Norse blast Beavers, earn playoff bid

The Whitehall football team likely entered Friday night’s contest thinking it was going to be its last game. The Norse put on a show, scoring 53 points without even attempting a pass, and then were rewarded with another game.

Augusta received the ball and scored first, then Whitehall responded with 53 unanswered points to score a lopsided road win.

That win put Whitehall at 4-5 on the season and 3-4 in Dairyland Conference play with every loss coming to a playoff team. That typically would not be enough to qualify for the playoffs, but because there weren’t enough Division Seven teams with winning conference records, the Norse were awarded a slot.

Whitehall is the eighth seed in its D7 bracket and will play at Spring Valley on Friday. The Cardinals are undefeated this season and champions of the Dunn-St. Croix Conference. 

Whitehall 53 Augusta 6

After the Beavers scored early, it was all Whitehall.

The Norse tied the game on a 21-yard touchdown run by Caydan Johnston with about seven minutes left in the first quarter then took the lead on Ayden Semb’s two-point conversion run. 

Whitehall stopped Augusta on fourth down just across midfield then took just one offensive play to add to its lead. The Norse gave to Johnston again and the senior exploded through the line and outsprinted the Augusta defense for a 52-yard touchdown run. The two-point try was stopped, but the Norse had a 14-6 advantage.

Johnston scored again on Whitehall’s next possession when he broke loose for a 71-yard touchdown run. The two-point run by Bo Killian made the score 22-6. Johnston ran for 175 yards and three touchdowns on five carries. 

Killian ran for a 44-yard touchdown on Whitehall’s next possession, Nick Katzman’s two-point run made the score 30-6.

Whitehall scored again when Semb recovered an errant snap on a punt in the end zone. Ben Lisowski ran in the two-point conversion, making the score 38-6.

That’s where the score stood at halftime, but the Norse weren’t done. 

Johnston found the end zone again in the second half, this time on a 71-yard punt return. Mason Pientok added a touchdown run. 

The Norse gained 315 rushing yards on 21 carries — an average of 15 per attempt. Killian rushed for 134 yards on 12 rushes. 

Whitehall

Rushing (att./yds.) — Johnston 5/175 Killian 12/135 Pientok 3/5 Crebo 1/1

Tackles (solo/asts.) — Pientok 3/5 Johnston 2/3 Steig 2/2 Katzman 1/5 Hansche 6/12 Przybylla 2/7 Semb 3/4 Solsrud 1/1 Lisowski 2/4 Smith 5/12 Hutsell 2/7 Herman 4/10