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Pointers Rally
Again to Stay in WIAC Title Hunt
Box Score
Trailing by 11 points with under six minutes left,
the UW-Stevens Point football team appeared to be right where it wanted to
be.
For the third straight week, the Pointers rallied
in the closing minutes for a comeback victory, posting two late touchdowns
to beat UW-Platteville 29-26 on Saturday in Stevens Point.
The victory kept alive UW-Stevens Point�s
conference title hopes. The Pointers are in a three-way tie with UW-La
Crosse and UW-Whitewater and need a victory next week at UW-River Falls to
earn a share of the league title. The Pointers could also earn the league�s
automatic berth to the NCAA Division III playoffs with a win and a
UW-Whitewater victory over UW-La Crosse.
It didn�t appear the Pointers would even be
talking about conference title scenarios when they trailed 26-15 with under
six minutes left on Saturday. However, the Pointers needed just four plays
to drive 51 yards as Brett Borchart hit a streaking Ross Adamczak on a post
pattern for a 28-yard touchdown to pull within 26-21.
The Pioneers picked up two first downs and drove
to their own 49-yard line when the Pointers forced a pair of incomplete
passes and a punt with 3:11 left. Starting from its own 20-yard line, the
Pointers had a one-yard loss on their first play and a 16-yard pass to Kurt
Kielblock to the 35-yard line on the second play. Then, Borchart threw to
Tony Romano along the sideline and, after the UW-Platteville defender missed
on a diving interception attempt, Romano raced wide open down the field for
the go-ahead 65-yard touchdown. Romano also caught a two-point conversion to
make it 29-26 with 2:34 left.
UW-Platteville also had a game-winning drive last
week and gained one first down on a drive that started on its own 24-yard
line. However, facing fourth-and-14 from its own 36, Brent Nelson lofted a
deep pass that was intercepted by Steve Garvoille with 1:14 left to seal the
game.
UW-Stevens Point also rallied from behind with a
touchdown with 2:27 left in an eventual overtime win over UW-Oshkosh two
weeks ago and a score with 7:35 left for a win at UW-Whitewater last week.
UW-Platteville had the better of the chances in
the first half, holding UW-Stevens Point only to a 30-yard field goal by
John Ryan. The Pioneers were stopped on downs and fumbled on two possessions
inside the Pointers� 10-yard line, but finally scored on a three-yard run by
reserve quarterback Ryan Munz with 3:04 left in the half for a 7-3 halftime
lead.
Max Seroogy gave the Pioneers a 14-3 lead early in
the second half when he caught a 37-yard touchdown pass after it was tipped
by the Pointers� defender. UW-Stevens Point rallied on its ensuing
possession as Borchart threw a screen pass to Cody Childs, who weaved 20
yards through the Pioneers defense. The Pointers missed the first of five
consecutive failed two-point conversions by the two teams to make it 14-9.
Damian Droessler scored on a three-yard touchdown
run with 2:42 left in the third quarter after the Pioneers converted on
fourth-and-eight from the 34-yard line with a 31-yard pass to Mike Haynes
for his second catch of the season.
Romano caught an 11-yard touchdown across the
middle of the field to keep the Pointers within 20-15 with 13:29 left, but
the Pioneers went on an eight-play, 75-yard drive with Haynes carrying the
last five times, including a six-yard scoring run to put the Pioneers ahead
26-15 with 9:14 to play. After the teams traded punts, UW-Stevens Point got
the ball back with 6:09 left and began the rally with the touchdown pass to
Adamczak.
Both quarterbacks had successful days as Borchart
was 18-for-32 for 260 yards and four touchdowns for the Pointers and Nelson
was 32-for-43 for 299 yards for UW-Platteville. Childs rushed for 94 yards
on 23 carries and Romano caught six passes for 105 yards for the Pointers,
who have beaten UW-Platteville 14 straight times. Derek Hoff had nine
catches for 88 yards and Haynes rushed 17 times for 67 yards for the
Pioneers. |
