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The statistics and the final score were about as even as they could be in River Valley's opening football game.
But the final score is what counts and that went into Brodhead-Juda's favor, 17-14.
Brodhead-Juda did all their scoring in the first half. They started it with a one yard run by 5-10, 160 pound senior Tyler Updike fand a kick by Brady Bueschel for a 7-0 first quarter lead.
Bueschel made it 10-0 with a 31 yard field goal four seconds into the second quarter. With 4:25 left in the half the lead went to 17-0 on a nine yard run by senior Jordan Kraak.
Then the Blackhawks answered.
Senior running back Jack Radlinger capped a drive with a 14 yard scoring jaunt and sophomore Cole Eastlick kicked the conversion, less than a minute before halftime.
With 9:26 left in the game River Valley pulled within three at 17-14 on a one yard plunge by Radlinger and Eastlick's conversion.
Updike and Radlinger had the ball in their hands plenty of times for their teams. Updike led the Cardinals with 55 yards on 13 carries while Radlinger picked up 49 yards on 15 attempts.
Beau Solomon completed seven passes for 87 yards, two of them to Mitch Nachreiner for 33 yards.
Joe Crook and Hunter Schwingle both had 13 assisted and three solo tackles. Tim Kinney had 11 assisted and two solos. Wyatt Schauf came up with 12 assisted and two solos.
The Blackhawks host Richland Center Friday.