September 8, 2017 at 2:02 p.m.
Long ride no problem as Dodgers win 42-8
It took about 12 minutes as the Dodgers and Luther felt each other out.
Then came the uprising which paved the way for a 42-8 Dodgeville win in the non-conference match-up.
The Dodgers put four six-pointers on the board that rolled in 27 points and they carried that margin into halftime.
Quarterback David McGuire carried the ball twice, once for one yard and once for two with both resulting in the first two Dodgeville scores.
Two big plays followed as Joey Recob romped 24 yards to score and Zach Weber followed with a 35 yard sprint where he changed lanes three times to reach the end zone. Tanner Bockhop kicked extra points after the first three scores then a two point conversion attempt failed.
"We went four and out on our first couple of possessions because I got a little too cute with the play calling on the first two drives," coach Josh Busch said. "The kids did a nice job of working through that and staying focused on what the game plan was. In the second quarter we really were able assert ourselves and took control of the game. Our offensive line was physical and we were able to open up some good sized holes that we were able to take advantage of."
The Dodgers picked up touchdowns the final two quarters to coast to the win. Jonny Geisking scored on a six yard run and McGuire hit Weber for the two point conversion.
Recob completed a drive with an eight yard run in the fourth frame and Bockhop kicked the extra point.
McGuire enjoyed a near perfect night throwing the football as he completed four of five passes for 42 yards.
Weber took the lead in the ground game with 99 yards on 11 carries and Recob added 32 the two times he got the ball.
Also, Noah Durst ran for 24 yards on eight carries, Geisking six on one try and RJ Veinburg picked up 11 yards on five carries.
That translated into 175 yards on the ground on 29 attempts.
"Our run sets everything up for us," said Busch. "Early on we were throwing the ball a bit more, but we were not able to really get into a groove until we started running the ball effectively. The better we run the ball the better our passing game is going to be, David made some good throws as the game went on and we are looking to build off that momentum."
A key to beating Luther was slowing down their option game.
"Defensively we did a nice job of handling their option and stopping the run," said Busch. "Like us, they rely on the running game to move the ball and we were able to take that away from them. The kids really responded to the challenge that we gave them of stopping the run and being physical. It is a game and effort that we can definitely build off of for the defense."
"I felt that our defense is what stood out in this game," Busch said. "They really kept us in the game early and kept the pressure on the Luther offense the entire game. We were able to take advantage of several fumbles and the defense really won this game for us."
As the SWC looms in the near future the Dodgers continue their preparation for what they hope is a strong season and a playoff berth.
"I think that this game helps us because of the way that our defense stepped up," Busch said. "Moving into the conference season we know we are going to have to be able to stop teams, and seeing the way that the defense played should give us confidence going forward."
"We see Black River Falls next and it will be nice to be back home this Friday," Busch said. "This is a team that will test our defense again because they spread the field and will make us be focused and fundamental. Offensively we will have to compete with their size up front, BRF does have some good sized kids on the DL and our OL will have to again, be physical and set the tone for our team."
