Hornets trample Oconto in Lvl One

There’s something awe-inspiring in the way the Colby Hornets football team has handled their competition this year. They’ve made good teams seem almost mundane by comparison.

And make no mistake, the Marawood Conference is a good conference. It was so good that it went 4-0 in Level One playoff action, and none had a bigger victory than the Hornets and their 49-0 shut out over the Oconto Blue Devils on Friday.

It didn’t start out that way, with some early miscues in the form of turnovers, but the Hornets figured it out before it could cost them.

“I thought we started off a little slow to begin the game offensively on our first two series with an early turnover, and then we were forced to punt,” Colby head coach Jim Hagen noted. “We then caught a break when our defense forced a turnover deep in Oconto territory, and then the scoring flood gate opened.”

When those floodgates opened, they didn’t stop as the Hornets unleashed the full force of their ground and air assault on a overwhelmed Oconto squad that came in with a 4-5 record.

In spite of a punishing ground game, it was the passing attack of Colby that got the party started. Colby QB Brent Jeske found Caden Healy, who caught the pass and went 54-yard to the house for the first score. Brent’s two point conversion made it 8-0 with 4:04 left in the first quarter.

The Hornets stung the Blue Devils twice more before the start of the second quarter, with Brent scoring from three yards out less than a minute later. A PAT by Brost made it 15-0 with 3:11 to go, and Jeske showed he could get it done on both sides of the ball, picking off Oconto and taking it 23-yards into the endzone for a Pick Six. The PAT was no good, but Colby held a 21-0 advantage heading into the second quarter.

“We scored 21 points within like three minutes, and that just shows the athleticism we have on this team, As a coach, sometimes it is fun to just sit back and watch it all happen,” Hagen said, as even he marvelled at how quickly Colby turned the tables on Oconto.

Colby’s ground game started to eat up the yards in the second half, and it was Mason Voss, fresh off a three touchdown and 193 yard night the week before, who scored next, rumbling past Oconto’s line for a 42-yard score with 7:34 to go before the break.

Oconto continued to be stymied, and Brent Jeske added another score with a minute to go before halftime. Jeske connected with Healy again for a 23-yard catch and run into the endzone. The PAT by Tucker Brost was good, and Colby waltzed into the break up 35-0./ “I thought our offense was productive once again, and our pass game is improving each week, which we will need in order to continue to be successful in the play-offs,” Hagen remarked.

The Hornets scored twice more before the night was done, both in the third quater. Junior Mateo Lopez broke free from the Blue Devils linebackers, then cut up field as he sprinted in from 21-yards out. Brost kicked another successful PAT to bring the score to 42-0, and a running clock was enforced.

The Hornets added a final touchdown when Ivan Haemer scampered in from 28-yards out to make it 48-0 with 2:05 remaining before the fourth quarter. A PAT made it 49-0, and the score stayed firm as the clock ticked down to zero.

By the time the game was over Colby had racked up over three hundred yards of offense, and showed nice balance in doing so. Brent Jeske completed three of five passes for 105 yards and two scores.

Caden Healy had both of those scores, and finished with two catches for 77 yards. Senior Brandon Voelker hauled in one reception for 28-yards. Mason Voss had another big night in limited reps, toting the ball nine times for 127 yards and a touchdown.

Colby was just as dominant on defense, sacking Oconto’s quarterback six times, with Brent and Andrew Jeske getting in three and two times respectively. The Hornets held Oconto to under 100-yards on offense.

The Hornets also forced four turnovers. Brent Jeske had a pick, and Andrew Jeske. Tevin Rue and Tanner Halopka all forcing one fumble.

That defensive intensity is something Hagen has come to expect from his players, and hopes to see this Friday when the Hornets welcome the Abbotsford Falcons to town for an intriguing Level Two match-up between the conference rivals.