The North Butler football team found its rhythm in the run game, rushing for 354 yards, and won 26-7 over AGWSR on Friday, as aired on 99 The Wave. It was also Bearcats’ Senior Night as they recognized 10 seniors.
North Butler punched in the only score of the first half on a 14 yard touchdown run by Jax Thorne and the two point conversion was good by Clayton Towsley to go up 8-0 midway through first quarter. The remainder of the first half was ruled by the defenses with four turnovers (three by North Butler, and one by AGWSR) including a fumble recovery by AGWSR’s Clayton Van Loh and a interception by the Bearcats Carter Backer.
Midway through the third quarter, AGWSR muffed a North Butler punt, and the Bearcats recovered at the AGWSR 15, and scored a few plays late on a straight ahead run by Zane Ascher to go up 14-0. The Bearcats added another touchdown on a carry by Tucker Pecha to go up 20-0, seconds into the fourth. North Butler went up 26-0 on a 24 yard touchdown sprint by Pecha with 5:41 to go in the fourth. AGWSR ended the shutout after recovering a North Butler muffed punt, when Bo Starr took it down the right seem for a 14 yard receiving touchdown, that made it 26-7 late in the fourth.
North Butler Head Coach Jordan Vanderloop on success running the football and elevating seniors on special night.
“We started with our offensive line again, we got a big line, they’re strong, they put in a lot of time in the offseason and it shows. We were able just to get behind them and go,” says Vanderloop. “We were able to spread the ball out and give everybody some touches, let them rest up a little bit and get them back in and go. It was nice that we got the ground game going for us again. It was a special moment for the seniors. We’ve had some of these guys for all four years, and ones that just went out this year. It was nice to recognize them and all the time and effort they put in. Make it about them that night and give them some good memories. Have their last home game be a special one here.”
AGWSR Head Coach James Koop on character of the team and motivation going forward.
“Character you find in a man quite often when things aren’t going their way and this season at 1-7 a lot of things didn’t go our way,” says Koop. “Frustrations, hard knocks and things like that, the kids fought hard in every game. They never quit, they never gave up, they fought to the end, I thought in all eight games this season. That shows that they have good character and a good work ethic. I told the juniors on down, that’s something you can build off of and something that needs to motivate you.”
Jax Thorne rushed for 136 yards and a touchdown, and Tucker Pecha had 52 rushing yards and two touchdowns to lead the Bearcats. Colin Willems was 10-19 for 66 yards and Bo Starr had a receiving touchdown for AGWSR.
North Butler ends its season at 5-3 overall and 3-3 A-3. AGWSR closes the year at 1-7 overall and 1-5 A-3.
