Abby overcomes fumbles, Wolverines
Falcons set up Colby clash for Level Two
The Abbotsford Falcons won’t win style points for their Level One 26-15 win over the Crivitz Wolverines, but as the saying goes, an ugly win is still a win.
Abby head football coach Jake Knapmiller concurs. “I guess the saying is, you’re lucky if you win the ugly ones.”
However, it wasn’t luck that propelled the Falcons into the next round of the postseason. It was the old standbys of hard work, grit and sheer determination.
“We’ve seen different classes come through, maybe more talented than this group, but one thing this group has is undying effort and the ability to enjoy and embrace the game together,” Knapmiller would say later. “I’m so proud to be around a group that carries themselves so well on and off the field.”
Abby needed all that and more after the Falcons gifted the Wolverines with four fumbles on Friday. But with each successive setback, the Falcons put the mistakes behind them and focused on taking care of business.
While the offense did just enough to give them the victory, it was the defense that did much of the heavy lifting last week. And when the chips were on the table, the Falcons’s defense made the plays they needed in order to set up a Level Two game with Colby this Friday.
The Falcons marched down the field at will in the first quarter, with Abby’s Ty Falteisek sprinting into Crivitz territory, but a Wolverine stripped the ball from behind and Crivitz recovered, stopping a potential scoring drive.
Abby returned the favor, keeping the Wolverines out of the endzone, and the two teams continued to hold each other scoreless in the first quarter.
Falteisek got the Falcons on board first, sprinting into the endzone from 18-yards out to make it 6-0. Crivitz stopped the two point conversion. The Wolverines tied the game off a 34-yard run from Tegan Werner, and a successful PAT gave them their only lead of the game.
That lead was erased thanks to a three yard run from Evan Reis that made it 12-7 with 4:34 to go before the break. Abby’s PAT was no good, but the Falcons kept the Wolverines out of the endzone to enter the second half with the lead.
“Our defense had a really solid first half to keep us afloat [after] three turnovers,” Knapmiller said. “The second half they exploited us on one play that we didn’t adjust well to.”
That particular play was the QB pitch. Time and time again, Abby got in on Crivitz quarterback Cashton Mertens, only to see Mertens pitch it to a nearby tailback for a big gain.
Even so, the Falcons went up 18-7 after another strong run from Falteisek, who gashed Crivitz with a 14-yard carry. Abby struggled to make a two point conversion, and the Wolverines seized the moment, keeping a drive alive with several pitches to Werner, who finally found paydirt from nine yards out.
Mertens completed a pass for a successful two point conversion, and it was suddenly an 18-15 game with 11:43 to play in the fourth quarter.
The Falcons drove into Crivitz territory, but a fumble by Falteisek, his fourth of the night, allowed the Wolverines a chance to possibly take the lead with just over seven minutes remaining.
Crivitz drove deep into Abby territory on a series that had the feeling of a game winning drive, converting on a crucial fourth and one. But Abby’s defense held firm in the end, and rather than try to convert another fourth down, the Wolverines attempted to tie the game with a 30-yard field goal and potentially send it to overtime.
Abby’s Brandon Hawkey made the play of the game, using every inch of his 6’4” frame to bat the ball down at the line of scrimmage. Hawkey’s teammate Brandon Diedrich scooped up the live ball and rumbled down to midfield before being tackled.
From there, Knapmiller put his trust in the ground game and Faltiesek, who responded by sealing the game with a 54yard sprint into the endzone that made it 24-15. A successful two point conversion made it 26-15, and several plays later an Evan Reis interception sealed the victory.
“You like to keep giving the ball to the guy who carried the load all year even if he had a few bad reps,” Knapmiller said about Falteisek. “I think it is a true indicator of what type of kids and team we have this year by how they reacted to the fumbles.”
Falteisek enjoyed arguably the best game of his senior season, leading all running backs with three touchdowns and 226 yards off of 17 carries. JV Castillo put up big numbers, keeping drives alive with a 23 carry, 144 yard game.
The Falcons reward for their victory against Crivitz is a meeting with the top seeded Colby Hornets on Friday. It’s a highly anticipated game as the two teams regular season clash never materialized after Abbotsford had to cancel.
Knapmiller and the Falcons understand what they are up against this Friday, but they also know who they are, and Knapmiller says he’s impressed with how close knit this year’s squad is.
“In the past, we would have had guys yelling and finger pointing, and the guy making mistakes really has a hard time moving on to the next play when those things happen. We refocused each time and put trust back in one another.”
