Rocket rally capped off by double overtime win
After 901 yards of combined total offense and two overtime sessions, it was a 3-yard conversion run that lifted the Spencer-Columbus football team over Little Wolf 51-49 on Oct. 2 in Spencer. The dramatic win lifts the Rockets to a 2-0 start in its inaugural season in Central Wisconsin-Large Conference play.
Gage Stratman’s 21-yard scoring pass to Will Schlafke in the second overtime session was good enough to put the Rockets ahead 49-43, but the difference in the game was Stratman’s short toss to Dominic Post for the game-winning 2-point conversion.
Little Wolf followed with its second overtime touchdown, but the Spencer-Columbus defense stopped the conversion attempt to get the hard-fought win.
Little Wolf looked as if it would own the game when it took a 28-7 lead on a 32-yard early third-quarter pass play.
The Rockets started their comeback on Jacobson’s 6-yard touchown run a short time later. Later in the third quarter, Post found his way to the end zone on a 19-yard run to bring the lead down to 28-23.
Little Wolf added another score for a 35-21 lead early in the fourth period.
Jacobson added yet another touchdown on a 3-yard run to bring it back to 35-29, and the Rockets finally tied it late in the game on Stratman’s 20-yard pass to Jacobson.
In the first overtime, Little Wolf scored on an 18-yard run and added the 2-point conversion for a 43-35 lead. Not to let its rally fall short, Spencer-Columbus tied it again on a 3-yard Jacobson run and then his conversion run.
Spencer-Columbus had the first possession of the second overtime, and put the pressure on Little Wolf with Stratman’s connection with Schlafke and then the all-important pitch to Post.
Little Wolf found the end zone, too, in the second overtime, on a 20-yard run, but a last attempt for the tying conversion was denied.
Rocket head coach Jason Gorst said his team showed its spirit in its late rally.
“We are extremely proud of these young men,” Gorst said. “They showed a lot of heart in coming from behind and never giving up. Gage made some clutch throws, Eden ran hard again, and Max McGiveron and Dominic Post had breakout games. Will Schlafke had a couple of very clutch plays.”
Jacobson scored four touchdowns on the night, three on the ground. He ran 29 times for 128 yards and caught nine passes for 48 yards. Post added 117 yards on 12 carries with two touchdowns.
Stratman threw 17 times with 13 completions for 107 yards and two scores.
In all, Spencer-Columbus had 485 yards of offense. Of that total, 378 came on 61 running plays, for a 6.2-yard per carry average. Little Wolf was even better, rushing for 309 yards on 27 attempts, for an 11.4-yard per carry average.
Neither team had a turnover.
