Rockets open CWC play with win at Nekoosa

The Spencer-Columbus football team introduced itself to its new Central Wisconsin Conference foes on Sept. 25, taking a 27-8 win over Nekoosa while playing a stifling style of defense that allowed only 71 total yards for the game.

In its first action under the reconfigured area football conferences, Spencer-Columbus continued on as it has against its former Cloverbelt Conference opponents. The Rockets relied entirely on their running game and especially upon senior Eden Jacobson to move the ball downfield and slowly pull away from the Papermakers.

Rocket head coach Jason Gorst said the game was won along the line of scrimmage.

“Nekoosa was big and tough up front but I give our guys credit for sticking with it and having a great fourth quarter,” Gorst said. “Eden ran the ball very well. I thought our guard play between Austin Grubofski, David Ellefson, and Carson Schmidt was very solid. Connor Luedtke, Sawyer Kilty, and Connor Clark had good nights up front as well.”

Spencer-Columbus started the scoring in the second quarter as Jacobson broke a 42-yard touchdown run. Gage Stratman added the point-after kick for the 7-0 lead.

Nekoosa responded with a touchdown of its own before halftime, on a 43-yard Hunter Lochner run. Ethan Hoogesteger ran in the conversion for an 8-7 Nekoosa lead.

It stayed that way until the fourth quarter, when Spencer-Columbus finally put some distance between itself and Nekoosa with three touchdowns. Jacobson had the first, on a 5-yard run, and the second,on a 7-yard run.

Dominic Post added the final touch with a 10-yard scoring run.

The Rockets ran 37 times on the night for 223 yards, with Jacobson running 27 times for 179 yards. Stratman threw six times, with two completions to Jacobson for 18 yards.

The Rocket defense limited Nekoosa to 71 total yards on 45 plays, for an average of 1.6 yards per play. Nekoosa tried 38 running plays, but scuffed out only 66 yards. Nekoosa passed seven times with three completions for five total yards.

Cole Timmler and Jacobson each had five tackles for the Spencer-Columbus defense. Two of Timmler’s were for losses.

Spencer-Columbus gets it first home action of the season Friday night as it hosts Manawa.