Ozaukee’s comeback falls short

One thing high school football coaches have little control over is the scheduling of games. If they did, Ozaukee’s coach Jim Lippe probably would not have chosen to meet two of the top Big East

Conference teams in the first three weeks of the season.

But the Warriors did.

After a loss to Reedsville a week ago, the Warriors met up with Hilbert last Friday in Fredonia and lost, 27-7.

The Warriors dropped to 1-2 in league play.

“Hilbert is a very good football team, and I thought we played them pretty tough, considering all the mistakes we had in the first half,” Lippe said.

“We kind of struggled to move the ball and get into the end zone. We had some opportunities in the first half, but didn’t capitalize on them.”

Meanwhile, Hilbert found pay dirt twice in the first half, once in the first quarter and once in the second quarter.

The first came on a 6-yard run from Evan Lau. The Warriors blocked the extra-point kick.

In the second quarter, the Wolves scored on a 7-yard run by Grant Propson. Dylan Dohr added a two-point conversion run.

The first half ended in a 14-0 deficit for Ozaukee.

“The second half started out pretty good,” Lippe stated.

“We drove the ball well. Logan Bell caught a pass from Brent Hoffmann, and that was a nice play.”

That pass was a 20-yard touchdown strike. Carson Rennicke added the kick and the Warriors had cut Hilbert’s lead in half.

“Then we got an onside kick, but weren’t able to convert from there,” Lippe said.

The Wolves got a 21-yard scoring pass from Propson to Lau in the third quarter to regain a two-score lead. Reed Breckheimer added the kick.

Lippe continued to praise his defense, which has played well so far this season.

“Overall, we playing pretty good defense, but with all our mistakes on offense, we are putting our defense in a bad position,” he said.

“Defensively, Logan Bell, Ben Berweger and Blake West had a very nice game, along with Jack Penny-Galindo.”

In a rare letdown for the Warriors’ defense, it allowed a 70-yard scoring run by Lau in the fourth quarter, which put the game out of reach for Ozaukee.

The Warriors’ defense held the Wolves to a single pass completion, the touchdown by Lau.

Hilbert rushed for 225 yards, led by Lau with 14 carries for 121 yards.

The Wolves’ defense recorded two interceptions.

The game was riddled with penalties. The Wolves were whistled 12 times for 100 yards. Ozaukee committed six infractions for 70 yards.

Hilbert finished with 246 total offensive yards, while Ozaukee had 200.

The teams combined to punt 11 times.

This week, the Warriors will reacquaint themselves with an adjacent rival on the road.

“We have a good game Friday night, playing for the Cream Bucket in Random Lake,” Lippe said.

The Cream Bucket is a traveling trophy that has stayed put for nearly a decade.

“We’ve had the Cream Bucket for the last eight years, and want to make sure we keep it for a ninth year,” Lippe said.

“We need to play a little better offensively, sustain our blocks and run downhill and play some good defense. I am looking forward to Friday night, and want to get back on the winning track.”

The Warriors and Rams have not met on the football field for the past two seasons. With the size of the Big East Conference, teams do not play every team in the league each year.

This season, Ozaukee does not play nearby rivals Cedar Grove-Belgium and Oostburg.

Friday’s game in Random Lake begins at 7 p.m.

On Sept. 14, when the Warriors originally had a bye, they have added a nonconference game against Division 7 Turtle Lake. The game will be played in Scofield at DC Everest High School.

“It’s a nice stadium with a turf field. That’s kind of a halfway point for both teams. It is a game we should be very competitive in,” Lippe said.