Big Foot improves to 4-3 after 32-20 victory over Edgerton
By Dan Truttschel
Correspondent
A tight first quarter Friday night left the Big Foot football team with just a seven-point lead in its Rock Valley Conference matchup with host Edgerton.
From there, however, the Chiefs began to roll.
Big Foot put 18 points on the scoreboard in the second quarter and never looked back in a 32-20 victory. The win improved the Chiefs to 4-3 and made them eligible for the upcoming WIAA playoffs with two regular-season games remaining.
The difference between the two quarters was fairly simple, Big Foot coach Greg Enz said.
“The kids were able to finish off drives,” he said. “We actually had a good drive in the first quarter that stalled out inside the 20 due to a penalty. But the defense responded, and we got the ball back to set us up 7-0.”
After running back Olinh Craig gave Big Foot a 7-0 lead with a 15-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, quarterback Jackson Enz took over.
Enz, who finished with almost 400 total yards, started things off with a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown, followed by runs of 14 and 8 yards to help the Chiefs build a 25-6 halftime lead.
The kickoff return was set up by solid blocking up front, Enz said.
“The blocking has really made marked improvements over the past three to four weeks,” he said. “Like the rest of the phases of the game, we as a staff have seen enormous improvements by these young men.
“I feel that when special teams start to make big plays you are showing your true potential as a team regardless of the side of the ball. At the end of the day, football is tackling, blocking and running.”
Enz completed 16 of 27 passes for 216 yards and rushed for another 77 on 13 attempts.
Several moving parts on the offense continue to work well together, Greg Enz said.
“Jackson’s success is very much predicated on how the receivers are running routes and catching the ball,” he said.
“The most notable part is how more of the plays lately have not had to (happen) through ad libbing, instead due to good protection and solid run blocking of (Edward) Uden, the Carpentar twins (Danny and Aaron), (Nick) Freymiller and (Charlie) Chalchoff, (and) the offense has been able to function in the manner it should.”
Enz added the efforts of Michael Petkoff also have helped the Chiefs’ rushing attack.
Other offensive leaders were Jack Heidenreich with four catches for 61 yards, Beau Cary with four for 48, Pedro Sierra with four for 39 and Hunter Sharpe with three for 35.
The Big Foot defense had another big night, as it forced two more turnovers for its ninth in the last three games. The Chiefs also held Edgerton to less than 300 yards, the fourth straight week the defense has accomplished that feat.
“The thing people have to know is when we are scoring on big plays or running an up-tempo offense, the defense is going to have to play more snaps, which will lead to more yards given up,” Enz said.
“With that said, a great defensive game traditionally is based on 225 yards or less …. We have to adjust our expectations, and these kids have been meeting them. Kids are flying around making plays, and it doesn’t matter who it is.”
Leaders last week Friday were Sam Ritchey with nine tackles, Kasey Woodside, Tucker Milligan and Craig with seven and Andrew Rego, Blake Synove and Petkoff with six.
Next up for the Chiefs is a home game tonight against a winless Whitewater team at 7 p.m. The Whippets lost 42-12 last week to Brodhead-Juda.
“We have to come out aggressively in all phases of the game,” Enz said. “The only way to show the mark of a good team is to play well regardless of who the opponent is. We need to be efficient and focused, and that will be instrumental in meeting our objective.”
