Port battles Bay to the bitter end

Port Washington High School’s football team looked nothing like a one-win squad last Friday at Whitefish Bay.

The Pirates nearly doubled their win total, driving into Blue Dukes’ territory late in the game “and just ran out of time,” coach John Bunyan said.

“It was one of our best complete games of the year.”

Whiteifsh Bay escaped with a 21-14 victory.

The Blue Dukes drove 74 yards in six minutes, scoring the game-winning touchdown with 57 seconds left.

The Pirates answered and drove 53 yards before turning the ball over on downs with five seconds left at the Blue Dukes’ 33-yard line.

“We played really well. Unfortunately, we came up just a little bit short,” Bunyan said.

The Pirates got a spark from junior running back Nate Kasdorf, who has battled injuries all season long. He ran 33 times for 190 yards.

“He definitely can make some people miss,” Bunyan said, adding he was also proud of the guys up front opening holes.

“We knew we wanted to establish the run,” Bunyan said.

The Pirates scored first in the second quarter on a 24-yard pass from Ethan Baierl to Mitchell Niemeyer.

The Blue Dukes, missing their quarterback and a top offensive lineman, answered with a 62-yard touchdown run by Jack Stecker. It was 7-6 Port at halftime.

The Blue Dukes took their first lead in the third quarter on a 73-yard drive, but the Pirates answered with an 80-yard touchdown drive capped by a Brady Fleischmann 38-yard run on a trap play.

He returned after a concussion sidelined him against Homestead the game before.

“We’re excited to have him back,” Bunyan said.

Fleischmann ended with 66 yards rushing on six carries.

Baierl went 8-for-18  for 129 yards with one touchdown and one interception.

Niemeyer had five catches for 99 yards and a score.

“We ran some wheel routes to him. It was a pretty windy night and he had to go up and get them,” Bunyan said.

It hailed early in the game, after which a “wicked wind” came in, he said.

Garcia ran 24 times for 141 yards and two scores and Stecker had 115 yards and a score on 12 carries.

The near miss came one week after losing to regular powerhouse Homestead, 24-7. The Pirates held the Highlanders to 67 yards in the second half and outscored them 7-3. Kasdorf missed the game due to injury.

The Pirates, 1-7, host 8-0 Hartford in the homecoming game on Friday.

“We’re excited about how hard our kids have worked. I’m proud of them,” Bunyan said.