By Murray Gleffe
Correspondent
ASHWAUBENON-Brandon Limoni had touchdown runs of one and three yards to lift the Notre Dame Tritons to a 28-17 victory over the Ashwaubenon Jaguars (Aug.23).
Wesley Glime threw for 204 yards, 148 of them coming after halftime, and two touchdowns.
For the Jaguars, Cadian Vang (making his first career start) threw for a touchdown, Camden Wheeler added one on the ground, and Riley Siudzinski had 93 yards in punt/kickoff returns.
“Cadian brought some moxy to the field tonight,” said Mark Jonas, Jaguars Football Coach. “He got hit a few times, but he bounced right back up.”
After a couple of punts to start the game, Jaguars linebacker Marcus Wagner produced the first big play of the game when he popped Tritons QB Glime. The ball popped out, and the Jaguars recovered inside the Tritons 15-yard line.
The Jaguars could only produce two yards from the line of scrimmage, but kicker Sam Lokken booted a 30-yard field goal to give them an early 3-0 lead.
The Tritons weren’t about to go away and produced a 12 play, 64-yard drive that took seven minutes off the clock.
The fourth and one run by Limoni was talked about by the officiating crew after it appeared that Limoni’s knee hit short. The lead official, however, gave the signal of touchdown and the Tritons went in front 6-3 after the missed PAT.
On the ensuing possession, Grady Brick stepped in front of a Jaguars receiver and made the interception.
The Tritons needed only six plays to cash in as Limoni went in from three yards out to put the Tritons up 13-3 with 6:25 left till intermission.
The Jaguars then produced their best drive of the evening.
With only 13 yards of total offense, the Jaguars marched 85 yards in 10 plays keyed by two third down conversions. Luke Jacobs was the recipient of a beautiful tight spiral thrown by Vang in the back of the end zone from six yards out to cut the Tritons margin to three (13-10) just 10 seconds before half.
Neither team could muster much offense to start the second half.
With the Tritons on offense with just under four minutes left in the third quarter, and facing a 3rd and 13, the Jaguars appeared to get Glime for a sack. He somehow got away from the defender and hurled a 48 yard touchdown pass to Tommy Martzahl who had broken away from the secondary.
The two-point conversion gave the Tritons a double-digit lead (21-10), but it didn’t last long.
After a nice kickoff return to set the Jaguars up at their own 42, Vang took the opening snap and flung a pass out in the flat to Wheeler. He stiff-armed two would be tacklers, ran down the right sidelines, and 58 yards to the end-zone.
The subsequent touchdown once again put the Jaguars within one possession (21-17) late in the third quarter.
“Camden is our best football player,” said Jonas. “He has got to be one tired dude right now. Not only did he play almost every snap on defense, but we needed him on the offensive side as well tonight,”
The Jaguars, though, couldn’t stop the arm of Glime.
He connected with Josh Cribben for a 25-yard touchdown reception for the final points of the evening.
The Jaguars had one final possession late in the game, but it was turned away by Tritons defensive back Matthew Re with just seconds remaining.
“I thought our defense once again kept us in this ball game,” Jonas said. “Riley (Nissen) had some big hits out there. He goes only about 170 pounds but packs a punch. Marcus (Wagner) gave us big play at the linebacking position as well. Glime is a great player and he made some key throws when they needed it. We have to come back next week and play as hard as we did tonight.”
The Jaguars fall to 0-2 and will host the De Pere Redbirds Aug. 30 at Goelz Field.
Box Score:
Ashwaubenon 3,7, 7,0 17
Notre Dame 0,13,15,0 28
