Amherst wins first playoff game
By Greg Seubert
The last time they met in the WIAA state football playoffs, Amherst handed Colby a 34-6 loss in a Level 4 game in 2012 before the Falcons went on to win the first of three state championships.
This time, the result was even more lopsided.
Amherst opened the 2017 playoffs with a 53-6 win over the Hornets Oct. 20 on its home field.
The Falcons will have a familiar opponent in the second round of the playoffs, as No. 2 Amherst will host No. 3 Spencer/Columbus Catholic at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27. Those two teams last met in the 2015 Division 5 state championship game, with the Falcons coming out on top 42-0.
Besides finding the end zone seven times in the first half, the Falcons also held the seventh-seeded Hornets to five three-and-outs in the first half and six first downs in the game, with three of them coming on Colby’s final drive of the first half.
The Falcons scored on all four of their possessions in the first quarter to take a 27-0 lead. Quarterback Marcus Glodowski scored on runs of 16 and 6 yards, Thomas Andersen returned an interception 32 yards and Bryce Holderman scored the first of his three rushing touchdowns with a 5-yard run.
Chris Andersen scored from 5 yards out in the second quarter, while Holderman added wins of 5 and 8 yards that gave the Falcons a 47-0 lead at the break.
Colby quarterback Christain Raasch capped the Hornets’ first drive on the second half with a 47-yard run against the Falcons’ second-string defense, but Amherst responded on its next drive with Bryan Groshek’s 3-yard run. Backup quarterback Lincoln Cullen set up the touchdown with a 46-yard run that set the Falcons up at the Colby 5-yard line.
Neither team had a long drive in the second half, as the teams played both 12-minute quarters in only 30 minutes.
Amherst improved to 9-1, while Colby’s season ended with a 6-4 record.
In other scores from Amherst’s bracket, No. 1 Stanley Boyd shut out No. 8 Wittenberg-Birnamwood 42-0, Spencer/Columbus Catholic eliminated No. 6 Oconto 49-17 and No. 5 Stratford went on the road and beat No. 4 Bonduel 42-19.
Besides Amherst’s matchup with Spencer/Columbus Catholic, Stanley-Boyd will host Stratford in Level 2. The winners of those games will meet in Level 3 Friday, Nov. 3.