WAUSAU WEST FOOTBALL HANDS SPASH ITS FIRST CONFERENCE LOSS
Zaleski Sports
WAUSAU - Wausau West scored four second-half touchdowns and handed Stevens Point its first Valley Football Association loss of the season, winning 41-22 on Friday night at Thom Field.
After Wausau West jumped out to a 15-0 lead in the first quarter, Stevens Point scored twice in the second as Jaybreal Palbrach had a touchdown run and Danny Zdroik hauled in an 18-yard TD pass from Riley Warzynski, and the game at tied at 15-15 going into halftime.
The teams exchanged scores in the third quarter, with Warzynski throwing a 33-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Drohner, before West pulled ahead again for good on a 35-yard TD run by Joe Berens.
The game-clincher for West came in the fourth quarter when Reed Napiwocki picked off a Warzynski pass and returned it 70 yards for a touchdown. The Warriors tacked on an insurance score when Reed Geurink ran in from the 8.
Warzynski finished 27-for-49 for 324 yards passing, but was picked off three times. The Panthers (5-2, 4-1 VFA) also lost two fumbles in the loss.
Peyton Pumper caught 11 passes for 124 yards and Drohner added five grabs for 75 yards for SPASH.
West racked up 259 rushing yards, with Colton Geurink toting 25 times for 150 yards and two scores.
Wausau West (5-1, 3-1 VFA) hosts Appleton West on Friday, Oct. 8. SPASH is off next week before playing at Marshfield to finish its regular-season schedule on Oct. 15.
Warriors 41, Panthers 22
Stevens Point 0 15 7 0 - 22
Wausau West 15 0 14 12 - 41
First Quarter
WW – Joe Berens 17 run (Colton Geurink run).
WW – Geurink 1 run (Jackson Albee kick).
Second Quarter
SP – Jaybreal Palbrach run (Cam Saeger kick).
SP – Danny Zdroik 18 pass from Riley Warzynski (Palbrach run).
Third Quarter
WW – Reed Napiwocki 7 run (Albee kick).
SP – Tommy Drohner 33 pass from Warzynski (Saeger kick).
WW – Berens 35 run (Albee kick).
Fourth Quarter
WW – Napiwocki 70 interception return (kick failed).
WW – Geurink 8 run (pass failed).
Team Statistics
First downs: Stevens Point 19; Wausau West 15.
Rushing (att-yards): SP 28-9; WW 41-259.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): SP 27-49-324-3; WW 6-9-46-1.
Total yards: SP 333; WW 301.
Fumbles (total-lost): SP 2-2; WW 3-1.
Penalties (no.-avg.): SP 10-89; WW 9-73.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: SP, Jaybreal Palbrach 18-54, Peyton Pumper 2-minus 6, Riley Warzynski 8-minus 39. WW, Colton Geurink 25-150, Reed Napiowocki 7-61, Joe Berens 3-56, Landon Parlier 2-8, Jack Berens 3-7, Team 1-minus 23.
Passing: SP: Warzynski 27-49-324-3. WW, Ja. Berens 6-9-46-1.
Receiving: SP, Pumper 11-124, Tommy Drohner 5-75, Quinton Martin 4-59, Jayden Zelinski 4-37, Danny Zdroik 1-18, Ben Raczek 1-6, Palbrach 1-5. WW, Parlier 4-16, Gage Monpas 1-18, Daniel Allen 1-12.
Interceptions (defense): SP: Drohner.
Records: Stevens Point 5-2, 4-1 Valley Football Association; Wausau West 5-1, 3-1 VFA.