Fox Valley Lutheran football edges Wausau East in high-scoring WIAA Division 3 Level 1 playoff
AppletonSportsPage.com
WAUSAU – Finding themselves in a close game was nothing new for the Fox Valley Lutheran football team.
The Foxes went 2-3 in one-score games during the regular season and found themselves in another one Friday night in their WIAA playoff opener. With the stakes at the highest, fifth-seed FVL was able to finish the job, holding off No. 4 Wausau East 44-41 in a wild Division 3 Level 1 matchup at Thom Field.
Fox Valley Lutheran (6-4) moves on to a Level 2 game at No. 1 seed Medford (9-1) on Friday, Nov. 1. Medford defeated No. 8 Lakeland 28-7 on Friday.
Fox Valley Lutheran raced out to a 23-0 lead early in the second quarter and never trailed, although things tightened up in a hurry.
David Schumacher returned the opening kickoff 90 yards for a touchdown, Nick Martin hauled in a 40-yard touchdown pass from Lucas Papendorf and Blessings Kapande had a 4-yard TD run to give the Foxes a 20-0 lead at the end of the first quarter.
After Malik Schedler recovered a fumble for the Foxes, Reagan Doriot botted a 22-yard field goal to push FVL’s lead to 23-0.
Jesse Napgezek ran back the ensuing kickoff 86 yards for a touchdown for Wausau East before FVL retaliated with a drive that finished with a 6-yard run by Martin and the Foxes went ahead 30-7.
The Lumberjacks then mounted a comeback as Davis Winter hit Napgezek for touchdown passes of 26 and 22 yards, and Winter ran in from the 1 in the final seconds before halftime, cutting Fox Valley Lutheran’s lead to 30-27 at the intermission.
FVL pushed its lead to 17 with a pair of third-quarter touchdowns – a 2-yard run by Papendorf and a 8-yard pass from Papendorf to Schumacher – before East answered early in the fourth on a 5-yard TD pass from Winter to Jaydan Garrett.
An interception gave the ball back to East later in the fourth and Winter connected with Napgezek again, this time for a 19-yard touchdown, cutting FVL’s lead to 44-41.
Fox Valley Lutheran was able to recover an onside kick, convert a fourth down and run out the clock.
Papendorf finished with 256 yards passing for the Foxes.
Foxes 44, Lumberjacks 41
Fox Valley Lutheran 20 10 14 0 – 44
Wausau East 0 27 0 14 – 41
First Quarter
FVL – David Schumacher 90 kick return (Reagan Doriot kick).
FVL – Nick Martin 39 pass from Lucas Papendorf (Doriot kick).
FVL – Blessings Kapande 4 run (kick missed).
Second Quarter
FVL – Doriot 23 field goal.
WE – Jesse Napgezek 86 kick return (Gio Gomez kick).
FVL – Martin 6 run (Doriot kick).
WE – Napgezek 26 pass from Davis Winter (kick missed).
WE – Napgezek 22 pass from Winter (Gomez kick).
WE – Winter 1 run (Gomez kick).
Third Quarter
FVL – Papendorf 2 run (Doriot kick).
FVL – Schumacher 8 pass from Papendorf (Doriot kick).
Fourth Quarter
WE – Jaydan Garrett 5 pass from Winter (Gomez kick).
WE – Napgezek 19 pass from Winter (Gomez kick).
Records: Fox Valley Lutheran 6-4; Wausau East 6-4.