HS FOOTBALL: A fourth-and-goal wins it, takes MVC lead

And other scores, highlights from the area

It was a play that would decide what school takes the outright lead in the Mississippi Valley Conference.

It came down to this for Logan High School’s football team: Down six, 1:17 left on the clock, fourth down and two yards to the end zone.

The Rangers handed the ball off to 5-foot-8, 190-pound junior Andy Metcalf, who blasted through the line for the tying score, and Nathan Baker’s extra point gave them the lead.

Holmen (4-2, 3-1) fumbled away the possession that set up the winning touchdown. Metcalf finished with two touchdowns and 89 yards on 18 carries, while teammate Tanner Holzer had 111 yards and two scores on 16 carries.

Logan (5-1, 4-0) looked to be blown out of the water to start the game, as Holmen’s Kyle Koelbl scored on a 68-yard run, Seth Wilson answered the Rangers’ only first-quarter touchdown with a 99-yard kick return and Austin Braund followed that up for Holmen catching a 48-yard touchdown from Connor Duncan.

It was 20-7 after the first and looked like the route was on. But Metcalf made it 20-14 late in the half, and Logan remained within striking distance the rest of the way.

The two teams were nearly identical in total offense, Holmen holding a slight edge 385-382.

Zac Rusk led all rushers with 117 yards on just five carries. He gave Holmen a 34-21 lead on a 62-yard touchdown run with 9:50 remaining, before the Logan comeback.

AQUINAS 36, ONALASKA 30
ONALASKA, Wis. – Aquinas played the MVC spoiler with the upset, dropping Onalaska to second place with a 4-2, 3-1 record.

Tyler Young was 16-for-28 for 303 yards with three touchdown passes and one interception for the Blugolds, who move to .500 in the MVC (4-2, 2-2).

Young hit Connor Haag for a 20-yard score in the first quarter and had two more TD throws in the second – one to Michael Bartley for 82 yards and the other to Eric Wilson from 5 out.

Isiah Brown put Onalaska away, however, with two touchdown runs in the second half – the only scoring of the half. He finished with 41 yards on nine carries. Jalen Zubich led all rushers with 108 yards and two TDs on 21 carries.

TOMAH 35, CENTRAL 20
Josh Peardot had 262 yards and touchdown runs of 9, 77 and 43 yards in leading Tomah (3-3, 2-2).

Central (0-6, 0-4) was up 14-7 at half before Tomah scored three consecutive touchdowns in the third quarter by Benn Venner (3-yard run), Kyle Korener (69-yard reception from Jake Haye) and Peardot’s 77-yarder.

WEST SALEM 35, SPARTA 21
WEST SALEM, Wis. — Zach Pierce had 110 yards and two touchdowns on 18 carries in leading West Salem (2-4, 1-3). Sparta (1-5, 1-3) was outgained 330-235.

OTHER HIGHLIGHTS

• ZACK ZILLMER had 245 total yards, four touchdowns and a two-point conversion in the fourth-quarter comeback Black River Falls win over G-E-T, 43-30. Zillmer had 16 carries for 161 yards and six receptions for 84 yards.
  
• JOSH NITEK had 292 yards and four touchdowns, including a 69-yard run, for Blair-Taylor, which snapped a 13-game losing streak with a 38-28 win over Cochrane-Fountain City. The Wildcats last win was Oct. 18, 2013.
• WITH 42 SECONDS remaining, Prairie du Chien’s Peyton Hall hauled in a 16-yard pass from Brogan Potter for the 35-28 win over Dodgeville.
• SEVEN DIFFERENT players scored touchdowns and Owen King threw three in leading Caledonia to a 51-6 win over Cotter. Tanner Gran, who had four TDs last week – including back-to-back punt returns – had a 53-yard TD reception followed by a 58-yard punt return for a score.
• BRADY HAPPEL nearly had as many touchdowns as he did carries. Happel had five TDs and just seven carries that went for 184 yards in Houston’s 64-8 win over Plymouth Western Lutheran.
• TANNER REMLINGER outscored Faribault alone with three rushing touchdowns in Winona’s 53-14 win. He finished with 104 yards and three touchdowns on 18 carries.
• NOAH CARLSON had 21 carries for a whopping 266 yards and three touchdowns of 20, 46 and 27 yards in leading Rushford-Peterson to a 27-14 win over Southland.
• EVERY TOUCHDOWN but one in the 49-7 Lewiston-Altura victory over Wabasha-Kellogg was of 20 yards or more, including an 84-yard kick retrun by Brady Lange. Ryan Flathers had three carries for 102 yards, including a 51-yard TD just 1:21 into the game.
• TRAVIS HOFSLIEN had 3 TDs and 118 yards rushing in leading Westby to a 41-14 win over Viroqua.
• ANDREW PISKE’s 52-yard touchdown run 45 seconds into the game set the tone for Bangor’s 49-6 win over Royall. Piske finished with three TDs and 147 yards rushing on just 10 carries.  

OTHER SCORES

Arcadia 70, Onalaska Luther 3
Pepin/Alma 48, Elmwood 6
Cashton 19, Hillsboro 0
Brookwood 25, Necedah 12
Melrose-Mindoro 21, Eleva-Strum 14
De Soto 17, Port Edwards 14
Rochester Lourdes 52, La Crescent 42
Spring Grove 44, Mabel-Canton 12