Red Hawks batter Blackhawks for first win under new coach

Facing a frontloaded schedule of tough competition in the first year under a new head coach, growing pains were to be expected for the Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau football team. In their sixth game, they finally put together the breakthrough performance they’d been looking to earn that elusive first win.

G-E-T quarterback Sawyer Foust punished the Viroqua defense time and time again both through the air and on the ground, playing a part in all six of his team’s touchdowns as the Red Hawks (1-5, 1-3 Coulee) blew past the Blackhawks (0-6, 0-4) 43-14 to give Luke Oliver his first win as G-E-T’s head coach last Friday in Galesville.

“For me it was exciting because I had family at the game so to get to celebrate with them quickly after the game meant a lot to me,” Oliver said. “But it’s really about the players. They have done a great job buying in and doing everything we have asked them to do. I was really happy for them and to get to see them celebrate after the game with each other and their classmates, that is what it is all about.”

The Red Hawks poured in on early and often to set the tone right off the bat, scoring a trio of touchdowns in the first quarter: a 23-yard TD pass from Foust to Isaiah Carroll, a 42-yard run by Foust and an 18-yard pass from Foust to Carroll set up by a Luke Herman interception.

Foust’s deep completion to Luke Herman in the second quarter went for a 70-yard touchdown and helped G-E-T lead 29-8 at halftime. Foust added a touchdown run of 10 yards in the third quarter and a final 69-yard TD scamper on the second play of the fourth quarter to wrap up the scoring for the Red Hawks.

Foust completed 6 of 10 passes for 190 yards, three touchdowns and an interception while running for 163 yards and a hat trick of touchdowns on nine carries. Nichols added 50 yards rushing on nine attempts.

“I thought our tackling was the best it had been all year. That is something we have struggled with this season,” Oliver said. “The players did a great job of making sure to finish plays and pursue to the ball. I also was really happy with our run blocking up front. Our O-Line did a really nice job stepping up and finishing their blocks and getting to the second level.”

G-E-T next hits the road to play the West Salem Panthers (5-1, 4-0) on Friday at 7 p.m. in West Salem.

G-E-T

Rushes (att./yds) — Foust 9/163, Nichols 9/50, D. Herman 3/17, Bishop 2/4, Carroll 1/3

Receiving (rec./yds) — L. Herman 1/71, Carroll 2/40, Nichols 1/40, Busch 1/25, D. Herman 1/14

Passing (comp./att./yds) — Foust 6/10/190

Tackles — L. Herman 4.5, Busch 4.5, DeYoung 4.5, Bishop 3.5, Eiken 2.5, D. Herman 2, Daffinson 2, Repaal 2, Ruegsen 1.5, Lebakken 1, Gamez 1, Oines 0.5, Lacey 0.5, Haney 0.5