Thriller clinches playoff berth

After a one-year hiatus, Ozaukee High School’s football team is headed back to the playoffs, but qualifying wasn’t easy.

The Warriors needed double overtime and pulled out a victory by inches over visiting Mishicot last Friday, 27-26, to earn their fourth Big East Conference victory.

It was Ozaukee’s homecoming game and second double-overtime win of the season.

On the first play of the second overtime, the Warriors started with the ball and quarterback Brent Hoffmann promptly hit Carson Rennicke for a 25-yard touchdown pass. Rennicke made the kick — atoning for one he missed in the first overtime — to put Ozaukee up, 27-20.

Mishicot answered with a 3-yard scoring run by Sebastian Hilbert and decided again to go for two.

Hilbert took the handoff and initially tried to go up the middle, but Ozaukee’s defense filled all the holes. He raced to the left sideline, where the Warriors’ defense knocked him out of bounds inches from the goal line to ice the win.

The Warriors went to 4-3 in the conference, punching a ticket to the postseason.

In the first overtime, Hilbert scored on a 12-yard run, but the Indians’ pass for the two-point attempt was incomplete.

Hoffmann scored on a 4-yard run, but Rennicke missed the extra point.

Mishicot had the initial score of the game in the first quarter when Nathan Driscoll connected with Max Hrubecky for an 18-yard touchdown. The two-point conversion pass failed.

The Warriors came back to take the lead in the second quarter on a 12-yard run by Joey Burich. Rennicke’s kick gave the home team a 7-6 edge.

The Warriors went ahead on a 55-yard run from Hoffmann in the third quarter. Rennicke made the kick for a 14-6 lead.

Mishicot responded later on a pass play that matched the distance of Hoffman’s score.  It was another Driscoll to Hrubecky connection.

The visitors tied the game on a successful two-point conversion pass between the same two players.

Hoffmann rushed for 202 yards on 36 carries. Logan Bell had a pair of catches for 46 yards.

For Mishicot, Hilbert finished with 117 yards rushing on 21 tries. Hrubecky had 125 yards receiving on five catches.

The Warriors will close out their regular season with a 7 p.m. conference game at 3-4 Manitowoc Lutheran Friday.