Loyal loses at Assumption

A monster third quarter from Wisconsin Rapids Assumption blew open what had been a close football game against Loyal on Sept. 30.

The Royals scored five touchdowns in the 12-minute third period on their way to a 58-12 home win over the Greyhounds. Loyal had scored touchdowns in each of the first two periods to keep the score at 20-12 at halftime before Assumption exploded in the third.

Loyal led 6-0 early in the contest on Louis Nikolai’s 5-yard touchdown just four minutes into the game. Assumption answered with a 48-yard Nick Leberg run to lead 7-6, then tacked on a 19-yard Cade Statz run and an 18-yard Manny Schultz run to lead 20-6 early in the second period.

Loyal got back into the game with 9:02 left in the half on Tryn Scheel’s 8-yard run. Loyal would not find the end zone again.

Ryan Shaw returned the second half kickoff 75 yards for a touchdown to start the onslaught.

Joey Meyer added a 48-yard run at the 7:26 mark of the third quarter and Assumption scored again a short time later on a fumble recovery return. The last two scores of the quarter came on a 68-yard Leberg run and a 59-yard Meyer run.

Loyal was outgained on offense by only a modest margin of 408-265, but three lost fumbles were painful. The Greyhounds ran 45 times for 214 yards and completed five of 14 passes for 51 yards.

Sullivan Hanson ran 17 times for 92 yards and Nikolai picked up 87 yards on eight carries. Drew Stieglitz had four receptions for 51 yards.

Assumption’s ground game produced 381 yards on 32 carries, for an average of 11.9 yards per rush. Leberg gained 138 yards on 10 attempts and Meyer picked up 126 yards on nine carries.

Loyal is now 1-6 on the season, with upcoming home games against Rosholt on Oct. 7 and Stevens Point Pacelli on Oct. 14.