EDGERTON On a calm and obnoxiously humid September Friday night, senior Eli Kittleson provided the only breeze within miles of the Edgerton High School football field.
Unfortunately for the large hometown crowd, the Whitewater defensive players were the only ones to feel that whoosh of air.
Kittleson caught four passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns in the first nine minutes of the game and finished with five TD receptions as the Crimson Tide breezed past visiting Whitewater High 48-8 in a crossover game between the Capitol and Rock Valley conferences that counted in each leagues standings.
The 6-foot, 165-pound Kittleson finished with eight receptions for 236 yards and five touchdowns as the Crimson Tide went 1-0 in the Capitol Conference and 2-1 overall.
It was the home opener, and I was excited to get out here, Kittleson said. It was a big crowd, and I just wanted to put on a show.
Mission accomplished.
The St. Thomas (Minnesota) University recruit took a wide receiver screen pass from Brayden Doerr on the second play from scrimmage and juked out the first Whitewater defender and sprinted 75 yards down the sideline for the games first score.
After catching a 20-yard pass on the Crimson Tides second drive for a first down, he concluded the five-play, 68-yard march with a 26-yard TD reception. Anthony Stowells second extra point gave Edgerton a 14-0 lead.
Kittleson capped off his explosive first quarter on the first play of Edgertons next possession by gathering in Doerrs long pass in the end zone from 49 yards out for a 21-0 lead less than nine minutes into the game.
Kittleson gave the home crowd something to cheer about with 3:09 left in the half when he slid in the back of the end zone to gather in Doerrs 2-yard scoring pass.
He then grabbed one for the thumb by finding the end zone to complete a 32-yard touchdown pass from Doerr in the third quarter.
In three games, Kittleson has 13 receptions for 407 yards and seven touchdowns. He also has rushed for 101 yards.
I had big goals, Kittleson said. I play my game and it opens it up for some of my teammates. This is my senior year.
Eli is a playmaker, said Edgerton co-head coach Justin Fowlkes. Im proud of him.
Whitewater (1-2) was able to move the ball on Edgerton, but a 14-play drive spanning the first and second quarters ended on downs at the Crimson Tide 30. Whitewater scored with a running clock when quarterback Ty Bucholtz threw a long pass that was misjudged by an Edgerton defender and grabbed by Connor Brummeyer who completed the 81-yard scoring play.
Two freshmen running backs completed the Edgerton scoring.
Lincoln Connant took a pitch and turned the corner for a 64-yard scoring run that turned on the running clock on the final play of the third quarter. Connant finished with 104 yards on four carries.
Emmett Raymond came in a rushed five times for 56 yards and concluded the scoring with a 35-yard sweep to the left with just over two minutes to play.
Edgerton will begin its pure remaining Capitol Conference schedule Friday when it travels to Jeffersons Kikkoman Stadium to play the Eagles (2-1 overall, 0-1 in Capitol) at 7 p.m. The win against the Whippets is a good building block.
We did what we needed to do, Fowlkes said.
That especially applies to Eli Kittleson.
EDGERTON 48, WHITEWATER 8
Whitewater 0 0 0 88
Edgerton 21 6 8 1348
Scoring summary: EEli Kittleson, 75 pass from Brayden Doerr (Anthony Stowell kick). EKittleson, 26 pass from Doerr (Stowell kick). EKittleson, 49 pass from Doerr (Stowell kick). EKittleson, 2 pass from Doerr (kick failed). EKittleson, 32 pass from Doerr (pass failed). ELincoln Conant, 64 run (Jack Oswald run). WConnor Brummeyer, 81 pass from Ty Bucholtz (Trevor Piper reception). EEmmett Raymond, 35 run (Noah Tinoco kick).