Veteran Hilbert shuts down CG-Belgium

Cedar Grove-Belgium High School’s football team ran into a more experienced and physical squad last Friday.

Hilbert shut out the Rockets, 19-0, behind a strong running game and dominant defense.

“They’re a good football team. There’s no doubt about that,” coach Dan Schreurs said.

Last year’s Big East Conference Defensive Player of the Year Evan Lau “pretty much shut down our run single-handedly,” Schreurs said.

Lau, who bounced back from an ACL injury months ago, made 18 tackles in helping hold the Rockets to 27 yards rushing on 28 carries.

“I think their physicality kind of caught us off guard. They were definitely bigger and stronger than we were,” Schreurs said.

The Rockets started a freshman and a sophomore on the offensive line and had to rotate in other players. The Wolves, Schreurs said, took advantage of that lack of experience.

“They didn’t lose many players off of last year’s team,” Schreurs said.

That team went 7-1 and tied for second in the Big East, only losing, 28-21, in overtime to the Rockets.

This year, the Wolves are 4-0 in the conference. The Rockets fell to 3-1.

The Rockets’ defense kept them in it, Schreurs said.

Dylan Dohr had touchdown runs of 60, 46, and 31 yards on his way to 159 for the night on 12 carries. Lau added 73 yards on 23 carries.

The Wolves passed just once, and Dohr completed it, albeit to Rocket cornerback Jeffrey Emperly.

With basically no running attack, the game was left up to sophomore quarterback Logan Arrowood.

“I put the game in his hands. He got hit a couple of times but for the most part I couldn’t be more proud of Logan, for what he did and stood in there,” Schreurs said.

The plan was to get the ball into the hands of his playmakers — Michael Navis and Sam and Jacob Peiffer.

The Rockets drove into the Wolves’ red zone three times but came up empty on each one. Sacks and the ball bouncing off receivers’ hands didn’t help, Schreurs said.

Arrowood went 13-for-30 passing for 105 yards and two picks on a windy night. Sam Peiffer had seven grabs for 60 yards.

Schreurs said the atmosphere felt like a playoff game, and not just because of the quality opponent that he expects to go deep in the Division 7 playoffs. The game was played on turf at St. Norbert College in

De Pere because Hilbert’s field was too wet from recent rains. Schreurs said the locker rooms and facility are beautiful.

The Rockets host rival Ozaukee on Friday for the first time in two years. Before last Friday, the Rockets’ last conference loss was at Ozaukee in 2016.

“We’re definitely going to learn from this. We’ll definitely rebound from it,” Schreurs said.