D-DHS beats Westosha 45-8
By Jennifer Cesarz
Correspondent
After losing four in a row in the Southern Lakes Conference, the Delavan-Darien High School football team picked up its second conference victory, beating Westosha Central, 45-8 at D-DHS on Friday.
“The win felt like a huge monkey off of our backs,” D-DHS head coach Bret St. Arnauld said. “We have been right on the cusp of winning every game that we have played in this year.”
The Comets (4-4, 2-4) got two touchdowns from both Jesse Collins and Fabias Shipman, and Jacob Benzing also had a 55-yard punt return for a touchdown.
Finishing off the Comets scoring was Alex Grover who caught a 24-yard pass from Collins and Pablo Gomez, who was perfect on all six of his extra-point attempts and had a 22-yard field goal.
“We came ready to play football and flew around and made plays,” St. Arnauld said. “The coaching staff put together a great game plan and we stuck to it, and the boys were ready.”
The Comets scored on their first drive of the game when Shipman scored on a 12-yard run, putting the Comets up 7-0.
Late in the first quarter, the Comets added seven more when Benzing returned a Falcons punt for a touchdown, giving the Comets the 14-0 lead.
The Comets built that lead to 21-0 in the second quarter on a one-yard run by Collins before the Falcons got their only touchdown of the game, and, after the two-point conversion, the Comets had the 21-8 lead.
Before the half was over the Comets scored two more times – on Shipman’s second touchdown of the game, this time a 27-yard run, and then late in the half Gomez kicked the field goal, building the Comets lead to 23 at 31-8.
In the third quarter the Comet offense continued its assault, with Collins scoring his second rushing touchdown of the game, making it 38-8, and then Collins found Grover late in the third quarter for the 24-yard touchdown pass, putting the Comets up 45-8.
Neither team scored in the final quarter, and the Comets went on for the 45-8 victory.
Collins finished his night with 161 yards rushing and two touchdowns and threw for 114 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
Benzing had 105 yards rushing on two carries and a touchdown, and Shipman had two touchdowns on 13 carries for 63 yards.
Grover finished his night with two catches for 33 yards and a touchdown, and Ethan Cesarz had three catches for 78 yards.
Ryan Gengler and Cesarz led the defense with 4 ½ tackles each, and Gengler added an interception.
Quincy Perry had four tackles, and Rodney Nash added 3 1/2.
“It was an important win for us because it gives us a chance to make playoffs. I say chance because it is not a guarantee,” St. Arnauld said.
The Comets host Waterford in their final game of the year at 7 p.m. Friday. The Comets need to win the game for a chance at the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association playoffs.
