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Brodhead/Juda rolls to WIAA football semifinals

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Photo by Lukas Keapproth

Brodhead-Juda's Brandon Bauman (left) and Trenton Jordan gang tackle Lakeside's Caleb Gartner after he catches a pass late in the first quarter during a WIAA Regional Playoff game at Lakeside Lutheran High School in Lake Mills

LAKE MILLS — David Earleywine is not flashy.

The Brodhead/Juda quarterback doesn’t have a rocket for an arm or breakaway speed, but he does possess the one intangible that defines greatness—productivity.

Earleywine played flawless football Saturday to lead Brodhead/Juda to a 28-21 win over Lakeside Lutheran in a WIAA Division 4 quarterfinal thriller. Brodhead/Juda (10-2), the Division 2 state runner-up in 2010, plays unbeaten Wrightstown (12-0) in a state semifinal game Friday or Saturday.

As a three-year starter, Earleywine won his 30th game Saturday by making crucial plays with his arm and his legs, including a pivotal 10-yard run late in the game that allowed the Cardinals to run out the clock.

“David did a nice job for us, as usual,” Brodhead-Juda coach Jim Matthys said. “Sometimes he goes unaccounted for because of our backfield, but that allows him to make plays, as you saw today.

“Overall, we were a little nicked up today, but I thought the kids persevered and fought through some adversity.”

The Cardinals led 14-7 at half. Earleywine scored on a 2-yard run with 10 seconds left before half, but the Warriors recovered Jesse DeLorme’s fumble on the first play of the third quarter and quickly tied the game.

Lakeside’s Drew Davis plowed in from a yard out with 10:19 left in the third to cap a 5-play, 23-yard drive that tied the game at 14-14.

Brodhead/Juda responded with the go-ahead touchdown late in the third. The Cardinals went 80 yards on six plays, capped off by Earleywine’s 41-yard touchdown pass to Levi Frost with 1:02 left in the quarter.

Frost caught only two passes in the game, but both were huge. His second catch came on a quick slant pattern over the middle that the senior turned into a 68-yard play early in the fourth.

Earleywine, who completed 5 of 10 passes for 169 yards, said the Cardinals’ ability to convert crucial third-down plays was the difference.

“Momentum was big in the game for us, and when we were able to keep a couple of drives going, it gave us a lot of confidence,” Earleywine said. “We also did a great job of executing the play-action pass for some big gains.”

DeLorme, who fumbled twice in the game, redeemed himself late with his second 2-yard touchdown run with 4:25 to play that gave the Cardinals a two-touchdown lead.

Lakeside (10-2) cut the lead to seven with 3:15 left on Tyler Doyle’s 32-yard touchdown pass to Caleb Gartner, but Brodhead/Juda’s Jaron Harding recovered the subsequent onside kick. Brodhead/Juda then picked up two first downs, the second one on Earleywine’s 10-yard keeper around left end.

With his team one-step closer to a second-straight Division 4 state title game, Matthys said the reason for the co-op program’s success is simple.

“The biggest difference between our program and a lot of others is that our kids know how to win and play with a lot of heart,” Matthys said.

Having a three-year starter at quarterback doesn’t hurt, either.

BRODHEAD/JUDA 28, LAKESIDE 21

Brodhead/Juda 0 14 7 7—28

Lakeside Lutheran 0 14 7 0—21

Scoring summary: L—Ryan Broedlow, 5 run (Stuart Vanden Huevel kick). B/J—Jesse DeLorme, 2 run (Josh Dougherty kick). B/J—David Earleywine, 2 run (Dougherty kick). L—Drew Davis, 1 run (Vanden Huevel kick). B/J—Levi Frost, 41 pass from Earleywine (Dougherty kick). B/J—DeLorme, 2 run (Dougherty kick). L—Caleb Gartner, 32 pass from Tyler Doyle (Vanden Huevel kick).

Statistics: First downs—B/J 15, L 13. Rushes—B/J 45-217, L 33-111. Yards passing—B/J 169, L 131. Passes—B/J 10-5-0, L 18-9-2. Fumbles—B/J 3-2, L 3-0. Penalties—B/J 6-45, L 4-23.