Phoenix bounce Raiders in first round

The Arcadia football team’s late-season slide culminated in a first-round exit in this year’s playoffs, bringing an end to a once-promising season.

No. 3 seed Watertown Luther Prep (7-3) cruised past the sixth-seeded Raiders (5-5) for a 49-16 win in their Division 5 Level 1 matchup last Friday night in Watertown. The loss means Arcadia ends the fall on a four-game losing streak after starting the season by winning five of their first six games.

The Phoenix applied the early pressure with the lone touchdown of the first quarter and scored again in the first minutes of the second to open up a 14-0 lead. On the first play of the next drive, Arcadia junior Deklyn Grzadzielewski broke free for a 70-yard touchdown scamper, shedding multiple tacklers on his way to taking it to the house.

On the two-point conversion, senior quarterback Carter Wegman lofted one up toward the corner of the end zone for junior Khyle Updike, who made a remarkable one-handed grab despite being interfered with to cut the deficit to 14-8 with 9:02 left in the half.

After Watertown Luther Prep answered with a touchdown drive of their own, the Raiders navigated their way down inside the Phoenix five-yard line with a chance to pull within one possession again. Instead, Wegman’s third-down pass was picked off by senior Jonas Meyer, who took it 95 yards for a back-breaking pick six that made it 28-8 at halftime.

The Phoenix outscored Arcadia 21-8 in the second half as well, with the lone Raider touchdown coming on Wegman’s 15-yard scoring scramble late in the third quarter.

Wegman completed 10 of 27 passes for 138 yards and was intercepted four times by the Watertown Luther Prep defense. Updike hauled in five receptions for 91 yards. Grzadzielewski’s lengthy touchdown run was easily the biggest play of the night from the rushing attack, and he finished with 91 yards on seven carries.

Defensively, Wegman and sophomore Collin Rebhahn were each involved in seven total tackles. Rebhahn also forced a fumble that was recovered by Grzadzielewski.

Though this year marked the Raiders’ third consecutive postseason appearance, they continue to search for their first playoff win since 2019.