HUMPHREY — “An ugly win is better than a pretty loss.”
Wolfpack Coach Greg Wemhoff’s words summed up Friday night’s 22 to 20 victory over Humphrey St. Francis in the season opener for both teams.
Held scoreless in the first half, the Wolfpack dominated the second half to secure the victory on the Flyers’ home turf.
Senior Paiton Hoefer led the comeback, tossing one touchdown pass, scoring another on a quarterback keeper and the game winner, a 33-yard interception return in the latter stages of the final quarter.
““A win is always a win,” Coach Wemhoff said just moments after the game concluded. “That’s a big win for us … I just wanted to find a way to get a win.”
“I was proud of our kids. It wasn’t our best game, it won’t be our best game … “We’ll get better.”
Down 12 to 0 to start the second half, the Wolfpack’s offensive linemen, led by senior Ethan Hinkle, took control of the line of scrimmage.
After turning the ball over on downs in their first possession, the Wolfpack pounded the ball into the endzone on their second drive. Starting on the Flyers’ 38-yard line, after an eight-yard run by Jack Wemhoff, EPPJ went to the air. Hoefer connected twice with Blake Henn to get the ball down to the 19-yard line. Then, two plays later, Wemhoff snared a Hoefer pass on the two-yard line and lunged into the endzone for the team’s first score as Wolfpack fans let out the loudest roar so far. A successful two-point conversion made the score 12 to 8 heading into the fourth quarter.
There would be more to cheer about in the game’s final 12 minutes. With Sam Hemenway anchoring the defensive line, EPPJ forced the Flyers into a three-and-out on their first possession of the fourth quarter.
For all the game time action, turn to this week’s Elgin Review.
