Bluebirds defeat Burlingame, 59-14 years ago
By DELBERT PETERS
Contributing writer
With the district football playoffs in full swing, the Goessel football team knew that it could not afford to lose another game and still expect a chance in the playoff system.
"These guys know what needs to happen," said a delighted Coach Justin Coup Friday after the 59-14 victory at Goessel. "The team is so focused right now, it's a thrill to come to practice and watch these guys prepare. That was the best job that this offensive line has played
On their first possession, Burlingame had to punt, and the Bluebird attack began methodically gaining first downs. Goessel got inside the 15-yard line and then could not convert a fourth down and two yards to go. The Bearcats got the ball, but fumbled at the Goessel four-yard line. Justin Fensky ran around the right side for the five-yard touchdown. At the four minute mark in the first quarter, the Bearcats took their only lead in the game. The five-yard touchdown was set up with a 39-yard run and the two-point conversion was successful to make the score Burlingame 8, Goessel 6. The teams traded possessions and the Bluebird defense held as the Bearcats got all the way to the Goessel nine-yard line.
Just into the second quarter, Brett Goerzen caught a pass, and his knee went down to the grass on the five-yard line. Fensky put the finishing touches on a five-yard touchdown and again the extra points failed. Goessel led 12-8. Goerzen scored on a sweet 16-yard pass play down the left sideline and Garrett Hiebert converted the extra points with 7:00 minutes to play in the half, making the score 20-8.
The defense forced another Burlingame punt. Senior Ryan Janzen caught a pass and was forced out of bounds at the five-yard line. Travis Buller crossed the goal line on a two-yard surge behind the impressive blocking of Alex Drake, Tyler Schroeder, and Wayne Cooper. Burlingame moved the ball to the Goessel five-yard line, but Buller was able to recover a fumble to kill the Bearcat drive just before the half ended. Goessel held a lead of 26-8.
Knowing that the Bluebirds had lost to Marais des Cygnes Valley two weeks earlier and that Burlingame had beaten MDCV last week, the Goessel crowd was a bit reserved in their confidence at half time. With less than one and a half minutes played in the third quarter, Hiebert padded the Goessel lead with a faked handoff and kept the ball going 25 yards down the right sideline. Goessel's defense prevented any sustained drives by the Bearcats.
A Kyle Unruh catch got the ball inside the 15-yard line but the Bluebirds settled for a field goal attempt. Hiebert never put the ball on the tee, and when he stood up, connected with a wide open Janzen in the end-zone (38-8).
A Buller interception gave the Bluebirds another opportunity. The blocking and timing of the lineman and the backfield worked to perfection as Fensky ran a counter play through the left side of the line for 10 yards and the seventh Bluebird touchdown. His kick was good (45-8).
An Adam Goering tackle in the backfield nearly snuffed another drive for Burlingame but with 9 seconds to play in the third quarter, the Bearcats were able to score for the second time (45-14).
Chad Schrag returned the kickoff past mid-field. Passes to Jake Unruh, Janzen and Kyle Unruh sustained the Bluebird drives in the fourth quarter but another Fensky 23-yard run up the middle off several tired tacklers capped the drive with 11:23 to play in the game. Another Fensky sprint around the right side for twenty-five yards ended the game by way of the 45 point rule at the 8:56 mark in the fourth quarter. Goessel was victorious by a score of 59-14.
"That was a blast," said Janzen, "Everything seemed to work."
"I've never had more fun on the football field," smiled Hiebert after the lopsided win.
The number of points scored against opponents has something to do with the tiebreaker formula in the district play.
"Goessel needs to beat Hartford by 16 points and Hope needs to beat Burlingame by 21 in order for the Bluebirds to advance to post-season play," explained Coup.
"The way we're playing now, other teams better watch out," summed up senior Wayne Cooper.
The Bluebirds (2-2) will be at Hartford(1-3) Thursday night for the last district game of the season.
