CG-Belgium quiets the Storm in upset of Kewaunee

The special teams were special and the other two units of the Cedar Grove-Belgium High School football team were special enough, and that’s why the Rockets are moving on in the Division 6 playoffs.

Linebacker Josh Anzia intercepted a pass with 33 seconds left in the game at Kewaunee last Friday, sealing a 17-14 victory.

The Storm had been driving for the winning score. They moved 43 yards to the Rockets’ 45-yard line when Anzia got his hands on a slant and squeezed the ball as he went to the ground while being tackled from behind.

“I was running to my zone. I see him throw it. I hit a 180 and did a basket catch. Shout out to Tom Race, he taught me how to basket catch,” Anzia said, crediting the Rockets’ championship-winning baseball coach.

Coach Dan Schreurs wasn’t surprised. Anzia got his hands on a pass earlier in the game, and he is part of a family lineage of linebackers at the school.

“He drops back in there, he’s got those long arms,” Schreurs said. “He’s got the Anzia mind that leads everything.”

“Josh, he’s insane,” lineman Noah Teunissen said. “He’s the guy. He’s the guy.”

The last drive had the Rockets worried. The Storm were moving the ball.

“I know we were all gassed, but we get all season in practice just to get to that moment that we were going to win it,” Teunissen said. “We all knew it. We all bought in.”

Austin Knapp said, “Man, my heart sank. They were playing quick ball. We’ve got a lot of two-way players. That’s when you’ve gotta dig deep. We stuck it out, and played hard in the end.”

“It’s terrifying,” defensive lineman and running back Alex Geib, a national weightlifting champion, said. “I’m trying every play, do as much as I can. Same as everybody. The atmosphere is just insane. It’s so loud.”

While Anzia’s pick preserved the victory, kicker Noah Peterson was one of the players who put the Rockets in position to win it.

Peterson drilled a 43-yard field goal with 22 seconds left in the first half with room to spare.

The Rockets had snuffed out a fake punt and stopped the Storm’s running play, taking over on their own 40-yard line. They moved the ball little by little on the ground, and Schreurs said the strength of Peterson’s leg allowed him to be more conservative in his play calling.

Peterson also had two touchbacks on four kickoffs, and he averaged nearly 41 yards on six punts.

That was vital, Schreurs said, since on film Kewaunee’s scores were often coming with good field position.

“We knew it would be a field position and turnover game,” he said.

The Rockets didn’t commit a turnover and forced two. Peterson made an interception on a tipped pass on the third play of the game.

The Rockets fell behind, 7-0, early in the second quarter on a 33-yard touchdown pass, their first points allowed since Sept. 18.

The offense answered with a nine-play, 62-yard touchdown drive that entailed all running plays. Austin Knapp took it in from one yard out.

Peterson’s kick was the only other points of the half. The Rockets led, 10-7, at the break.

Knapp set up the winning touchdown by blocking a punt with six minutes to play. The kick traveled one yard to Kewaunee’s 21-yard line.

Three plays later, Geib blasted through the line up the middle for a 13-yard touchdown.

“I was like, holy cow, this is my chance,” Geib said. “I gotta wait a little bit, a tiny little gap opened up. Just jumped through that, exploded for the touchdown.”

“He’s running with no fear now,” Schreurs said. “He’s using those powerlifting legs.”

The Storm drove 80 yards on the ensuing possession to cut the lead to 17-14 with 2 minutes, 11 seconds to play.

Knapp recovered the onside kick, and three running plays and a punt took the clock to 1:44. The Storm used all its timeouts during that stretch.

Peterson’s final punt of the night traveled 38 yards to Kewaunee’s 12-yard line. Anzia capped the game seven plays later.

“This is a lot. It was a lot. This is the greatest feeling I’ve ever had at a playoff game,” defensive end RJ Griffin said.

“We knew our defense was as good as it’s ever been. We knew it wasn’t going to be as easy as the last games, but we knew we could get it done.”

Knapp had 19 carries for 104 yards and a score. Geib ran seven times for 34 yards and a touchdown. Evan Halleman went 2-for-4 passing for 23 yards.

Anzia had 13 tackles. Griffin and Nolan Anzia each had eight. Knapp had seven and Peterson had six.

Bosdeck went 18-for-28 passing for 193 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions.

The Rockets, 9-2, play at Bonduel (11-0) on Friday, No. 6.