Evansville senior Cordell Harris (3) looks for an opening during a second-quarter punt return against Shoreland Lutheran in a WIAA Division 4 first-round playoff game at Evansville.
Evansville High junior Jake Soltis is hoisted into the air by senior offensive lineman Tanner Zastoupil after scoring on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Matt Wickersham in the third quarter of the Blue Devils' 40-0 first-round WIAA Division 4 playoff win over visiting Shoreland Lutheran. Zastoupil was selected as Co-Lineman of the Year in the Rock Valley Conference.
Evansville senior Cordell Harris (3) looks for an opening during a second-quarter punt return against Shoreland Lutheran in a WIAA Division 4 first-round playoff game at Evansville.
TOM MILLER/SPECIAL FOR THE GAZETTE
EVANSVILLE — There were no indications in the first 7 ½ minutes of Evansville High’s 40-0 first-round WIAA Division 4 football playoff victory over Shoreland Lutheran that the final score would be that lopsided.
In fact, every indication was it was the visiting No. 6-seeded Pacers that might put the type of score up on the scoreboard against the No. 3-seeded Blue Devils on Ron Grovesteen Field.
Then junior Walker Garetson forced a fumble that teammate Aaron Dobbs recovered in the end zone that stopped a 12-play, 90-yard Shoreland Lutheran drive.
Evansville High junior Jake Soltis is hoisted into the air by senior offensive lineman Tanner Zastoupil after scoring on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Matt Wickersham in the third quarter of the Blue Devils' 40-0 first-round WIAA Division 4 playoff win over visiting Shoreland Lutheran. Zastoupil was selected as Co-Lineman of the Year in the Rock Valley Conference.
TOM MILLER/SPECIAL FOR THE GAZETTE
On the next play, junior Harker Larsen took a handoff and broke through a huge hole on the left side of the line, broke a tackle at the 45 and raced 80 yards down the sideline to put Evansville up 6-0.
That was just the start of several big plays that lifted the Rock Valley Conference co-champions into a second-round matchup next Friday night against No. 2-seeded Mosinee on the Indians’ field. Mosinee defeated visiting Turner High 41-7 Friday night.
The Blue Devils (9-1) ran only four plays in the first quarter and two minutes into the second quarter, the Pacers had run 24 plays from scrimmage.
But the lost fumble into the end zone and a turnover on downs made that statistic meaningless.
On Evansville’s six play from scrimmage, quarterback Matthew Wickersham took the pistol snap and launched a pass down the middle from his 19 that settled into the hands of 6-foot-4 senior Mason Brown at the Pacer 35 and Brown ran away from the defensive back to give the Blue Devils a 12-0 lead. Cordell Harris’ conversion kick made it 13-0 and Evansville breezed from there.
“We drew that play up and practiced it all week,” Wickersham said. “My guys up front really made it happen. I’m just happy it worked out the way it did.”
It was Garetson forced fumble that swung the momentum. Pacer 6-2 senior quarterback Mason Sittig had scrambled up the middle on a third-and-11 play from the 16 and had a first down when Garetson met him at the 3.
“I saw the quarterback rolling out of the pocket and went up and tried to make the tackle,” said Garetson, who finished with six solo tackles. “I hit him and the ball popped out.”
Shoreland Lutheran (5-5) was only outgained 301-272 in the game and ran 57 plays to the Blue Devils’ 31 but were never a serious threat in the second half.
“We knew they were a physical team,” Evansville coach Garth Coats said. “They have some good size and talented players.”
Coats said the forced fumble after the Pacers had driven 90 yards on his defense was a huge play.
“Playoff football is about making plays in critical moments,” Coats said. “Walker stuck his nose right on the football and popped it out.
“And then, what a better way to respond than with a touchdown on the first play after that,” Coats said. “That changes the momentum of the whole thing.”
Wickersham completed eight of his nine pass attempts. Besides the 78-yard bomb to Brown, he connected with Jake Soltis on a 19-yard touchdown pass on a fourth-and-4 play in the third quarter and then hit Karder Tway in the middle of the end zone on a 15-yard scoring play in the fourth quarter.
“Matthew played a fantastic game,” Coats said. “He made the correct decisions and threw the ball really well. He was due for a game like that.”
The challenge will increase next Friday when the Blue Devils make the two-hour and 20-minute journey north to Mosinee. The Indians are 8-2 and are 5-0 on their home field.
Coats is confident, especially after his team posted a shutout.
“That’s a team victory right there,” Coats said. “We were able to get everybody in at the end, so it was a good experience.”
EVANSVILLE 40, SHORELAND LUTHERAN 0
Shoreland Lutheran 0 0 0 0 — 0
Evansville 6 13 7 14 — 40
Scoring summary: E—Harker Larsen, 80 run (run failed). E—Mason Brown, 78 pass from Matthew Wickersham (Cordell Harris kick). E—Lincoln Keller, 5 run (pass failed). E—Jake Soltis, 19 pass from Wickersham (Harris kick). E—Karder Tway, 15 pass from Wickersham (Harris kick). E—Race Howlett, 5 run (Harris kick).
Team statistics: First downs—SL 16, E 11. Rushes-yards—SL 39-220, E 24-148. Yards passing—SL 52, E 153. Passes (comp.-att.-had int.)—SL 8-19-2, E 7-8-0. Fumbles-lost—SL 1-1, E 0-0. Penalties—SL 4-55, E 5-35.
Individual leaders: Rushing—SL Mason Sittig 18-130, Dylan Scott 14-70; E Harker Larsen 8-95, Lincoln Keller 14-43. Receiving—SL Aiden Malliet 2-16; E Mason Brown 1-78, Karder Tway 2-39. Passing (comp.-att.-yards)—SL Mason Sittig 8-19-52; E Matthew Wickersham 8-9-153. Evansville defense: Race Howlett, 7 solo, 3 assisted tackles, 2 tackles for losses; Jake Soltis, 6 solo, 3 assisted tackles; Walker Garetson, 6 solo tackles, Lincoln Keller 6 solo, 1 assisted tackle, 2 TFL.
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