By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
The Elkhorn Area High School football team’s efficient offense led the Elks to a 29-13 Southern Lakes Conference victory Oct. 10 against Lake Geneva Badger at home during Elkhorn’s Homecoming.
“We played extremely well,” Elks coach Tom Lee said. “We won the time of possession game, which is always critical when you need to prevent a good team from scoring on you.
“We always say your best defense is an efficient offense. We moved the ball when we needed to and had some good balance.”
The Elks improved to 6-2 overall and 4-2 in the SLC with the victory. Elkhorn is now eligible for the WIAA Division 3 football playoffs for the second consecutive season.
“If we finished 7-2, we should be able to get a home playoff game,” Lee said. “That would be huge.”
The victory over Badger is the Elks’ first in Lee’s six seasons as head coach.
Elkhorn’s balanced rushing attack kept the ball in the Elks’ hands and the Badger (3-5, 3-3 SLC) offense on the sidelines. When Lake Geneva’s offense did take the field it met a rested and motivated Elkhorn defense.
The Elks rushed for 250 yards on 43 carries and three touchdowns. Connor Leahy rushed for 114 yards on 18 carries. Jordan Barr rushed for 76 yards on 12 carries and Keaton Verhoeven rushed for 66 yards on 12 carries.
Starting quarterback Dylan Peterson finished 2-of-5 for 73 yards and a 66-yard touchdown pass to Jonathan Wulff in the third quarter.
Elkhorn led 15-6 at halftime on the strength of touchdown runs by Barr in the first quarter and Leahy in the second.
Badger pulled to within 15-13 early in the third on an 11-yard touchdown pass from Isaac Ziergovel to James Patrick Quinn.
Elkhorn scored two touchdowns in the final six minutes of the third quarter and secured the victory. Wulff scored after catching the ball on a five-yard comeback route, cutting inside and eluding tow defenders on the way to end zone.
Veroeven scored on a 35-yard touchdown run with 54 seconds left in the third.
The Elks’ defense also had its fun, and finished with goal-line stands in the first half and fourth quarter. Wulff and Leahy each finished with an interception.
The Elks can win a share of the SLC title Friday if they defeat Burlington (5-3, 5-1 SLC) at home in the regular season finale for each team.
A possibility exists for a four-way tie for first place in the SLC. If Waterford beats Delavan-Darien, Wilmot beats Westosha and Elkhorn beats Burlington the Elks, Demons, Wolverines and Panthers will finish in a four-way tie for first. Each team would finish with five conference wins.
It is undeniable – Elkhorn’s route to a share of the SLC title is the most difficult.
“They’re good,” Lee said of Burlington. “They’re as good as any SLC team has been in the last five years. They’re very balanced.”
Burlington already claims a share of the SLC crown, the school’s first since 1996.
The Demons run a spread offense that Lee said is also quite effective at chewing up the clock. Quarterback Brad Burling leads Burlington in passing (1,594 yards) and rushing (713). Burling leads the SLC in passing, is second in rushing and accounts for 28 touchdowns (17 passing, 11 rushing) this season.
