55 – 14

Colby takes battle for The Can

The Abbotsford Falcons and the Colby Hornets have played three times since the latter joined the Marawood following the football conference shake-up several years ago. The first game during the shortened 2020 season saw the Hornets come out on top, 44-6. After their regular season game was canceled, the two teams met in the second round of the WIAA playoffs last season, with the statebound Colby team taking the victory 48-8.

Friday night marked the third such meeting between the two Marawood teams, with both teams heading into the game on opposite sides of the conference standings. The Falcons were in search of their first victory since their record setting evening on September 9, where they had nearly 700 yards of total offense and racked-up 63 points on Iola-Scandinavia. Meanwhile, the Hornets were looking to continue their undefeated season and maintain their top spot in the Marawood conference. In a match up that saw some back and forth early, Colby took control towards the end of the second quarter, with the Abbotsford defense finding it difficult to put a stop to the Hornets’ offensive weapons. Colby was victorious for the third time in three years, cruising to a 55-14 win and taking home the rivalry trophy once again. The Colby offense came out of the gates firing on all cylinders, methodically moving the ball down the field on their first possession. The Hornets utilized chunk runs by Caden Healy and Tevin Rue, as well as a 25-yard screen pass to Healy, to drive 65 yards and

Abbotsford answered on their next drive. Highlighted by a 49-yard run by Christian Fuentes, the Falcons were able to move the ball on a normally staunch Colby defense. Some key runs on direct snaps to Evan Schunk kept the ball moving for Abbotsford and JV Castillo was able to slip through the middle on a twoyard touchdown.

A missed PAT would leave the Falcons down 7-6, but certainly within striking distance, especially after the defense, after giving up a long, 36-yard to Colby fullback Mateo Lopez, managed to stop Colby on fourth-down on the next drive. Two three-and-outs on the Falcons’ next two offensive possessions, however, would allow Colby to build its lead.

Two fourth-down plays in the first half might serve as microcosms of the game as a whole. The first found the Hornets on the Abbotsford 34-yard line on their next possesion, needing four yards for a first down.

Colby quarterback Tucker Meyer faked a hand off to his fullback before dropping back to pass. He only had a moment to survey the field, as Schunk found a lane through Colby’s line on a delayed blitz and immediately provided pressure. Meyer only needed a moment, however, to find his target. Rue had burned past the defense on a deep fly route down the center of the field, creating a five-yard cushion between himself and the nearest defender. Meyer lofted the ball deep to Rue, who made the grab and sailed into the end zone to put Colby up by a touchdown.

Compare that to a fourth down later in the half. Colby had scored once more on a Healy one-yard touchdown and the Falcons needed to respond. With the clock running down, Abbotsford had a 36-yard catch from Brandon Diedrich and 16yard catch from Evan Reis to drive to Colby’s 18-yard line, but found themselves in a fourth-down situation. If the Falcons could convert and punch the ball into the end zone, they would be looking at only a one-score deficit heading into halftime.

Abbotsford quarterback JV Castillo took the shotgun snap and rolled to his left. Pressure came almost immediately in the form of Hornet linebacker Caden Healy, but Castillo was able to get the ball away in time, flinging it towards the west sideline. His target, Evan Reis, who had made a catch on third-down earlier during the possession to keep the drive going, snagged the ball out of the air between two Colby defenders and appeared to have a first down for Abbotsford. However, a referee along the sideline indicated that the pass had been juggled while Reis had been going out of bounds, resulting in an incomplete pass.

The close play gave the ball back to Colby, who perfectly executed their twominute drill to drive the ball down the field and score on a Caden Healy oneyard touchdown run with 24 seconds left in the half. The Hornets took a 27-6 lead into locker room and Falcons were left wondering what could have been.

With the ball not quite bouncing the Falcons’ way on a couple plays, like on the aforementioned fourth-down play or a fumble that Healy was able to fall back on during the Hornets second-scoring drive, Abbotsford found themselves in an uphill battle with an already steep slope.

The Falcons started with the ball in the second half, but Colby’s defense once again stopped Abbotsford from getting a first down. Isaac Raatz brought down Castillo for a sack on third-down, forcing the visiting team to punt for the third time that evening. Rue made the Falcons pay, taking the punt back 50 yards for his third touchdown of the evening and putting the Hornets up 34-6. It was the highlight for a Colby special teams unit that played well all evening.

“Special teams once again played a big part in this game with a punt return for a touchdown, seven out of eight on extra points and four kick-offs that went into the end zone, making Abbotsford start at their own 20-yard line,” Colby head coach Jim Hagen said.

Abbotsford would be without the services of Castillo for the rest of the evening, who had been injured on the Raatz sack, and Irvin Aguilera took over the reins of the offense for the rest of the evening. He’d help lead the Falcons to their second touchdown of the evening on his first possession at the helm, hitting Jacob Hirsch over the middle for the longest play of the evening by either side. The 56-yard bomb set the Falcons up Colby’s 14 yard line. Aguilera would find Diedrich on a fourth-down pass that went for eight-yards and a first down before taking it himself the next play, reaching the ball out across the goal line for a touchdown.

“Irvin really doesn’t blink when asked to step up,” Abbotsford head coach Jake Knapmiller said of his second half quarterback. “He started on defense for us as well and played very well. He kind of has a knack for the game no matter where we put him; he has played four positions offensively and excelled at all of them. He is going to be a natural leader on the field and in the classroom.”

Reis would bring in a pass from Aguilera on the two-point conversion to bring Abbotsford’s total to 14, but that would be the last time the Falcons would see the end zone.

Colby, meanwhile, was not finished. The home team would score three more rushing touchdowns before everything was all said and done. One came in the third on a three-yard run by Gavin Voss and two were scored in the fourth, one by Ivan Haemer from one yard out and another from Colton Orth on a 15-yard scramble towards the end of the game.

“Offensively we had a good night rushing the ball and we completed three passes for 25-yards or more,” Hagen said, “I thought overall our team played pretty well throughout the night and we are happy keeping the ‘Milk Jug’ in our school for at least another year.”

The Hornets lifted the trophy into the crisp night after the game, cheering as they swarmed around it in victory. It would indeed be staying in Colby until next season, but their cross-town rivals would certainly be gunning for their first victory in the series next year.

The Falcons finished with 276 yards, gaining 160 on the ground and 125 through the air. Fuentes led Abbotsford with 11 carries for 64 yards. Castillo carried the ball ten times, but the Hornets were able to keep the dangerous quarterback in check, ceding only 16 yards on those runs, though the Falcons’ QB did find the end zone once.

Emilio Escalera had three second half carries for 42 yards, Schunk finished the game with 24 yards on five carries. Castillo went 4-for-7 passing for 52 yards and Aguilera completed two of his three passes for 64 yards. Hirsch had one catch for 56 yards, Diedrich had two for 46 yards, Reis had two for 20 yards and Fuentes had one for four yards.

“I thought offensively we were okay,” Knapmiller said after the game. “We missed some chances but Colby has a really nice run defense. We were able to catch them on a few pass plays and one big run. The Reis catch was a great play. It may have helped momentum stay on our side. When you are not consistent on either side of the ball little swings like that make a huge difference.”

That lack of consistency has hurt the Falcons during their Marawood conference campaign, but it’s something that Knapmiller feels the team is improving upon.

“We are really close to having all eleven players on the same page,” he said. “It’s been a struggle with a huge learning curve. The natural reasoning of situations and movement isn’t there yet. I think it will come.”

“Our kids had fun,” Knapmiller added, “They knew Colby has good athletes with lots of experience in the backfield, but I’m proud of them for not backing down, playing fast, having fun together and just playing the game together as a team.”

Meanwhile, Colby’s offense seemed to be right on track, with continued success in the run game and an improved passing attack when compared to recent weeks.

The Hornets racked up 416 yards of total offense and had 18 first downs, with their three primary weapons, Healy, Lopez and Rue, all having excellent games. Healy finished the evening with 118 yards on 21 carries and two touchdowns, as well as one catch for 25 yards. Lopez finished with 77 yards on just eight carries, three of which went for ten or more yards. Rue had 24 yards on five carries and a touchdown, two catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, and added a 50-yard punt return touchdown to his resume.

Colby’s Voss had 43 yards on five carries and a touchdown, Haemer had seven yards and a touchdown and Orth finished with 19 yards and a touchdown.

Meyer completed four of his nine pass attempts for 99 yards and a touchdown. Nathaniel Robida had one catch for ten yards.

Schunk had a huge game defensively, racking up 15 tackles for the Falcons. Castillo added eight and Fuentes had seven. Raatz, Healy, and Lopez led the way for Colby’s defense, with Raatz finishing with nine tackles, Healy with eight, and Lopez seven.

Both teams have a lot to play for in their final game of the regular season. Colby is to host Auburndale on Friday, which will determine whether or not the Hornets will be the sole owners of the Marawood championship title or if they will have to share with both Edgar and Auburndale. Meanwhile, the Falcons will be looking to secure their first Marawood victory of the season when they travel to Pittsville. A win would mean Abbotsford would finish with an overall regular season record over .500.

ACROSS THE GOAL LINE -A second effort from Irvin Aguilera (24) aided by his tight end Brandon Diedrich (86) gets the ball across the plane for Abbotsford’ssecond touchdown of the evening.STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD

TARGET LOCKED -JV Castillo (2) launches a pass downfield while Caden Healy (21) and Kaden Wiese (5) provide the pressure for Colby.STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD

TOUGH TO TACKLE -Gavin Voss (30) shakes free from Christian Fuentes (5) on a run to the right side.STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD