Victory tempered by Warrior injury, transport towards end of game

Coming off a win against the Osseo-Fairchild Thunder Sept. 23, the Oriole varsity overcame the Neillsville/Granton Warriors 33-30 at Oriole Park, making a season record to date of 2-3 for the Cloverbelt and 3-4 overall. The victory was tempered with a reminder that football can be hazardous.

“Get that ambulance back here,” the call went out to local paramedic Jeff Ryba as a Neillsville/Granton player didn’t get up towards the very end of the fourth quarter.

The ambulance being called back on site, the player was transported to Aspirus Stanley for treatment, per Boyd-Edson- Delmar Fire Chief Ron Patten. Both teams took a knee as the injured player was evacuated from the field, forgoing the usual after game handshake to ensure the injured player was attended to. Emotions ran high as the game ended, with hand clapping as the player was successfully evacuated from the field As to the events leading up to the fourth quarter ending, the Orioles pulled off a 33-30 win over the Warriors, not es- tablishing a definitive lead until after the half, with just 2:19 left in the third quarter. Prior to this, Neillsville held the lead.

With kickoff taking place at 7 p.m. after the Star Spangled Banner was sung a cappella by the High School Choir while Troop 50 raised the flag, Neillsville/Granton took first goal, making a touchdown to bring the score 6-0 in the Warriors favor with 10:02 left in the first quarter. The extra point was blocked by Stanley-Boyd’s defense, with the Orioles bringing the ball to their own 40-yard line upon return, making first and 10 with 9:56 left in the first quarter.

Following this, a five yard penalty was assessed on the defense, while Oriole quarterback Logan Burzynski took a first down and Landon Karlen carried two passes for a gain in yardage.

The Warriors turned this around briefly, bringing down the Oriole ball carrier near the line of scrimmage making for a fourth down and turnover, with gains made, a penalty, lost yardage, and another fourth down. With the snap then going through the legs of the punter for a two-point safety on the Orioles part, the score came to 6-2 Neillsville with 6:24 left to run in the first quarter.

With Cole Brenner bringing in the kick for the Orioles and taking it to the Warrior’s 33-yard line, a one-yard gain was made on play with Chase Sturm running up the middle.

Following this short gain Burzynski tossed the ball under pressure, while Sturm made a four yard gain running up the middle for a second time. Neillsville then brought the ball carrier down behind the line of scrimmage, with turnover on down made to the Warriors at the 40-yard line. Gunner Barth took the ball up the west side for Neillsville to the Oriole’s 16-yard line, while a pass for touchdown with the clock run –

ning down left things 12-2 in Neillsville favor, the Oriole de – fense once again able to forestall the extra point attempt to hold back Warrior momentum for a comeback.

Coming off the return kick to Stanley-Boyd, Madden Mahr brought the ball to the 50-yard line, a 10-yard penal ty assessed for a block on the Oriole’s part. With a timeout for Stanley-Body at 3:06 left in the first quarter, the pass was hauled in for a few yard’s gain on the Orioles’ Part, while a powerful kick by Oriole Simon Polman brought the score 12 – 5 Neillsville as the first quarter ended.

Following a turnover and the start of the second quarter, an incomplete pass brought things to a head for the Warriors, with Oriole Landon Hoel securing the punt, followed with a pass hauled in by JJ Heller for a Stanley-Boyd touchdown with 11:38 left to the half. With the extra point up and good, the score was brought to a 12-12 tie between Orioles and War – riors, with Neillsville taking a timeout with 10:32 left on the clock in the second quarter.

Following a series of plays with neither team scoring, the tally remained 12-12 with 7:10 left in the half. A blocked War rior pass and turnover on down to the Orioles looked promising, while the Warriors once again brought the ball carrier down behind the line of scrimmage with 6:17 to the end of the half, while a touchdown by Neillsville with 3:41 left in the half brought things 18-12 Warriors.

The extra point was blocked by the Oriole defense, with another touchdown bringing the score 24-12 in the Warriors favor as the halftime break kicked in.

With a short break in the game, the raffle supporting Junior Prom saw a lucky ticket holder with number 960755 win $304 for their investment in the 50/50 raffle, with event goers tak ing time out to visit the FFA food stand, before returning for the third quarter.

Opening up the second half, Oriole Blake Pahl returning up the middle for a touchdown early on, the extra point by Pol –

man deemed good as well, bringing the score 24-19 as Stan ley-Boyd fought its way towards parity on the score board.

With a followup touchdown by Karlen and good extra points by Polman, the score turned 26-24 in the Oriole’s favor at 2:19 in the third quarter, an advantage the Orioles held on to throughout the rest of the game. With Oriole Aiden Mahr making the tackle on Neillsville with just under seven minutes in the fourth quarter, a further scoring by Orioles and Warriors both brought the score 33-30 as the clock ticked down, with Landon Hoel intercepting a pass from Neillsville/Granton and closing out the Warriors hopes of victory. Oriole head coach Jeff Koenig shared his thoughts on the game some time later.

“It was a good homecoming victory for the team,” he said. “In the second half, the team played the way we knew they could and were able to move the ball consistently and make some key defensive stops.”

The Orioles next play against Regis at Carson Park on Thursday, Oct. 6. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

Logan Burzynski takes the ball to the end zone for a touchdown in the second half Friday. Photo by Joseph Back.