High drama in De Pere: Pulaski comes away with a dramatic 17-14 victory

DE PERE – Both teams came in with identical overall/conference records. 

Both teams had each lost to Division 1 state powers Bay Port and West De Pere earlier in the season, so it was fitting that the De Pere-Pulaski football game on Oct. 9 came down to the final play. 

Pulaski junior kicker Mason Borseth nailed an 18-yard field goal as time expired to send the Red Raiders home with a 17-14 Fox River Classic Conference victory at De Pere High School on Homecoming night. 

With the game tied 14-14 with just under eight minutes left to play, Pulaski (6-2 overall, 4-2 FRCC) took over from its own 21-yard line and methodically marched down the field with time ticking away. 

Stopped short of the goal line in the waning seconds of the game, Pulaski Coach Jerad Marsh called a timeout with four seconds remaining, setting up Borseth’s heroics from the right hash mark. 

Earlier in the contest, Borseth had missed a 23-yard field goal attempt. 

“As the time was counting down, my heart was pumping faster,” Borseth said. “I figured it might come down to the last play. Our guys battled the whole game to give me an opportunity.”

Borseth said he didn’t let the earlier miss affect him. 

“As a kicker, you have to have a short-term memory,” he said. “When you miss one, you just have to get the next one.”

Despite the earlier miss by Borseth, Marsh said he had complete confidence in his kicker to win the game and guarantee the Red Raiders a postseason berth. 

“As we were driving down the field, I pretty much said that if we could get inside the 20-yard line, I’d kick the field goal to try and win the game,” he said. “Mason came through for us. Give De Pere a lot of credit – they fought back and gave us a heck of a game.” 

After a scoreless first quarter, a De Pere (5-3, 3-3) drive ended in a fumble recovery by the Red Raiders, setting up their first score when Bohdan Schmidt scored on a one-yard touchdown run seven minutes before halftime. 

Schmidt went 25 yards around left end for another score halfway through the third quarter. 

After Borseth’s extra point, Pulaski led 14-0. 

The Redbirds wouldn’t go away quietly. 

Early in the fourth quarter, quarterback Ryland Nowak hit Cayden Cavanaugh with an 18-yard TD pass to make it 14-7 after Brady Shanda’s extra point. 

On the Red Raiders’ next possession, a fumble resulted in De Pere taking over at the Pulaski 43-yard line. 

Four plays later, Liam Fieber caught a six-yard TD pass from Nowak, and suddenly, the Redbirds tied the game at 14 after Shanda’s extra point. 

In Week 8 games, De Pere plays at Southwest, while Pulaski hosts Appleton West.