Games 6: Junior Blue Dukes BLUE 35, Nicolet 0

The JBD7 team took a sporting and sportsmanlike approach to Saturday's game against an undermanned Nicolet team. Coach Joe Wieland and company used the contest to spread playing time around to the whole roster in the 35-0 victory.
Bay kicked off. Jake Fisher raced downfield to make a convincing tackle just outside the 20-yard line. Bay held, and Andrew James blocked the ensuing punt. Fisher passed to Bailey Weiland to bring the ball close to the goal, then Weiland took a handoff and ran in for a score. Bay set up in kick formation for the XP conversion, but Fisher stood up and pass to Anthony Enea for the point. 7-0, Bay.
After holding Nicolet again, a Josiah Erving run put Bay in good position, then Fisher passed to Connor Kimple in the end zone for a score. Weiland kicked the 2-point conversion. 15-0, Bay.
Erving was the workhorse on next Bay offensive series, ripping off three long runs, one sprung by an Andrew James block. He scored the TD to make it 21-0, Bay.
On the next drive, Fisher took the snap and passed backward to Macklin Kortebein. (Yes, you know what's coming next.) Kortebein fired an immaculate double pass to receiver Chris Siebert, who was standing alone in his own zip code. Siebert dashed toward the goal line, but was tackled just inches short of paydirt.
Later, Kimple flushed the Nicolet QB out of the pocket but could not bring him down. The QB took off for a big gainer past the 50-yard-line, but alert Bay defender Wieland stripped the ball from him. Kortebein, who was probably going through withdrawl pain after not touching the football, scooped it up and raced to the house for a TD. Anthony Pogorelc caught a pass for the XP. 28-0, Bay.
Alec Lindfors hit a beautiful coffin-corner punt that Fisher and Kortebein downed about the 1-yard line to pin Nicolet in dangerous territory. After Bay regained possession, Enea ran a quarterback draw for the final TD. Erving ran up the middle for the XP, making the final score Bay 35, Nicolet 0.

Game 5: Junior Blue Dukes GREY 44, Nicolet 12

Junior Blue Dukes Grey players caught a lot of footballs Saturday: some thrown by our quarterbacks, and some thrown by the Nicolet QBs. The Grey team dominated play in a 44-12 victory at Good Hope School field.
WFB received the opening kickoff. On a third-down play from around the Bay 40, QB Ryan Hummer ran around right end for a long gain. Then Hummer passed to slot receiver Nick Higgins on the left, who sped down the field for another substantial gain. Van Bassindale ran right for the TD, and Higgins kicked the two-point conversion. 8-0, Bay.
On fourth-down deep in its own territory, Nicolet ran from punt formation, but Bassindale and Higgins stuffed the ball carrier. Then Hummer threw a beautiful fade pass to Zach Casey in the right corner of the end zone for a TD. 14-0, Bay.
Near the end of the first quarter, Matt Bernstein returned a Nicolet punt for an apparent TD, but the score was nullified by a penalty. Still, Bay scored again in the first half. On fourth down and goal, Hummer threw a short pass to Higgins on the right. Nick ran untouched into the end zone, and kicked his second two-point conversion of the day. 22-0, Bay.
For the second consecutive game, an opponent has tried to beat Bay by throwing the ball, but Bay defenders have been paying attention. Jesse Sanford started the thievery by picking off a long Nicolet pass. Then, on offense, Coach Jon Bassindale rolled out a sweet gadget play. QB Jack Friesch threw backward to running back Bassindale, who pulled up and fired a long pass down the middle to the wide open Casey. Only an inadvertent stumble prevented Zach from scoring a TD.
Later in the quarter, Nicolet's QB threw to the right side. But cornerback Scott Rojahn was blanketing the receiver, went up in the air with him, and wrestled the ball away for an interception.
On Nicolet's last desperate throw of the half, defensive end Tony Schulz pressured the scrambling Nicolet QB, who heaved the ball over Tony's long arms, and into the grasp of the alert Casey. The half ended with Bay up 22-0.
Bay opened the second-half scoring with Van Bassindale, in wildcat formation, passing to Casey in the right corner of the endzone for a touchdown. Higgins kicked the two-point converstion. 30-0, Bay.
But Nicolet mounted a small rally, scoring a TD after getting outside Bay containment, and then breaking off a kickoff return for a score. (Under the rules of this league, teams trailing by more than 17 points can receive a kickoff after they score.)
Bay asserted itself with a strong defensive play. Nicolet passed short deep in its own end, but Rojahn read the play, interecepted the ball and dragged a Nicolet player on his back to about the 5-yard line. Teddy Weber ran up the middle untouched for a touchdown.
Van Bassindale then finished up the scoring with a long run, knocking the final Nicolet defender onto the ground as he ran into the end zone. Higgins kicked his fourth two-point conversion of the game to make the score 44-12.

Mama Said Knock You Out

Warning to parents: Loud (but terrific) musical background

Video: TD Run

Video: Pass Play

Game Story: Junior Blue Dukes 38, Nicolet 0

Led by a suffocating defense, and fueled by big plays on both sides of the line of scrimmage, the Junior Blue Dukes rolled to a 38-0 victory over Nicolet Sept. 12 at Nicolet High School Field.
The Blue Dukes overcame an early turnover to take the lead on Macklin Kortebein's 35-yard fumble return. In the second quarter, the Blue Dukes racked up touchdowns on a Bailey Weiland run and TD passes from Jake Fisher to Zach Casey and Anthony Enea. In the second half, Casey scored on a long run and Van Bassindale zoomed to the house after deftly stripping a Nicolet back of the ball.
Fisher and Bassindale tailed the two successful extra points in the game.
Nicolet tried to run to the outside on the Blue Dukes, but the swarming defense would have nothing of it. According to coach Jon Bassindale's preliminary tally, at least 14 Blue Dukes players were in on tackles. One of the tackling highlights occurred when Jonathan Downs introduced himself to a Nicolet ball carrier with a pad-crunching hit that knocked him flat.
Blue Dukes stalwart Ryan Hummer was banged up and had to leave the game, but Ryan and his dad Steve reported he will be practicing fully Wednesday and expects to play in Saturday's home game against Homestead.
Coach Joe Wieland encouraged players to enjoy the victory but also to remember that Homestead, our next opponent, isn't reading our press clippings.
The Homestead game begins at noon Saturday, Sept. 19, at lovely Lubar Stadium in Whitefish Bay.

Game Day Video: To the house

Game Day: Karen's photos from the Nicolet game

I married way above my station in life. Not only is Karen a wonderful partner and a great mother, she is also a fine photographer. Here is a slideshow of some of her candid photos from Saturday's Nicolet game:



Browse the photos online if you like.

Pictures/Walkthrough Friday

As Joe Wieland wrote earlier this week, picture day will be combined Friday afternoon with a final practice walk-through at the WFB High School upper field, behind the stadium.
Players should be there by 4 p.m. Friday, wearing their blue game pants and blue game jerseys. Pictures for our group are penciled in for 4:30 p.m., but I take all those scheduled times with bemused skepticism. Just have your guy there by 4 p.m. in blue.
Football czar Carl Fuda reports: no forms to fill out for this picture session. The photo company will email each of us.
As for Saturday's road game against Nicolet, Coach Wieland asks that the boys be at Nicolet HS by 3 p.m. Saturday. Kickoff is scheduled for 4 p.m. (Since that is a road game, that will be white jerseys with game blue pants.)