SPRINGVIEW — It was as if the sky opened up and it poured points.
Having been stymied in their first three games, the Wolfpack offense exploded Friday night to score eight touchdowns en route to a 54 to 22 victory over North Central.
Senior Michael Selting set the tone for the Wolfpack on the first play from scrimmage when he ran a quarterback keeper, starting right, then cutting left and outracing the Knights to the endzone.
Co-Coach Nick Heithoff said the team had worked on the play in practice leading up to the game and it worked to perfection. It was the same first play EPPJ used against the Knights one year ago and the result was the same – a touchdown.
“We came out focused, fired up, which was probably the first game of the year where we came out with more energy than the other team,” Heithoff said.
EPPJ (1-3) added three more touchdown before the Knights could get on the scoreboard.
Junior Joseph McNally scored late in the first quarter on a 10-yard run. Then, in the second quarter, Wolfpack center Jayvin Erickson fell on a fumble in the endzone for one touchdown and freshman Sawyer Veik scored his second career varsity touchdown on an eight-yard run.
Down 28 to zero in the second quarter, the Knights (0-4) showed some signs of life when quarterback Keian Fischer got his team on the scoreboard with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Brandt LeZotte.
The touchdown gave the homecoming crowd something to cheer for and hope for a comeback.
The Knights entered the game with a 35-game losing streak. Unfortunately for the Knights and their fans, the losing streak would stretch to 36 before the night was over.
Selting threw for two more touchdowns before halftime. The first went 35 yards to Ethan Hansen and the second, just before halftime, went 14 yards to Max Henn.
The second half saw the teams trade touchdowns, long after the outcome was no longer in doubt.
The Wolfpack coaching staff was committed to playing reserves during the second half and they delivered.
Braxtyn Eisenhauer led two touchdown drives. After Raaf Klein blocked a Knights’ punt, Eisenhauer took the Wolfpack 15 yards for a touchdown when Veik scored from six yards out. Then, in the fourth quarter, Eisenhauer tossed a five-yard touchdown pass to fellow freshman Brayden Clark.
…see more at this week’s Elgin Review.
