Bluejay Football
Bluejays Crush Eagles
by Morgan Crist
Rainy conditions and resulting game delays couldn’t keep the Bluejay football team down during their Homecoming game. The Jays defeated the O’Neill Eagles on Friday, October 6, with a score of 40-13.
In the first quarter, the Jays fell slightly behind as Collin Tinker of Pierce, scored an 11-yard touchdown and the PAT was failed, while the Eagles managed to score one touchdown and completed the PAT in this quarter.
Collin Tinker had his second touchdown of the night of two yards in the second quarter. O’neill, however, also scored in this quarter to maintain their one-point lead of 12-13 going into halftime.
Two Bluejay touchdowns were scored in the third quarter, and O’neill was unable to make it to the end zone. Dalton Freeman scored a 14-yard touchdown, while C. Tinker had a eight-yard run into the end zone as well.
During the fourth and final quarter, the Jays sealed their victory as Dalton Freeman scored a 62-yard, followed by the two-point conversion from Jadon Magdanz. To finish the game, Freeman scored again, and with Carson Oestreich making the two-point conversion, the Jays finished with a decisive 40-13 win.
Freeman led the Jays in rushing for 161 yards. Magdanz led in receiving, and Brett Tinker, Ashton Wragge, and Ryder Fuchs led the Jays in tackles with 11 each. Fuchs also had two sacks, and B. Tinker and Jakob Meier each had one.
Coach Mark Brahmer said, “I was very pleased with how our guys came out after halftime and played with a tremendous amount of determination and resolve. To sit through an extended halftime under difficult conditions against a talented team and play the way we did in the second half, their efforts are quite commendable. The boys continue to improve and are playing very hard. We will have a challenge this coming Friday night because we will play one of the best overall teams we’ve faced so far this season in West Point-Beemer.”
The football team will play their next game on Friday, October 13, against and at West Point Beemer.
F-S Bluejays Take Down Panthers
by Morgan Crist
The Bluejay freshman-sophomore football team faced off against Norfolk Public on Monday, October 9, at the home of the Bluejays, and Pierce took the victory. The final score of the Panther/Bluejay game was 26-13.
In the first half of the game, Jeremiah Kruntorad scored two touchdowns for the Jays, but both PATs failed. With the Jays’ defense allowing the Panthers one touchdown, the score at the end of the first half was 12-7.
During the second half of the game, the Panthers scored one touchdown, but were unable to capitalize on an extra point. For the Jays, Kruntorad had another touchdown, and David Dale scored the two-point conversion. Dale also scored the last Bluejay touchdown of the night, putting the final score at 26-13.
Coach Grant Doerr thought the team showed great improvements against the Panthers, saying, “The game against Norfolk High was much better as for our offense and defense.”
The next freshman-sophomore game was a rescheduled match againsg the Wayne Blue Devils. It was played Monday, October 16, to wrap up the freshman-sophomore season.
JH FB Teams Split Wins with Battle Creek
by Angelica Volquardsen
The junior high football teams competed against Battle Creek on Tuesday, October 10, at home. The 7th grade team won their game with a score of 40-20, but the 8th grade team lost in overtime with a score of 12-20.
In the 7th grade game, Abram Scholting scored two touchdowns, and Ben Brahmer made a two-point conversion. Brahmer later scored a touchdown, following with another two-point conversion. The Jays allowed two Brave touchdowns, but at halftime, the Jays were leading with a score of 22-14. In the second half of the game, Brahmer scored another touchdown and also made a two-point conversion. Colby Anderson added another Bluejay touchdown, followed by a two-point conversion made by Brahmer. Nick Harvey added to the Jays’ total with a touchdown. The Braves managed to score only once in the second half to end the game with a score of 42-20, Jays.
In the 8th grade game, Michael Kruntorad scored a touchdown to start off the Jays with a lead against BC. Ritter Oestreich also scored a touchdown, and with the Braves answering with touchdowns of their own each time, the score was tied at halftime 12-12. The Jays were unable to score any more points, and with the Braves scoring in overtime, the Jays lost 12-20.
Coach Lester Piper said, “Both teams played really hard, and I thought they played like it was their last game of the season, meaning they left it all out on the field. I’m proud of both groups Tuesday night.”
These were the last junior high football games to end the season. The 7th graders’ record was 4-1, and the 8th graders were 0-5.
Coach Mike Emory said, “We were very pleased with how hard both teams played to finish the season.”
Junior High Football Teams Fall to Wayne
by Angelica Volquardsen
The junior high football teams played Wayne on Tuesday, October 3, at Pierce. The Blue Devils defeated the Jays with an ending score of 14-22 for the 7th grade team and 12-44 for the 8th grade team.
For the 7th grade game, things started out close in the first half as the Jays allowed just one touchdown and two-point conversion, but also responded as Ben Brahmer scored on a touchdown run following with a two-point conversion run, ending the half with a score of 8-8. In the second half, Brahmer scored another touchdown for the Jays, but with the Blue Devils scoring two more times, the Jays lost 14-22.
Coach Les Piper said, “The seventh graders competed well, they just gave up two big plays to let the Blue Devils get ahead.”
For the 8th grade game, the Blue Devils took over early on. Although Michael Kruntorad scored a 60-yard touchdown run, Wayne managed to put up 38 points, ending the half with a score of 6-38. Kruntorad scored again in the second half, this time on a 73-yard run, but Wayne also scored one more time, and the Jays lost 12-44.
Coach Mike Emory said, “I thought we didn’t play physical enough at the point of attack.”
The junior high played their next game on Tuesday, October 10, to wrap up their 2017 season.
