ELGIN — Senior Andrew Fangman showed all who could see that he can carry a team to victory.
The 178-pound senior scored five touchdowns Thursday night to lead the Wolfpack to a 36 to 14 victory over Clearwater/Orchard.
The Wolfpack tore up the field, literally and figuratively, to hand the Cyclones their second loss of the season. By the end of the game, the Wolfpack were battered and bruised, and victorious, raising their record to 3-1 at the midway point of the regular season.
Leading by two scores to start the second half, Coach Eisenhauer’s halftime blocking adjustments worked as the Wolfpack were able to sustain drives by running the ball at the Cyclones.
Chad Bode stuffed out the Cyclones’ first drive of the se-cond half with an interception of a Zach Martin pass deep in Wolfpack territory.
On EPPJ’s ensuing possession, Fangman carried the ball all but two plays in a nine-play drive that ended in the endzone with a one-yard touchdown by the senior. Three plays later the Wolfpack had the ball back in their possession, thanks to a Dylan Behnk interception giving EPPJ the ball on the Cyclones’ 15-yard line.
Again, Clearwater-Orchard knew Fangman was going to get the ball, but they could not stop him. Four plays later, Fangman scored again, this time from four yards out. Seth Schumacher then connected with Behnk for the two-point conversion, making the score 28 to 8.
The Cyclones answered back with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Martin to Kerkman, cutting the score to 28 to 14.
Then, after the Cyclones recovered a fumble, the Wolfpack defense rose to the occasion. A quarterback sack by Behnk, then Bode’ break-up of a pass on fourth down, gave the ball back to the Wolfpack.
Following a 17-yard strike from Schumacher to Behnk, the Wolfpack went back to the running game.
With the defense keying on Fangman, fullback Kyle Kallhoff had some big gains up the middle. Fangman’s last touchdown, on a seven-yard run with 3:54 left in the game sealed the victory.
In the first half, the teams took each other’s best shots in a defensive slugfest which featured just three touchdowns.
The Wolfpack took the opening kickoff and went 65 yards in 12 plays.
Schumacher got the Wolfpack going with a 25-yard run on the game’s second play, putting the ball near midfield. Running plays by Fangman and Bode helped move the ball to the 10-yard line. Then, on the fourth consecutive play where Fangman carried the ball, he found the endzone from three yards out.
The Cyclones answered right back. Coach Jeff Shabram’s plan of attack was to mix runs in with short passes. Creston Bertschinger ripped off a 34-yard run to push the ball into Wolfpack territory. Quarterback Zach Martin then got the Cyclones on the board four plays later when he hooked up with Kerkman for the first of two touchdowns from the combination, this one from eight yards out.
The teams traded possesions for much of the remainder of the first half as both teams found moving the ball difficult.
A quarterback sack by Kallhoff helped set up the Wolfpack second touchdown of the first half.
Forced to punt, the Cyclones had the Wolfpack back on their 23-yard line.
Fangman flipped the field in one play. Running to his right, then cutting up field, the running back did his best “Reggie Bush” impersonation towards the end of a 26-yard run, stopping and starting as Cyclone defenders slipped by. With the ball on the 26-yard line, EPPJ was flagged for holding. Pushed back to near midfield, Kallhoff bulled his way through the line for nine yards and 15 more were added with a face mask penalty against the Cyclones.
With the ball on the 16-yard line, Fangman needed just four carries to score his second touchdown on the night, this time from three yards out.
The Cyclones mounted one last drive before halftime, but the clock expired with the ball on the EPPJ 24-yard line, setting the stage for the Wolfpack’s second half surge.
Fangman led the Wolfpack with 164 yards rushing on 36 carries. He led a rushing attack that finished with 282 yards rushing. Behnk led receivers with four catches for 56 yards.
On defense, EPPJ was led by Scott Moser with 12 tackles.
The Wolfpack will next be in action Thursday night at North Central. Kickoff will be at 7 p.m.
Wolfpack 36, Cyclones 14
Cyclones………..8 0 6 0 — 14
Wolfpack………..8 6 14 8 — 36
EPPJ — Andrew Fangman 3 run (PAT good)
C-O — Zach Martin 8 pass to Andy Kerkman (Martin pass to Snider)
EPPJ —Fangman 7 run (PAT failed)
EPPJ — Fangman 1 run (PAT failed)
EPPJ — Fangman 4 run (Seth Schumacher to Dylan Behnk)
C-O — Martin 32 pass to Kerkman (PAT failed)
EPPJ — Fangman 7 run (Schumacher pass to Behnk)
Team statistics EPPJ
Rushing/Yds 55/282
Passing 7/13/1
Passing Yds 87
Total Off. 369
Penalties/Yds 7/65
First Downs 14
Individual statistics
Passing — Seth Schumacher 7/13/1 — 87
Rushing — Kyle Schumacher 1/9, Kyle Kallhoff 6/26, Chad Bode 2/4, Andrew Fangman 36/164, Seth Schumacher 10/79
Receiving — Dylan Behnk 4/56, Kyle Kallhoff 2/15, Andrew Fangman 1/16
Tackles (solo/assists) — Dylan Behnk 2/3, Kyle Kallhoff 3/5, Miles Schrage 1/2, Chad Bode 2/6, Chase Preister 1/0, Alois Warner 2/3, Scott Moser 5/7, Liam Heithoff 1/3, Kalin Henn 0/2, Andrew Fangman 5/5, Seth Schumacher 1/5
Quarterback sacks — Dylan Behnk (1), Kyle Kallhoff (1), Scott Moser (1), Liam Heithoff (1)
Interceptions — Dylan Behnk (1), Chad Bode (1)
