.jpg)
Cedar defense, line play lead to 21-14 win over Battle Creek
HARTINGTON — Cedar Catholic Coach Chad has always believed games are won and lost in the trenches.
The Cedar Catholic line proved up to the task Friday at Russ Hochstein Field, as they bulldozed through the Battle Creek defense enroute to a 21-14 upset win. The Cedar defense was equally impressive, holding the powerful Brave offense to just 14 points.
The Braves came into the game rated second in the state behind returning state champion and undefeated Norfolk Catholic.
A strip-sack by Cedar Catholic’s Jacob Steffen set the Trojans up at the Braves’ eight and Easton Hochstein pounced on the loose ball, but the Battle Creek defense got defensive and held Cedar Catholic to a fourth-and-one play from the one, where Braeden Reifenrath sneaked it in for the score and after a Bodie Hochstein extra point kick, Cedar Catholic led, 7-0.
“We gave them the short field there and that hurt,” Battle Creek coach Andrew Carlson said. “But we kept competing, we certainly never quit. They’re a very good team and you never want to give a quality team a helping hand.”
The Trojans would go up 13-0 after Reifenrath hit Jaymison Cattau at around the Battle Creek 10, and Cattau sidestepped a Brave on his way to the end zone, but Battle Creek tipped the extra point and it fell short of the goal posts.
It took the Braves just the ensuing kickoff to answer as Casey Schnebel rambled 90 yards with the kick to get Battle Creek back to within 13-6 with 6:28 left before the intermission.
Hudson Last added the extra point and the Braves were back in it 13-7.
“Our defense and especially our defensive line played great all night,” Cedar Catholic coach Chad Cattau said. “We prepared very well for this game all week, which you have to do when you’re playing a team like Battle Creek. Honestly we just made a couple of more plays than they did and we got the win.”
The game turned into a real defensive battle until early in the fourth quarter when Battle Creek quarterback, Jaxon Mettler tossed the ball to Noah Mahlin who dashed around and through the Trojan defense for a touchdown from the Cedar Catholic 33 and after another Last kick, the Braves held its first and only lead of the game with 11:38 left in the contest.
SECOND QUARTER W/O: #11 10 run, conversion no good, 6:06. 24-6. H-N: Heimes 14 run, pass no good, 2:46. 30-6. THIRD QUARTER H-N: Rosener 40 pass from Heimes, Kayne Gratzfeld kick, 9:43. 37-6. H-N: Feilmeier 31 pass from Heimes, Gratzfeld kick, 8:36. 44-6.
H-N: Heimes 21 run, conversion no good, 7:43. 50-6. H-N: Cole Bensen 47 interception return, kick no good, 5:11. 56-6. FOURTH QUARTER W/O: #1 12 run, #28 pass from #1 good, 8:33. 56-14. HNS Passing: Aistin Sudbeck 0-1 0; Cole Heimes 3-5 103 2TD HHS Rushing: Austin Sudbeck 3-5; Cole Heimes 11-107 4TD; Cole Rosener 6-12; Cole Bensen 1-(-8); Jason Heimes 2-4. HNS Receiving: Will Feilmeier 1-31 1TD; Cole Rosener 2-61 1TD. HNS Tackles: Ty Opfer 5 .5TFL; Alyk Zach 2; Kayne Gratzfeld 1; Austin Sudbeck 4; Cole Heimes 18 1TFL; Ayden Rosener 3; Will Feilmeier 1; Cole Rosener 5 1FR; Brayden Lammers 5; 27. Cole Bensen 11 1.5TFL .5SAC 2INT 1TD; Aiden Collier 4; Kyptin Collier 6; Chris Kneifl 2; Colton Cavanaugh 1 .5TFL .5SAC; Lincoln Grutsch 1; Landon Clark 3; Logan Opfer 3; Ashton Wakeley 1 1SAC.
