Big second quarter pushes Falcons past Nekoosa
By Nathaniel Underwood
AJ Brodhagen scored two touchdowns and forced two turnovers, Irvin Aguilera passed for a pair of scores and ran for a third and the fourth-seeded Abbotsford Falcons were able to fend off the fifth-seeded Nekoosa Papermakers 42-28 in their first round playoff game on Friday evening.
A series of big plays allowed the Falcons to pull away in the second quarter of their opening contest of the 2024 postseason. After finding some success through the passing game on their first two drives of the game, Nekoosa had taken a 14-7 advantage. Needing a response to keep pace with the visitors, the Falcons turned to their own passing attack. Aguilera found Brodhagen open along the sidelines and the senior tight end did the rest, streaking past the rest of the Papermakers’ defense for a long touchdown. Fernando Perez’s extra point kick knotted the game at 14-14, but the Falcons were far from finished with their first half scoring.
Meanwhile, mistakes would begin to hurt Nekoosa’s otherwise effective offense. The visitors were able to drive onto Abbotsford’s side of the field on their next possession, but a dropped pass on a fake punt attempt resulted in a turnover on downs. The next two possessions for the Papermakers would also end in turnovers, though the Falcons would do their part to force those errors.
On Nekoosa’s fourth possession of the game, the Papermakers found themselves backed up in their own territory thanks to a solid punt from Aguilera. On their first play of the drive, Brodhagen managed to flush Nekoosa’s Nash Krcmar from the pocket and then stripped the ball as the quarterback looked to throw the ball downfield. Defensive lineman Dan Davila scooped up the loose ball for a momentum changing turnover that set up the Falcons at Nekoosa’s 11 yard-line. Abbotsford wasted no time taking their first lead of the contest as Chrisitan Fuentes was able to score on a one-yard run two plays later.
It did not take long for the Falcons to find themselves back in the end zone. After Abbotsford forced a third-and-long situation on Nekoosa’s next possession, Brodhagen was able to pick off Krcmar on an out route for his second straight turnover. The senior took the interception 40 yards for a defensive touchdown and after another Perez extra point, the Falcons were up 28-14.
Right before the end of the half, Abbotsford struck again. After starting at their own 20-yard line, the Falcons used their running game to march down the field before putting the ball in their quarterback’s hands once more. From Nekoosa’s 40-yard line, Aguilera connected with Chase Boller on a streak down the middle of the field. Boller was able to outmaneuver his closest defender and find the end zone with a little over 30 seconds left in the half, putting Abbotsford up 35-14 at halftime.
The four unanswered second-quarter touchdowns for the Falcons gave them the cushion they needed to outlast the fifthseeded Papermakers. A long passing touchdown for Nekoosa following a Falcon turnover in the fourth quarter allowed them to get within two scores, but Abbotsford was able to answer right back.
A key completion between Aguilera and Brodhagen gave the Falcons 35 yards on third-and-20 to keep the drive alive and Boller found the end zone two plays later on a 36-yard run to secure Abbotsford’s hold on the game. While the Papermakers would go on to score once more before time expired, Abbotsford ultimately came out on top to move on to the second round.
Both teams were able to find success at times through the air, with the Papermakers picking up 176 yards and two touchdowns and the Falcons collecting 164 yards and a pair of scores. However, the difference maker came in the form of critical turnovers and the running games, with the second quarter fumble recovery and interception for the Falcons turning into points and Abbotsford picking up 331 yards on the ground on 38 carries. Meanwhile, Nekoosa was held to just 80 yards rushing on 28 attempts for an average of just 2.9 yards per carry.
Boller had 130 of those rushing yards himself, doing so on 12 carries. Aguilera added another 82 yards and the Falcons’touchdown in the first quarter on the ground, Fuentes and Brodhagen both had 49 yards on two and three carries respectively and Emilio Escalera had 21 yards on eight rushes.
Aguilera completed five of his eight passing attempts for 164 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Brodhagen’s two catches went for 110 yards and a touchdown,
See PLAYOFF WIN/ Page 15
TURN ON THE JETS - AJ Brodhagen sprints away from the rest of the field on a 73-yard touchdown reception in the second quarter.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
COLLECTING THE LOOSE BALL - Dan Davila captures a momentum shifting second-quarter fumble that would eventually lead to a go-ahead touchdown two plays later.
STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD Playoff win
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Boller had his 39-yard touchdown at the end of the second half and Fuentes and Escalera had one catch each, going for 13 yards and two yards. On defense, Fuentes led the team with 11 tackles, Davila added another seven himself and Aguilera was in on six tackles. Brodhagen had three tackles, including the strip sack that was recovered by Davila, and the only Falcons’ interception, the second quarter pick-six.
The win set up a second round matchup between the Falcons and the Coleman Cougars, who earned a first-seed after going 9-0 in the regular season and winning the Northwoods conference. The Cougars cruised to a 63-29 victory over Weyauwega-Fremont in their first postseason game, using a vaunted rushing attack to send the Warhawks home. Quarterback Micah Kuchta had a 220-yard, five touchdown performance on the ground to lead Coleman offense that picked up 487 yards rushing and 9.4 yards per carry. Kickoff for the secondround playoff game on Friday, Nov. 1 is scheduled for 7 p.m.
FORM TACKLE - Chase Boller made sure that Nekoosa’s Brandon Wintlend was not going to get past him on a swing pass during the Falcons first round playoff victory over the Papermakers. STAFF PHOTO/NATHANIEL UNDERWOOD
