Belleville rushing attack too much for Pointers

By Ronica Thousand

The Belleville Wildcats relied on a dominant ground game and timely defensive stops to defeat the Mineral Point Pointers 33–17 on Friday night.

Belleville set the tone early when senior running back Treyton Myers pounded through the defense for the first score of the game. Myers, who carried the ball 23 times for 104 yards, was the centerpiece of the Wildcats’ offense and found the end zone three times over the course of the night. 

Mineral Point answered quickly behind sophomore quarterback Liam Carey, who continues to grow into his role under center. Carey, who finished 16-of-31 passing for 171 yards and two touchdowns, found senior wide receiver Thorin Vamstad on a 24-yard strike to even the score. The Carey-to-Vamstad connection was the highlight of the Pointers’ offense, with Vamstad finishing with five catches for 76 yards and both of Carey’s touchdowns. 

Belleville responded with its own versatility, as quarterback Rayden Taylor began to showcase his ability to hurt defenses both through the air and on the ground. Taylor connected with Tyler Miyamoto on a big play through the air before tucking the ball and scrambling into the end zone himself to put the Wildcats back on top. He finished the game with 95 passing yards, 65 rushing yards, and two total touchdowns. 

The Pointers’ defense, led by junior linebacker Jake Dannenberg with 11 total tackles and one tackle for loss, worked hard to contain Belleville, but the Wildcats leaned on Myers again midway through the second quarter to extend their advantage. By halftime, Belleville had built a 20–10 lead and carried the momentum into the locker room. 

Coming out of the break, the Wildcats wasted no time pulling further ahead. Myers capped off the opening drive of the second half with his third touchdown run, giving Belleville a comfortable cushion. Mineral Point showed resilience, as Carey once again looked Vamstad’s way for another scoring strike to cut into the deficit, but the Pointers struggled to find consistency in the run game. 

Junior back Clayton Yanna led the team with 48 yards on 11 carries, as Belleville’s front seven tightened up down the stretch. 

The Wildcats’ defense stepped up in the late stages, with senior Cayson Helwig recording 7.5 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, and a sack to help close out the game. Belleville added a final touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the 33–17 victory.