Pointers come back to edge SW/ED in SWAL contest

Last Friday Night, the Mineral Point Football Team came from behind to defeat the Southwestern/East Dubuque (IL) Warcats 35-26, picking up their third SWAL win of the season.

SW/ED came out of the gates swinging, scoring an early touchdown on an 82-yard rush from Junior Zander Tierney. SW/ED failed the two-point conversion. “Southwestern/East Dubuque, we knew, had the ability to put points on the board, and they had the ability to do it fast,” Coach Leonard said. “They have a number of good athletes, so we needed to make sure our run fits were right. Their running back was able to turn the corner and outrun us for 6.”

Both teams punted the ball away on their next drives, but a short SW/ED punt would set the Mineral Point offense up inside of Warcat territory. They took advantage. Following three solid runs, freshman quarterback Liam Carey launched the ball 27-yards downfield where he connected with Brett Bossert in the back of the endzone for a Pointer touchdown. Carey added on the PAT to take the lead 7-6 early.

The Warcats responded. After bringing the kickoff return back to the 40, they leaned on the ground game, running the ball 8-straight plays, finishing with a touchdown run from Brody Culbertson. SW/ED failed to convert for two.

Once again, the Mineral Point offense came alive. The Pointers began the second quarter with a length ly drive. Reid Acherman got involved as a running back and wide receiver. After taking a sack, Liam Carey stepped up in the pocket to find Tucker Dannenberg in the endzone for another Pointer Touchdown, regaining the lead 14-12.

“Offensively it was what we needed to see at this point in the season,” Coach Leonard mentioned. “We saw consistency on the ground and in the air, and this allowed us to be balanced, which, when you have balance offensively, it always makes it difficult on a defense.”

On their next drive, Southwestern/East Dubuque found luck on a broken play, as quarterback Aiden Colin, trying to escape a potential sack, found Fullback Drew Kieffer in the flat, who evaded the Mineral Point defense and took the ball 43 yards downfield for a Warcat touchdown. Once again, SW/ED failed to complete the two point conversion. 

The heroics continued for SW/ED Fullback Drew Kieffer, who broke off a 93-yard run on the next Warcat possession. SW/ED extended the lead to 12 on the two-point conversion.

The Pointers got the final say in the half. Set up by a 35-yard completion to Roen Carey on a screen play, Reid Acherman scored from 1 yard out on a designed keeper. The Pointers went into the halftime break down 26-21. 

Mineral Point opened the second half by bringing the kickoff back to the Warcat 21 yard line. Six plays later, Reid Acherman found the endzone on another QB keeper. The Pointers failed the two point conversion, and their lead sat at one, 28-27. The Pointers completed the comeback on an 8-yard shovel pass from Reid Acherman to Roen Carey. Acherman punched the ball into the endzone on the two-point conversion, and the Pointers extended their lead.

Neither team would be able to find any more Points in the game, as the Pointers defeated the Warcats 35-28. “Defensively, we just needed to play downhill and finish at the point of contact. Our guys did a much better job of this in the second half. We had some young guys like Jake Dannenberg, Sawyer Dannenberg, and Clayton Yanna who had to grow up fast and give quality minutes Friday night, which is what they did,” Coach Leonard added. The Mineral Point Football Team will be in tonight’s homecoming parade, which will go down High Street starting at 6:15 PM. The pep rally will take place at Ron Murphy Field following the parade. The homecoming game against the Benton/Scales Mound (IL)/Shullsburg Knights will take place tomorrow night in Mineral Point.