Ozaukee stings Turtle Lake late

A long drive proved to be worth the trip after a clutch fourth-quarter score for Ozaukee High School’s football team on Friday night.

With less than four and a half minutes to play, quarterback Mitch Weyker found Logan Bell for a 24-yard touchdown pass to tie the game. Carson Rennicke kicked the extra point to take the lead, and the Warriors held on to beat Turtle Lake in Schofield, 21-20.

“I’m really proud of how hard the kids worked. They battled for four quarters,” coach Jim Lippe said.

The Warriors struggled early, falling behind, 12-0, after the first quarter. Turtle Lake failed on both of its two-point conversions.

“We struggled stopping their run. They are a very good football team, but we kept hanging in there, kept finding ways to get things done, especially on offense,” Lippe said.

Ozaukee got on the board with just less than eight minutes to play in the first half. Brent Hoffmann ran for a 5-yard score, making it 12-7 at the break.

In the third quarter, the Warriors took the lead with a 2-yard touchdown run by Weyker.

Turtle Lake answered in the fourth on a 12-yard touchdown run with less than nine minutes to play, before Weyker’s winning pass.

Weyker went 9-for-13 passing for 147 yards with a touchdown and interception.

Lippe praised Rennicke and Bell for making plays on offense, and the boys up front.

“Our o-line definitely improved over the last two weeks,” he said.

On defense, Bell, Ben Berweger and Blake West all had stellar games, Lippe said.

Bell had 11 solo tackles and seven assists. Hoffmann added nine solo tackles and six assists, and Berweger tallied seven solos and five assists.

Turtle Lake had 281 yards rushing.

Ozaukee scheduled the game after an opponent without enough players to field a varsity team dropped off of its schedule. The closest school the Warriors could find with the same open date was Turtle Lake. D.C. Everest High School in Schofield is about the midpoint between the two schools, about a two-and-a-half-hour drive away.

The Warriors climbed to 2-2 overall.

On Friday, Ozaukee will hold its annual tailgate party with food, games and activities from 5 to 6:30 p.m. before hosting Big East Conference opponent Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian (0-5) at 7 p.m.