Wausau Pilot & Review
MERRILL – The juggernaut that is the Wausau Newman Catholic football team continued its season-long dominance with another blowout win on Friday night.
The Cardinals scored six first-half touchdowns and blasted Gilman 48-14 in a WIAA 8-player football Level 2 playoff game at Merrill High School.
Newman Catholic, the defending state champion and No. 1-ranked team in the state, improves to 10-0 and moves on to a state semifinal against Siren (10-0) on Friday, Nov. 4, at Chippewa Falls High School. Siren moved into the semifinals with a 38-19 victory over Clayton. The winner will advance to the state championship game at Wisconsin Rapids on Nov. 12.
Newman quarterback Conner Krach ran for 173 yards and five touchdowns, completed all three of his pass attempts for 80 yards and another score, and picked off two passes on defense.
Krach had touchdown runs of 19, 14, 1, 35 and 10 yards, and threw a 49-yard TD to Eli Gustafson. Thomas Bates accounted for the Cardinals’ other score on a 2-yard run in the second quarter.
Cardinals 48, Pirates 14
Gilman 6 0 0 8 – 14
Newman Catholic 14 28 6 0 – 48
First Quarter
NC – Conner Krach 19 run (Matt Hamilton kick).
NC – Eli Gustafson 49 pass from Krach (Hamilton kick).
G – Kroeplin 6 run (run failed).
Second Quarter
NC – Krach 14 run (Hamilton kick).
NC – Krach 1 run (Hamilton kick).
NC – Thomas Bates 2 run (Hamilton kick).
NC – Krach 35 run (Hamilton kick).
Third Quarter
NC – Krach 10 run (kick missed).
Fourth Quarter
G – Mcalpine 16 run (Grunseth pass from Krizan).
Individual Statistics (Gilman not reported)
Rushing: NC, Conner Krach 12-173, Thomas Bates 13-110, Matt Hamilton 2-7, Tyler Ackermann 2-4, Matthew Meyer 3-3.
Passing: NC, Krach 3-3-80-0, Ackermann 1-1-5-0.
Receiving: NC, Eli Gustafson 2-68, Jackson Pfender 1-12, Carson Rice 1-5.
Records: Gilman 7-3; Newman Catholic 10-0.
