Waunakee defeats Oregon in homecoming game

On the eve before homecoming the Waunakee Warriors celebrated early with a commanding 51-13 win over their conference opponent Oregon on Friday, Sep. 27. The Warriors are ranked tenth in Division 1 and are undefeated in conference play.

Waunakee opened up the scoring in Friday’s contest with a fumble recovery in the end zone by McCoy Smith. The field goal attempt after the Smith touchdown would be the only kick that Aiden Meinholz missed in the game. Waunakee would score a total of three times in the first quarter with the next score being a Sullivan Scadden rushing touchdown. At the 6:47 mark of the first quarter, Scadden rushed for three yards. Scadden finished the night with two touchdowns.

With the score at 13-0 in the middle of the first quarter, Oregon answered with a score of their own. Quarterback Ethan Pagels threw a 79 yard touchdown pass to Devon Rice. The Waunakee defense would block the extra point attempt, leaving Oregon with six points. For the final score of the first quarter Waunakee QB Vance Johnson connected with Justin Sawicki for a 12 yard touchdown pass to put the Warriors up 20-6.

Oregon scored early in the second quarter with a 16 yard pass from Pagels to Collin Norland. Kicker Nolan Erfurth successfully banked the extra point that moved Oregon to 13 points. The rest of the scoring opportunities were all Waunakee.

The Warriors scored three times before the half ended. At the 8:40 mark, Waunakee would go up seven by a Scadden one yard rush and a Meinholz extra point. With two minutes left, Johnson connected with Kaden MacKenzie for a 27 yard touchdown pass. The Jonhson brothers would connect for a touchdown with no time left on the clock before halftime. Mac Johnson caught a 24 yard touchdown pass to put Waunakee up 41-13.

After the half, Jackson Kidd would score by a four yard pass from Vance Johnson. The kick by Meinholz would put the Warriors up, 48-13. With 25 seconds left in the third quarter, Meinholz took the ball himself and put the Warriors up by three more. The fourth quarter was quiet in terms of scoring. Waunakee would put away their conference opponent by a final score of 51-13, moving to a 5-1 overall record.

Waunakee recorded 35 first downs to Oregon’s eight first downs. The Warriors were strong on the running and passing side of the ball with 315 rushing yards and 222 passing yards. Eli Drangstveit had 122 rushing yards of his own. Sullivan Scadden finished the night with two touchdowns and 112 rushing yards. Drangstveit and Scadden accounted for 234 of the 315 rushing yards for Waunakee. On the defensive side of the ball, Luke Hansen and Noah Joseph each recorded a sack.

Waunakee’s next opponent is Sun Prairie East on Friday, Oct. 4.