Wednesday, October 9, 2024
GREEN BAY – After a tough loss to Appleton West in Week 6 of the high school football season, the Green Bay Preble Hornets bounced back in a big way on Oct. 4.
Behind a balanced offense and sound defense, Preble turned back Green Bay Southwest in a Fox River Classic Conference-North contest on Senior Night, 35-7.
It was the Hornets' (1-6 overall, 1-4 FRCC) first win for first-year Head Coach Brad Boockmeier, while the Trojans (0-7, 0-5) are still looking to enter the win column.
“I couldn’t be more proud of the guys,” Boockmeier said. “We’ve definitely had some highs and lows this season, and the challenge has been to stay together as a team. The way they responded after the (36-35) loss last week was awesome.”
In the past three seasons combined, Preble and Southwest have only won two games each.
“Preble took it to us tonight,” Southwest Co-Head Coach Aaron Van Eperen said. “I thought we were prepared, but that wasn’t the case.”
After a scoreless first quarter, the Hornets struck first on a 20-yard touchdown pass from Harrison Selk to Braylon Schadt just over a minute into the second quarter, capping the 15-play drive.
Kicker Landin Gauthier booted the first of his five extra points on the evening.
On the Trojans’ next drive, the visitors marched down to the Preble two-yard line before a holding penalty pushed them back 10 yards.
Two plays later, a Southwest fumble was recovered by Spencer Brigham at the eight-yard line.
“We had a decent drive on the first drive of the game, but that one ended in a sack,” Van Eperen said. “The second drive was great, and we thought we were going to score there, but you have to take care of the ball when you get that close to the end zone. Having three turnovers is not playing winning football.”
The Hornets made it 14-0 with only 22 seconds showing on the first-half clock after Schadt caught a six-yard touchdown pass from Selk.
Earlier on the 19-play drive, punter Drew Soli ran 11 yards from his punting formation on fourth down for a first down, something Boockmeier said wasn’t necessarily in the plans.
“I tell the guys, ‘We rugby punt for a reason,’” he said. “We have to watch the edge in that situation, and if it’s there, we can take it. I wasn’t necessarily thinking (Soli) would take it on fourth and eight from our own 30, but it worked out.”
Preble remained aggressive by recovering an onside kick to begin the second half, but that drive ended with a 28-yard missed field goal by Gauthier.
The Trojans fumbled on their next possession which led to a five-yard touchdown scamper from Gavin Sullivan to make it 21-0 after the extra point.
Schadt scored his third touchdown of the night, this one from 40 yards out, late in the third quarter to bump the margin to 28-0.
Sullivan added his second score of the evening to make it 35-0 before Southwest avoided the shutout when Daniel Stevens found Alec Thiel in the end zone from 19 yards out.
