Late scores not enough for Red Hawks against Panthers

A chance to tie or take the lead after a 97-yard drive slipped away from the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau football team as they fell short in West Salem last week. 

G-E-T scored with about four and a half minutes left in the game to get within a point. However, their two-point conversion try was stopped and West Salem scored before the final whistle for a seven-point win. 

The loss dropped G-E-T to 2-4 on the season and 2-2 in Coulee Conference play. They’ll need to win two of their last three to qualify for the playoffs and have a long road trip to Altoona this week. The Rails are 3-3 on the season and 2-2 in CC play, coming off of a 16-7 win over Viroqua. 

Next week, The Red Hawks play Westby, one of the conference’s top teams, which fell narrowly to La Crosse Aquinas last week.

West Salem 27 G-E-T 20

The Red Hawks marched 97 yards for a score, but weren’t able to take the lead.

A punt was downed at the G-E-T three-yard line with a little more than three minutes left in the third quarter and G-E-T trailing 21-14. 

A 24-yard run by Max Knapmiller got the Red Hawks out of the shadow of their own goalie. They continued to pound the ball down deep into West Salem territory. The drive was in jeopardy as G-E-T needed five yards on a fourth down, but didn’t have to run a play to get the first because West Salem jumped offsides. 

The Red Hawks continued to run the ball before Knapmiller finished the drive with a four-yard touchdown with 4:36 left in the game. G-E-T opted for the two-point conversion to try and take a lead, but Kyle Seiling was stuffed, leaving West Salem with a 21-20 advantage. 

West Salem recovered an onside kick at their own 44 and got one big run before a one-yard touchdown run with 1:05 remaining in the game. The point after was blocked.

G-E-T’s offense wasn’t able to do anything on its last drive. A fumble on the first play lost six yards. The drive ended with an incomplete pass on fourth-and-nine with 39 seconds left in the game.

West Salem came out strong as Brenden Ghelfi scored on a 50-yard pass from Luke Baginski and the two-point conversion gave them an 8-0 first quarter lead.

The two hooked up for another touchdown, this time from 21 yards away and Evan Noel kicked the point after to make it 15-0 early in the second quarter.

G-E-T got on the board with 4:16 left in the first half as Seiling got around the right end for a 28-yard touchdown. Domanick Knott wasn’t able to attempt the point after as a West Salem defender burst through and sacked the holder. 

West Salem scored again before halftime as Cole Everson got behind the G-E-T defense for a 53-yard touchdown pass. The point after made the score 22-6 with 1:30 left, which is where the score stood at halftime.

The Red Hawks wouldn’t go away, however.

G-E-T received the opening kickoff of the second half and ended the drive with a 20-yard touchdown run by Seiling. 

After forcing a West Salem punt, G-E-T had a chance to tie or take the lead, but came up just short.

The teams were pretty even in terms of total yardage as West Salem finished with 360 and G-E-T had 340. 

Baginski made up much of West Salem’s offense, passing 11-for-16 for 220 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for 92 yards.

Seling ran for 167 yards for G-E-T, while Knapmiller finished with 111. 

G-E-T

Rushing (att./yds.) — Seiling 22/167 Knapmiller 19/111 O. Jimenez 5/19 Hansen 7/18

Receiving (rec./yds.) — Repaal 1/34 Remus 1/4 Knapmiller 1/2

Passing (comp./att./yds.) — Hansen 3/7/40

Tackles (solo/assists) — Remus 3 Knapmiller 6 Hammel 3 Seiling 14 Hansen 3 O. Jimenez 9 Burns 6 Repaal 5 Waxlax 1 Thoma 2 Johnson 7 Lewis 2 Pickering 2 Herman 2