UPDATED: Brown, Spartans handle the Huskies

Superior High School running back Jaylon Brown had the kind of game football players only dream of. Just think if he would have played in the second half.

In the first half of the Spartans’ 44-3 win over the Eau Claire North Huskies Friday night at Ole Haugsrud Field, the senior rushed for 152 yards on 11 carries and scored on touchdown runs of 5, 24 and 63 yards.

“It was a good chance for Jaylon to have kind of a breakout game,” SHS coach Bob DeMeyer said. “He’s been fighting like heck to get some carries at tailback and he got a chance Friday and really came through for us.

“I’m very proud of him, he’s stuck with it and has continued to work hard. He had a heck of a game.”

Brown got the chance to shine when starting running back Aaron Wakefield-Zubiate was a game-time scratch with an injury that also kept him out of last week’s game.

“I got an opportunity and I had to take advantage of it,” Brown said. “I had to get my mind right before the game, come out here and play hard and run hard and just run through tackles.

“I owe the offensive line everything. Even when I had four guys on me, it was the offensive line that had the push. An offense doesn’t move the ball without the offensive line, never.”

With the Spartans leading 21-3 at the half, Brown lost 2 yards on his only carry early in the third quarter, but that’s when senior quarterback Spencer Urban took over and added touchdown runs of 17 and 2 yards.

“They adjusted a little bit in the second half and took Jaylon out of it a little bit,” DeMeyer said. “I liked the way our kids played. We did a lot of good things again, and that’s just because of the preparation. That’s the way they practiced all week long.”

Superior’s remaining points came when McKenzie Schwarz kicked a 34-yard field goal late in the third quarter and Raheem Vann completed the scoring with a 1-yard touchdown run with 3:57 remaining.

Superior didn’t get the start it wanted as the Spartans fumbled on their first play and threw an interception on the second.

The turnover led to Huskie 3-0 lead on Jared Bollinger’s 45-yard field.

“That’s exactly the way to not start a football game,” DeMeyer said. “We gave them a little bit of confidence there and they have the athletes that can hurt us. But our kids fought back. They went down and scored that field goal, but I thought our defense dug in to hold them to that.

“That was a heck of a boot.”

The Spartans also took advantage of a pair of turnovers as Kyle Turkowski returned an interception 43 yards to the 12 and three plays later Brown rushed for a 5-yard touchdown.

Less than four minutes later Ben Erickson picked off a Adam Faanes pass and after a face mask penalty was marched off, the Spartans had the ball at their own 20-yard line.

Nine plays later the Spartans took a 14-3 lead when Brown took the ball up the middle, broke two or three tackles and scored from 24 yards out.

Brown did most of the damage on the nine-play, 80-yard by rushing for 70 of the yards on five carries.

“Turkowski had a big game, our entire secondary is stepping up to the challenge,” Erickson said. “When we have eight guys in box and have to only cover three it makes it easier to handle it.

“Teams are trying to take away our coverage, but we definitely lived up to the challenge. We take advantage when we get turnovers. Guys are excited and hungry and to put the ball into the end zone.”

Erickson led the Spartans on defense with 10 tackles. Unofficially he is currently fourth in the state in tackles with 74.

“The d-tackles are what helps me get tackles and makes the whole defense work,” Erickson said. “They have the motor, and they work hard and they get downhill. Any tackles by our linebackers are because of them, and I thank them every play.”

The defensive linemen Erickson was referring to are Andrew Roske, Willie Well and Sam Freeman.

“When they get downhill quick and apply pressure in the backfield, our linebackers and d-back don’t have to be perfect every play. All of our defensive success is because of the play of our defensive line.”

The Spartans’ defense will need to rise to the occasion once again when Superior hosts the Hudson Raiders at 7 p.m. Friday.

The Raiders enter Superior’s homecoming game with records of 5-0 overall and 4-0 in the BRC.

“We’re going to prepare for them just like every other game, but we’re definitely going to have to be ready for them,” Erickson said.

SPARTAN SPIN: Superior forced six turnovers. Turkowski had two interceptions, Erickson and Nik Mattson had one interception each and Valentine and Alex Dzikonski recovered fumbles.

Eau Claire North 3 0 0 0 — 3

Superior 7 14 17 6 — 44

First Quarter

ECN—Jared Bollinger, 45-yard field goal, 7:48.

SHS—Jaylon Brown, 5-yard run (McKenzie Schwarz kick), 1:48.

Second Quarter

SHS—Brown, 24-yard run (Schwarz kick), 6:50.

SHS—Brown, 63-yard run (Schwarz kick), 2:04.

Third Quarter

SHS—Spencer Urban, 17-yard run (Schwarz kick), 11:43.

SHS—Urban, 1-yard run (Schwarz kick), 7:14.

SHS—McKenzie, 34-yard field goal, 2:33.

Fourth Quarter

SHS—Raheem Vann, 1-yard run (kick blocked), 3:57.

Team Stats

ECN SHS

Total yards 131 280

Rushing 28-67 40-260

Passing 5-24 5-15

Passing yards 64 20

Penalties 9-68 10-72

Fumbles/lost 3/2 3/1

First downs 7 10

Time 19:18 28:42

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Individual Stats

Rushing—ECN, Trent Ashby, 5-33; Jared Bollinger, 1-19; Caleb Hurt, 3-10; AJ Reiter, 8-8; Anthony Miloszewi, 4-6; Sam Hurt, 2-3; Adam Faanes, 1-(-2); Nate Sorenson, 4-(-10). SHS, Jaylon Brown, 13-150; Spencer Urban, 6-41; Raheem Vann, 8-29; Nick Mehlum, 5-20; Matt Little, 3-19; Anthony Valentine, 2-1; Tyler Nystrom, 3-0;

Passing—ECN, Adam Faanes, 5-22-64. Jared Bollinger, 0-2-0. SHS, Urban, 4-14-21.

Receiving—ECN,Bryce Kamenick, 2-10; Sorenson, 1-35; Miloszewi, 1-15; Micale Holden, 1-4. SHS, Jack Kline, 2-16; Vann, 2-4; Ben Erickson, 1-0.

Tackles

ECN—Ethan Danielson, 6; Miloszewi, 4; Petricka Kurt, 3; Theo VanHouten, 3; Aaron Holzem, 3; Bollinger, 2; No. 17, 2; Deion Sonsalla, 2; Matt Haselwander, 2; Reiter, 1; JT Woodie, 1; Tyler Wigman, 1; No. 4, 1; Bryce Kamenick, 1.

SHS—Erickson, 10; Valentine, 5; Morgan Johnson, 5; Andrew Roske, 5; Clayton Chruscielski, 3; Lukas Gall, 3; Willie Wells, 3; Ross Kennelly, 2; Kyler Krob, 2; Nik Mattson, 2; No. 17, 1; Matt Little, 1; Ean Fredricks, 1; Alex Dzikonski, 1.

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