St. Mary’s Springs holds off Amherst

AMHERST - More than four years had passed since the Amherst football team knew what it felt like to leave its home field with a loss.

A year after the Falcons handed Saint Mary’s Springs its first defeat at Fruth Field since 2007, the Ledgers returned the favor Friday night.

Amherst knocked on the door the entire fourth quarter to grab the lead but, after Springs went back on top, was unable to break through for the go-ahead score and suffered a 20-17 loss to the defending Division 6 state champions.

The setback snapped a streak of 28 straight home victories for the Falcons dating back to a 14-7 playoff loss to Brillion on Nov. 5, 2011.

“Let’s be honest. we didn’t come up with the big plays tonight. They did and we didn’t,” Amherst coach Mark Lusic said. “That’s kind of what it came down to.

“I give Springs a lot of credit. They played a hell of a game. I don’t see too many people touching them the rest of the way. You don’t see too many D6 teams built like that. They are special.”

Judging by how the Springs players were jumping up and down after the game, the victory over the Falcons was no run of the mill nonconference win.

And thanks to sophomore defensive back Mitch Waechter who started and ended the nonconference matchup with Amherst with an interception, the Ledgers did win.

“Coming into this game we knew these guys were the defending Division 5 state champions, and we played the last year,” said Waechter, who returned a pick 29 yards for a touchdown on the third play from scrimmage.

“It was a good game, but we let up in the second half. This time we played an excellent second half, it was perfect. Defensively, I couldn’t have asked for anything better.”

The Ledgers spent the better part of the second half with their backs against the wall.

Three times the Falcons drove inside the 40-yard line of Springs only to come away without any points.

Perhaps the toughest one to take came at the end of the opening half.

A 35-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Blake Bauer to Josh Moul with 3:49 left in the second quarter had just given the Ledgers a 14-7 lead.

Amherst mounted a 63-yard drive that was capped with a 5-yard scoring run by Josh Cisewski. However, a penalty for an illegal shift was called to nullify the TD.

Instead of an emphatic response to the Springs go-ahead score, the Falcons were stopped on downs at Springs’ 10 yard line to end the half.

Chandler Been bulled his way to a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs to account for both Amherst scores. He finished with a hard-earned 116 yards on 28 carries.

“The one that came off the board hurt,” Lusic said. “Like I said before the game, we had to score when we had opportunities. We didn’t do that. We have to fix that and that’s on me. We’ve got to find ways to get the ball in the end zone and we’ll do it.

“It’s the second game of the year. It’s not the state title, it’s not even a playoff game. I told the guys, ‘You enjoy the wins until midnight, now you have to get this one out of your system by midnight.’”

Amherst outgained the Ledgers, 328-191.

Bauer was the difference when Springs had the ball. The senior quarterback made big throws to Moul and Waechter to keep drives alive.

Perhaps Bauer’s biggest play came on a 29-yard scramble on third down late in the fourth quarter with the Ledgers backed up on their 11-yard line.

The first down enabled them to chew up precious more minutes off the clock, leaving Amherst with only 31 seconds to pull off a late miracle to no avail.

“This is what you work for. I think our kids are getting seasoned, we’re going to get tougher (because of games like this) and that’s what it’s all about,” Springs coach Bob Hyland said. “Today, (our defense) had to suck it up.

“Not to take anything away from Amherst. They’re a great team.”

First Quarter

SMS - Mitch Waechter 29 interception return (Cory Coen kick), 10:39

A - Chandler Benn 1 run (Carter Zblewski kick), 1:49

Second Quarter

SMS - Joshua Moul 35 pass from Blake Bauer (Coen kick), 3:49

Third Quarter

A - Safety, ball snaped out of end zone, 6:33

A - Benn 1 run (Josh Cisewski pass from Brandon Piotrowski), 2:05

SMS - Fintan Floyd 11 run (kick failed), :01

Scott A. Williams can be reached at 715-345-2282, orby email at ssswilliam@stevenspoint.gannett.com. Find him on Twitter as @SPJScottWill