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Written by Debbie Hamm
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Wednesday, 29 September 2010 18:00 |
 Sputtering offense, mistakes upend Ozaukee in battle with Dutchmen for Central Lakeshore top spot
A marquee matchup unfolded last Friday when the Ozaukee football team traveled to Oostburg for a first-place battle in the Central Lakeshore Conference.
It took some late-game excitement, but the host Flying Dutchmen emerged with a 15-6 victory that gave them sole possession of the top spot.
Oostburg clung to a 7-6 lead for more than three quarters before adding an insurance touchdown on a 17-yard run by Alex Stecker with 5 minutes, 16 seconds left to play.
The Warriors blocked the ensuing extra-point kick, but the ball went right into the hands of Stecker, who ran it in for a two-point conversion.
Ozaukee, which managed just 142 yards in total offense, was unable to muster a scoring threat the rest of the way.
“Oostburg is a really solid, well-coached football team,” said Ozaukee coach Jim Lippe said.
“We had chances. Our boys played really, really hard, but they just couldn’t get over the hump.
“We made too many mistakes, and you can’t win when you make mistakes against a good team.”
The Dutchmen, who improved to 3-0 in league play, jumped ahead midway through the first quarter on a 28-yard touchdown run by Mike Keller. Sam Schouten’s extra point made it 7-0.
The Warriors (2-1) were quick to answer, needing only 1:13 to reach the end zone.
Tailback Devon Linzenmeyer broke free for a 44-yard touchdown sprint with 5:06 left in the opening period.
Eric Hartnett missed the conversion, but Ozaukee had pulled within 7-6.
The rest of the game was a defensive battle.
“Our defense played really well, especially (lineman) Jim D’Angelo and (linebacker) Ben Haas,” Lippe said.
“We definitely had opportunities to win that game. If our special teams would have done better and we could have punched in some scores, we could have won.”
Early in the fourth quarter, Ozaukee put together a drive that nearly resulted in a go-ahead score.
After quarterback Alex Janke narrowly missed completing a touchdown pass to tight end Steve Street, the Warriors had to settle for a 36-yard field goal try. Harnett’s kick sailed just wide on
an attempt that would have put them ahead, 9-7.
It was Ozaukee’s second missed field goal of the night.
But would-haves don’t count, and the Dutchmen tacked on their insurance touchdown to seal the outcome.
“Our kids have come a long way,” Lippe said. “The last three times we’ve played Oostburg, there’s been a total of 120 points for Oostburg and zero for Ozaukee. They are a good program with a good coach.
“I was proud of the kids, but I told them there is no such thing as a moral victory. You either win or lose, and we lost.
“We have to get back to work, work hard, hopefully we win out and get into the playoffs.”
Linzenmeyer, a junior, provided most of the Warriors’ offense, collecting 90 rushing yards on 18 carries.
Oostburg finished with 254 offensive yards, led by Dustin Veldboom’s 129 rushing yards on 20 carries. Stecker added 73 yards on 14 carries.
Ozaukee fell to second place in the conference standings with Cedar Grove-Belgium, a team the Warriors defeated Sept. 10.
This Friday, Cedar Grove-Belgium (2-1) will play at Oostburg, while Ozaukee hosts Elkhart (1-2). If the Rockets win, and Ozaukee defeats Elkhart Lake, there will be a three-way tie for the CLC lead.
“That Oostburg-Cedar Grove game Friday should be an epic battle between two really good teams,” Lippe said.
“Obviously, I’m rooting for Cedar Grove.”
Ozaukee will face Elkhart Lake at 7 p.m.
OZAUKEE QUARTERBACK Alex Janke found himself wrapped up by an Oostburg defender during Friday’s battle for sole possession of first place in the Central Lakeshore Conference. Photo by Sam Arendt |
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News
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Written by Steve Ostermann
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Wednesday, 29 September 2010 17:58 |
Rejuvenated second half carries Grafton soccer team to top honors at home invite
The Grafton boys’ soccer team worked overtime — and then some — to secure bragging rights at their own Black Hawk Invitational tournament last Saturday.
After rallying for a 1-1 deadlock in regulation against Fond du Lac, the Hawks endured 20 minutes of overtime before winning a 6-5 shootout to take the title.
“It was a real battle,” Grafton coach Don Arnold said.
“The first 50 minutes, I thought we were sleepwalking, not connecting on a lot of passes. But in the last 20 to 30 minutes of regulation and the overtime, we put a lot of pressure on them.”
Fond du Lac took a 1-0 lead early in the second half and remained in front until the 70th minute, when junior Bensa Jasz pulled the Hawks even with a goal.
After both teams failed to find the net in overtime, the game moved to penalty kicks.
Alex Lorbecki provided the winning shot in sudden death after each team converted five consecutive attempts in the opening round.
Ryan Kearns, Wolfgang Pilarski, Michael Salm, Alex Konop and Nick Markworth each scored for Grafton in the first round.
“The guys were excited. It was good to see them get a reward for their hard work,” said Arnold, whose team duplicated a shootout win over Fond du Lac in the final of last year’s Black Hawk Invitational.
The title game, which counts as a regular-season tie, left Grafton with a 5-6-5 overall record.
In Friday’s semifinals of the four-team tournament, Grafton blanked Luxemburg-Casco, 5-0, and Fond du Lac defeated Kenosha St. Joseph, 6-1.
The Hawks did all their scoring in the second half. After C.J. Koehler, Jacob Kellett and Alex Lorbecki each scored, Martine Olavarrieta added two goals in the 79th minute.
Kearns was credited with two assists, and Lorbecki, Kevin Wegner and Nick Bocanegra had one apiece.
Grafton 4, Milwaukee Lutheran 0
The Hawks exploded for four second-half goals in a North Shore Conference road win Sept. 23.
With the wind at its back, Grafton got goals from Wegner, Salm, Jacob Wilde and Olavarrieta in the 57th through 66th minutes.
“We had some chances in the first half, but it was tough going against the wind,” Arnold said. “After that, we really stayed on the attack.”
The Hawks, who improved to 3-2 in NSC play, had a 22-2 edge in shots.
This week, Grafton faced Germantown in a North Shore game Tuesday and will play a 4:30 p.m. match Thursday against visiting Milwaukee King and a 7 p.m. homecoming game Friday against Franklin.
On Oct. 5, the Hawks will conclude the NSC schedule by hosting Port Washington at 7 p.m.
University School 3, Port Washington 2
The host Pirates failed to protect a first-half lead in a nonconference loss last Saturday.
Port held a 2-0 edge after Danny Karrels scored in the third minute, assisted by D.J. Soya, and Marcus Lackovic scored off a steal in the 34th minute.
However, University School became the aggressor in the second period, countering with goals in the 60th and 68th minutes and adding the winner in the 77th minute.
“We played very well in the first half, but after that we played too soft,” Port coach Mike Bultman said. “It was like we felt we just had to defend them rather than be aggressive offensively.”
Port was also hurt by the loss of Karrels, a standout senior forward, who sat out much of the game with a pulled muscle.
The loss dropped the Pirates to 5-9 overall.
Cedarburg 8, Port Washington 1
It was all Bulldogs in a lopsided North Shore Conference road loss for Port on Sept. 21.
Taking control from the start, Cedarburg scored four unanswered goals before Karrels found the net in the 40th minute to make it 4-1 at halftime.
The Bulldogs pulled away with two goals in the first three minutes of the second period. They finished with a 27-3 edge in shots.
“Cedarburg has a very good team and just outplayed us,” Bultman said. “We didn’t stay with our marks and couldn’t match up with them.”
Port fell to 1-4 in conference play.
This week, the Pirates played Homestead on Tuesday and will host Brown Deer in a 7 p.m. homecoming game Thursday.
On Saturday, Port will participate in the eight-team Rocket Invitational hosted by Cedar Grove-Belgium.
PORT WASHINGTON’S Marcus Lackovic shielded a University School player from the ball during their teams’ nonconference match Saturday. Photo by Sam Arendt
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