SPASH, Amherst win football playoff openers
The Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) and Amherst High School football teams won WIAA Level 1 Playoff Games Friday, Oct. 20, while Almond-Bancroft lost at home.
Fifth-seeded SPASH (6-4) won 48-47 in overtime at 10th-ranked and fourth-seeded Hudson (7-3), and will play at third-ranked and top-seeded Bay Port (10-0) in a WIAA Division 1 Level 2 Playoff Game at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 27.
The Panthers led 41-35 in the closing seconds of regulation, when Hudson scored on a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Keyser Helterbrand to wide receiver Max Stubbendick with 14.4 seconds left to tie the game at 41-41, but Hudson was flagged 15 yards for excessive celebration after Stubbendick spiked the ball.
The penalty was tacked on to the extra-point kick, which Hudson missed to send the game into overtime tied at 41-41.
Senior running back Trent Hamerski scored on a one-yard touchdown run on SPASH’s possession in overtime and senior Keondre Porter kicked the extra point to give the team a 48-41 lead.
Starting at the SPASH 25-yard line on its overtime possession, Hudson completed a 24-yard pass on the first play, and followed with a one-yard touchdown run to make it 48-47.
However, Hudson elected to go for the two-point conversion and the win, but a slant pass from Helterbrand to Stubbendick fell incomplete, and the Panthers advanced to Level 2 with a 48-47 overtime victory.
Top-ranked and second-seeded Amherst (9-1) jumped out to a 40-0 lead on seventh-seeded Colby (6-4) with 7:35 left in the second quarter in its Division 5 Level 1 Playoff Game at home Friday night, and rolled to a 53-6 win.
The Falcons will be at home for a Level 2 Playoff Game Friday, Oct. 27, to take on fifth-ranked and third-seeded Spencer/Marshfield Columbus (9-1) in a battle of Top 5 teams at 7 p.m.
Fourth-seeded Almond-Bancroft (7-4) trailed 35-13 at halftime against fifth-seeded Hilbert/Stockbridge (6-4) in its Division 7 Level 1 Playoff Game at home Friday night, and lost 56-13 to have its season come to an end.
Complete coverage will appear in the Oct. 27 issue of The Gazette.