• 
• CLASS
• JOBS
• AUTO
• HOMES

Craig takes apart West

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

The Craig High School senior cheering section at the Cougar game against Madison West did their best to burst the Regents' bubble during a beach party-themed celebration on Friday.

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Craig High punter Evan Shortreed gets upended by Madison West's Nick Annin during a fake punt in Cougar territory in the second quarter on 08/19/11. The Cougars needed 6 yards and came up inches short on the gutsy call.

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Craig running back Ron Lindgren makes a cut on Madison West's Tre Deadwiler during his 27-yard touchdown run in the second quarter on Friday.

Photo

Photo by Dan Lassiter

Craig defenders Matt Hayden, left, and Dylan Hoskins (30) take down Madison West running backTre Deadwiler on Friday.

Ron Lindgren plans to play with a chip on his shoulder this high school football season.

The Janesville Craig senior missed all of 2010 with a knee injury.

Lindgren put a hurt on Madison West here Friday night at Monterey Stadium. He scored four touchdowns to ignite a potent rushing attack as the Cougars coasted past the Regents, 31-10, in a season and Big Eight Conference opener.

Craig rushed for 324 yards and attempted only four passes. Starting quarterback Cameron Wright sat out with a knee injury, but sophomore back-up Tom Gabower filled in admirably in directing the offense.

The Cougars fell behind early as the Regents scored on their opening drive, but Lindgren and the offense answered quickly. Craig tied the game on Lindgren’s 27-yard scamper early in the second quarter, and took the lead for good on Gabower’s 26-yard touchdown pass to John Olsen with 1:05 left in the half.

Lindgren, who finished with 98 yards rushing on 14 carries, said getting back on the field was all he thought about during grueling summer workouts.

“I was pumped to play tonight and to get back on the field with the team,” Lindgren said. “Everybody ran good for us tonight. It didn’t matter who carried the ball. The line did its job, Tom stepped up and ran the offense, and we seemed to really wear them down.”

Craig put the game away early in the second half. Lindgren’s second touchdown of the game—a 5-yard run—pushed Craig’s lead to 21-10 with 9:27 left in the third, and he added a 13-yard score with 2:22 to play in the quarter to make it 28-10.

Junior Monica Spaeth made her first four extra-point attempts to become the first girl in city history to score a varsity point.

Craig coach Ben McCormick said setting the tone early in the second half was critical.

“We talked at halftime about how important that first drive of the second half was,” McCormick said. “We were moving the ball pretty well the first half, but we stubbed our toe twice with a fumble and a missed assignment on a key third-down play.

“But I’m also one of those guys that doesn’t get too high and never too low, and I try to relate that to team. This was a good start for us, and I want the team to enjoy this win, but now we have to get ready for week No. 2 and a very good Parker team.”

Craig’s defense, under the direction of former UW-Whitewater All-American A.J. Raebel, limited West to only 82 yards of offense the second half. The Cougar offense amassed 23 first downs and 14 rushes of 10 or more yards.

CRAIG 34, WEST 10

Madison West 7 3 0 0—10

Janesville Craig 0 14 14 6—34

Scoring summary: MW—Izzy Knox, 24 pass from Alex Brown (Vivek Ramakrishnan kick). JC—Ron Lindgren, 27 run (Monica Spaeth kick). JC—John Olsen, 26 pass from Tom Gabower (Spaeth kick). MW—FG., Ramakrishnan, 37. JC—Lindgren, 5 run (Spaeth kick). JC—Lindgren, 13 run (Spaeth kick). JC—Lindgren, 6 run (kick failed).

Statistics: First downs—MW 12, JC 23. Rushing—MW 31-143, JC—51-324. Yards passing—MW 134, JC 26. Passes—MW 20-9-2, JC 4-1-0. Fumbles—MW 1-0, JC 1-1. Penalties—MW 7-66, JC 5-45.