize on three red zone appearances and the Bulldogs overcame six turnovers.
The lone score came on a 4-yard run in the third quarter by Jagger Ignaszewski, who rushed for 199 yards on 47 carries.
Panthers quarterback Blake Ihrke was 10 for 27 for 167 yards and no interceptions, with Lonnie Wilson hauling in four passes for 118 yards.
Clay Stenzel was in on 14 tackles and recovered two fumbles to lead a very active NRHEG defense. Ihrke and Bo Budach had 12 tackles apiece, Hunter Knutson nine.
NRHEG 0 0 0 0 - 0
JWP 0 0 8 0 - 8
First Quarter
No scoring
Second Quarter
No scoring
Third Quarter
JWP — Ignaszewski 4 run (Weimert run)
Fourth Quarter
No scoring
NRHEG JWP
First downs 5 19
Total plays 52 62
Rushing 24-49 58-234
Passing 16-27-1 4-6-0
Passing Yds. 179 26
Total yards 225 260
Fumbles-lost 2-2 5-5
Penalties 2-15 2-20
Turnovers 2 6
Third down 2-12 9-12
Fourth down 0-1 2-4
Time of poss. 18:26 29:34
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing - NRHEG: Ihrke 8-25; Schlaak 7-13; Staloch 4-9; L.Wilson 5-2; JWP: Ignaszewski 47-199; Morsching 8-26; Weimert 3-9
Passing - NRHEG: Ihrke 10-27-0, 167; L.Wilson 1-1-0, 8; JWP: Weimert 3-4-1, 26
Receiving - NRHEG: L.Wilson 4-118; Staloch 3-38; Ihrke 1-9; Reyna 1-7; Schlaak 2-4; JWP: Ignaszewski 2-23; Morsching 1-3
Tackles - Stenzel 14, 2 fumble rec.; Ihrke 12; Budach 12, 1 forced fumble; H.Knutson 9, 1 fumble rec.; M.Knutson 7; Wilson 6, 1 forcced fumble, 1 int.; Schlaak 5, 1 fumble rec.; Gushwa 6; Reyna 5; Beauvais 5; Seltun 5, 1 fumble rec.; Thompson 2; Routh 2; Howieson 1 fumble rec.
Football
South Central Blue District
Dist. Ov.
Maple River 5-0 6-2
MCW 4-1 5-3
GFW 3-2 6-2
NRHEG 2-3 3-5
LCWM 1-4 2-6
LeSueur-Henderson 0-5 1-7
Wednesday, Oct. 16 results
GFW 52, NRHEG 15
Maple River 21, Martin County West 7
LCWM 26, LeSueur-Henderson 20
End regular season