On homecoming night, the Sturgeon Bay Clippers had their best offensive night of the season but it was not enough to keep up with the Oconto Falls Panthers. The Panthers spoiled the celebration, taking down the Clippers 54-24 Friday night in Sturgeon Bay.
Oconto Falls would score first, moving down the field on the opening possession, and scoring on a 37-yard handoff to the fullback Jeffrey Pytleski to go up 7-0. After a quick three-and-out, the Panthers would score again on a 2-yard rush by running back Croix Gardebrecht. That would be his first touchdown of the night.
The Clippers would answer immediately on the next possession. The Clippers would take over with the ball at their own 35-yard line. Trygg Stuth would hand the ball off to Rayshaun Johnson, who would get to the corner and, after making one cut, turn it into an all-out sprint to the endzone, cutting the Panthers' lead nearly in half, 13-6. The Panthers had an answer, though as well and plunged into the endzone on a 1-yard QB keeper by Nathaniel White making the score at the end of the first quarter 21-6.
There was plenty more scoring in the second quarter. The first Clippers would convert on a 4th and 1, but on first down immediate pressure would force Stuth into a mistake, throwing the ball into the arms of the edge rusher Jeffrey Pytleski. Croix Gardebrecht's second touchdown of the game came on the ensuing drive from 6 yards out. Rayshaun and Clippers again would answer.
After two consecutive plays where the Clippers went backwards, including a second down sack in which they lost Stuth temporarily to an injury, Jack Higgenbotham would hand off on 3rd down to Johnson. Johnson would start running to the right, realizing the defense had that side covered, would cut back all the way across to the left sideline. After getting to the edge, and pushing into the secondary, Johnson juked back inside a defender, and seeing a lane open diagonally across the field, ran all the way for the 95-touchdown run on a run in which his run covered over 150 total yards. Croix Gardebrecht would add a second touchdown in the quarter, putting the score at half 33-12.
The Sturgeon Bay marching band put on a performance consisting of a medley of Fallout Boy songs for the homecoming crowd.
The Clippers received the second half kickoff and they would turn it into points. Trygg Stuth found Johnson 7-yards downfield on a pass that, after breaking a tackle, Johnson outran the safety, who had the angle of attack, but not the speed, to the end zone from 72 yards out, Johnson's third touchdown of the game and a 33-18 score. A pair of Landon Thompson touchdowns broke the game open before the Clippers would strike again.
Once again, the Clippers showed they can score from a long way out as Johnson once again sprinted right through the heart of the Panther defense on his way to a 79-yard touchdown and the final Sturgeon Bay points of the night. Croix Gardebrecht would add a fourth rushing touchdown to match Rayshaun Johnson's total, and the Panther defense would get in on the scoring as well, sacking Jack Higgenbotham in the endzone for a safety and the final score of 54-24.
The Clippers are at home once again next week as they take on the Southern Door Eagles in Sturgeon Bay, Friday, October 2nd, which can be heard on U102.1 and NEW Radio Sports Network.
