Superior Telegram
The Superior High School football team spoiled the River Falls Wildcats’ homecoming with a 34-15 win Friday night at David Smith Stadium at Ramer Field on the campus of UW-River Falls.
With the win the Spartans improve to 5-1 overall and 3-1 in the Big Rivers Conference.
Superior also keeps pace in the BRC with Chippewa Falls and Rice Lake, who both improved to 6-0 and 4-0 with wins Friday night.
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Chippewa Falls blanked Eau Claire North 35-0 and Rice Lake downed Menomonie 31-21.
Ross Kennelly has his usual big game for Superior. On offense he rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown, and on defense he had eight tackles, including two sacks, forced a fumble, recovered a fumble and returned a botched punt for a touchdown.
Beau Girard added a 79-yard touchdown run, Garrett Hobson returned an interception for a touchdown, and kicker Sam Kline had a 10-point night with two field goals and four extra-point kicks.
“Our defense and special teams really played outstanding,” SHS coach Bob DeMeyer said. “Two defensive scores helped lift us tremendously and we were also able to win the field position battle. Offensively, we never got into any sort of rhythm. Although their defense deserves much of the credit, we know that our penalties and mental errors were very costly.
“Overall, it was another great team win.”
The Spartans got the start they wanted as they jumped out to a 14-0 lead just 3:48 into the game.
After forcing a punt on River Falls’ opening drive, the Spartans overcame two penalties before Girard took a handoff from quarterback Gunner Johnson and ran untouched around the left end for a 79-yard touchdown. Kline’s extra point came just 2:54 into the game.
Three plays and 1:06 later Superior’s defense forced another punt. But on the kick, the ball hit one of the Wildcat blockers and Kennelly returned the loose ball 41 yards for a touchdown. Kline’s kick made it 14-0 just 1:06 after the Spartans’ first touchdown.
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River Falls rebounded from Superior’s quick start and cut the lead to 14-7 on quarterback Nate Glaubitz’s 1-yard touchdown run and Colten Larson’s extra-point kick. The TD came one play after Glaubitz threw a 27-yard pass to Matthew Wachtler.
After the teams traded punts, Superior took a 21-7 lead on Kennelly’s 36-yard touchdown run and Kline’s kick with 20.1 seconds left in the first quarter.
It went to 28-7 on the first play of the second quarter when Hobson intercepted a Glaubitz pass and returned it 23 yards for a touchdown.
River Falls threatened to cut into Superior’s lead when it moved the ball to the Spartans’ 18-yard line with just over a minute left in the first half.
But after an illegal motion penalty and two incomplete passes, Kennelly forced a fumble while sacking Glaubitz and Donovan Luoma recovered the loose ball.
River Falls forced Superior to punt on the first drive of the second half, but the Spartans got the ball right back when Zach Tharge ripped the ball away from Glaubitz and returned it to the 10.
Four plays later Kline kicked a 24-yard goal giving Superior a 31-7 lead.
A couple of minutes later Max Plunkett intercepted a pass at the 10, but Superior fumbled the ball back to River Falls just before the end of the third quarter.
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The score went to 31-15 when Glaubitz threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to Mason Graetz with 5:39 remaining. Glaubitz also connected with Clayton Rassmussen on the two-point conversion.
Superior wrapped up the scoring on Kline’s 21-yard field goal in the final seconds of the game.
The Spartans play at Rice Lake at 7 p.m. Friday.
“Our focus this week is being consistent, eliminating mental errors and finishing, every play every drive, every series,” DeMeyer said. “To compete with a team of Rice Lake’s caliber, it will take an all our effort by every member of our team.”
SPARTAN SPIN: Tharge led Superior on defense with 10 tackles and a fumble recovery. … Glaubitz completed 17-of-43 passes for 301 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions.
Superior................... 21 7 3 3 - 34
River Falls................ 7 0 0 8 - 15
First Quarter
SHS - Beau Girard 79-yard run (Sam Kline kick), 9:06.
SHS - Ross Kennelly 41-yard fumble return (Kline kick), 8:12.
RF - Nate Glaubitz 1-yard run (Colten Larson kick), 4:04.
SHS - Kennelly 36-yard run (Kline kick), 0:20.1.
Second Quarter
SHS - Garrett Hobson 23-yard interception return (Kline kick), 11:53.
Third Quarter
SHS - Kline 24-yard FG, 8:26.
Fourth Quarter
RF - Glaubitz 65-yard pass to Mason Graetz (Glaubitz pass to Rassmussen), 5:39.
SHS - Kline 21-yard FG, 0:39.
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Team Stats
SHS RF
Total Net Yards....................... 318 368
Comp-Att-Int........................ 5-13-0 17-44-2
Passing yards.......................... 65 301
Rushing................................ 41-253 17-44
First Downs............................. 11 15
Punt Returns.......................... 1-41 3-35
Punts.................................. 6-43.7 6-25.2
Kickoff Returns....................... 3-11 6-87
Sacks..................................... 3 2
Fumbles-Lost.......................... 1-1 3-3
Penalties-Yards...................... 11-87 10-91
Time of Possession:................ 47:24 24:36
Individual Stats
RUSHING - SHS, Ross Kennelly 19-125; Beau Girard 3-81; Mitch Anderson 8-29; Brett Lozon 4-8; Gunner Johnson 6-7; Gunnar Gronski 1-3. RF, Adrian Paurus 13-45; Conrad Daggett 6-20; Nate Glaubitz 10-3; Riley Tschumper 1-(-1).
PASSING - SHS, Johnson 4-11-2-60. Luke Drougas 1-2-0-5. RF, Glaubitz, 17-43-2-301.
RECEIVING - SHS, Girard 2-33; Brendan French 2-27; Austin Sears 1-5. RF, Mason Graetz, 4-105; Michael Conde, 3-40; Paurus, 3-86; Conrad Daggett, 3-38; Matthew Wachtler, 3-28.
TACKLES - SHS, Zach Tharge, 10; Kennelly, 8; Anderson, 5; Hobson, 5; Harrison Doane, 5; Max Plunkett, 4; Blake Graskey, 4; Josiah McDonald, 4; Joey Miller, 4; Corey Sanders, 3; Christian Pettitt, 3; Luke Drougas, 2; Donovan Luoma, 2; Girard, 2; Gronski, 1; Jack Sannes, 1. RF - Austin Hakes, 11; Matt Williamson, 7; Nate Ballargeon, 5; Conrad Draggett, 5.
Big Rivers Conference
2015 Football Standings
Chippewa Falls (6-0)..................................................... 4-0
Rice Lake (6-0)................................................................ 4-0
Superior (5-1)................................................................ 3-1
Eau Claire Memorial (4-2)............................................. 3-1
Menomonie (4-2)............................................................ 2-2
Eau Claire North (2-4)................................................... 0-4
Hudson (0-5)................................................................... 0-4
River Falls (0-6).............................................................. 0-4
Friday, Sept. 25
Chippewa Falls 35, Eau Claire North 0
Eau Claire Memorial 29, Hudson 17
Rice Lake 31, Menomonie 21
Superior 34, River Falls 15
Friday, Oct. 2
All Games 7 p.m.
River Falls at Eau Claire North
Chippewa Falls at Hudson
Eau Claire Memorial at Menomonie
Superior at Rice Lake
Friday, Oct. 9
Menomonie at Chippewa Falls
Rice Lake at Eau Claire Memorial
Hudson at River Falls
Eau Claire North at Superior
Friday, Oct. 16
Superior at Eau Claire Memorial
Eau Claire North at Hudson
River Falls at Menomonie
Chippewa Falls at Rice Lake
