OSHKOSH — The South put together a furious fourth-quarter rally, but ultimately came up four points short in Saturday’s Wisconsin Football Coaches Association Small Schools All-Star Game at UW–Oshkosh’s Titan Stadium.
The South scored three touchdowns in the final quarter of play, but missed all three two-point conversions in a 28–24 loss.
Platteville’s Jason Withrow made 10 tackles, including two for loss and a fourth down stop, playing inside linebacker for the South. Potosi’s Teagan Friederick played safety and retuned kickoffs, while Belmont head coach Jason Weittenhiller was an assistant coach for the South, coaching wide receivers and tight ends throughout the week.
The North dominated the first half of play, building a 28–7 halftime advantage.
Little Chute’s Parker Gludeman caught a pair of first-quarter touchdowns — one a 23-yarder from Amhert’s Garrett Groshek, the other a 49-yard strike from Fall Creek’s Cody Folkers — to stake the North to the early lead. Amhert’s Tyler Biadasz converted both extra points to make it 14–0.
Berlin’s Mitchell Kramer score on a 2-yard run early in the second quarter to make it 21–0.
The South broke up the shutout midway through the second quarter when Saint Francis’ Jacob Wiedower connected with Johnathan Bell from Hope Christian for an 18-yard TD pass, but Wiedower’s two-point conversion pass fell incomplete, making it 21–6.
The North answered with an 11-yard TD pass from Folkers to Freedom’s Isaac Gonnering with 1:02 left in the half to make it 28–6.
The team’s played a scoreless third quarter, but the South scored three times in the final 9:12 to make it a game.
Ozaukee’s Micah Richter made it 28–12 with a 23-yard TD catch from Lake Mills’ Collin Moen early in the fourth.
After a defensive stop Mineral Point’s Scott Pittz capped a scoring drive with a 1-yard QB sneak, but the two-point conversion pass failed and the North retained a 10-point lead at 28–18.
The South added a final TD with 1:06 left when Bell hauled in a 29-yard touchdown pass from Wiedower.
Bell finished with a game-high 119 yards receiving on six catchers. Wiedower completed 16-for-27 passes for 185 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Folkers completed 10 of 12 passes for 145 yards and two TDs to lead the North. Gloudemans caught three passes for 85 yards and two scores for the winners.
Throughout the week, the all stars had plenty of free time to mingle with teammates and members of the Division 1–3 South All-Star team.
“During the week when we weren’t practicing all of us small and large school guys would hangout together and play ping pong, air hockey and card games,” said Withrow. “We even had a big ping pong tournament between the large school kids and the small school kids. One of my friends, Mike Richter a wide receiver on my team won it. It was one of the most fun weeks of my life.
“Football was fun but getting to know all the guys on my team and making friends was one of the best parts about the week above football.”
On Wednesday the team held a scrimmage and invited sick children from the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin to attend.
“Getting to interact with all the children’s hospital kids during the scrimmage was really an eye opener and gave me a new perspective on things.”
To take part in the All-Star game, players and coaches had to raise money through donations and ads in the game program. All proceeds from the event were donated to the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin.
WFCA Small Schools All-Star Game
North 28, South 24
(from Saturday, July 16 @ UW–Oshkosh)
North 14 14 0 0 — 28
South 0 6 0 18 — 24
First quarter
N: Parker Gloudemans (Little Chute) 23 pass from Garrett Groshek (Amherst) (Tyler Biadasz (Amherst) kick)
N: Gloudemans 49 pass from Cody Folkers (Fall Creek) (Biadasz kick)
Second quarter
N: Mitchell Kramer (Berlin) 2 run (Biadaz kick)
S: Jonathan Bell (Hope Christian) 18 pass from Jacob Wiedower (Saint Francis) (pass failed)
N: Isaac Gonnering (Freedom) 11 pass from Folkers (Biadasz kick)
Fourth quarter
S: Michael Richter (Ozaukee) 23 pass from Collin Moen (Lake Mills) (run failed)
S: Scott Pittz (Mineral Point) 1 run (pass failed)
S: Bell 29 pass from Wiedower (pass failed)
Team Statistics
First downs — N n/a, S n/a. Rushing — N 28-27, S 23-(-37). Passing Yards — N 256, S 298 Passing — N 22-31-0, S 24-45-2.
Individual Statistical Leaders
Rushing — N: Garrett Groshek (Amherst) 16-12; S: Evandar Craft (St. Francis) 6-6. Passing — N: G. Groshek (Amherst) 12-19-0, 111, Cody Folkers (Fall Creek) 10-12-0, 112; S: Jacob Wiedower (St. Francis) 16-27-2, 185, Collin Moen (Lake Mills) 7-14-0, 108, Scott Pittz (Mineral Point) 1-4-0, 5. Receiving — N: Parker Gloudemans (Little Chute) 3-85, Michael Chorowicz (Sheboygan Lutheran) 3-43, Joe McKelvey (Osceola) 3-39; S: Johnathan Bell 6-119 (Hope Christian), J.T. Parish (Cambridge) 4-58, Michael Richter (Ozaukee) 2-42.
