WILMOT, Wis. – Even close to a year-and-a-half later, Woodstock never had quite shaken a three-point home loss to Johnsburg last season.
The Blue Streaks took full advantage of their opportunity for some revenge Friday night in Wisconsin.
Woodstock racked up 484 yards of total offense and forced five turnovers in dispatching the Skyhawks, 49-21, at Wilmot Union High School.
“The last couple of years we have struggled a little bit against Johnsburg,” said senior linebacker Alex Wojnicki, who had one of three first-half interceptions for Woodstock. “This week our whole motto was revenge. That’s what we came out here to do, and I think we proved it.”
It wasn’t exactly the most auspicious beginning for Woodstock (2-0) however.
After a punt and an interception stopped the first two Woodstock drives, a fumbled lateral was scooped up by Johnsburg’s Joseph Wolff and returned 59 yards for a score and a 6-0 lead with 2:21 left in the first quarter.
What followed was a statement drive delivered by junior quarterback Liam Mickle.
Mickle was 5 for 7 on a 75-yard, 13-play drive that ended with a 1-yard quarterback sneak to make the score 7-6.
“That just shows our discipline and our confidence in each other,” Mickle said. “Our coaches believe in us. It happened last week too when we were down. It swung the tide. Our defense started playing better, and so did we.”
Mickle showed he was just warming up. He wound up completing 20-of-35 passes for 312 yards and a touchdown while completing passes to five different receivers. He also rushed for 89 yards and three scores.
His biggest contributor was 6-foot-4 tight end Nate Archambeau, who had 133 yards on five receptions including catches of 38 and 42 yards on a key drive late in the second quarter. That score extended the lead to 21-6.
The second half was more of the same. Sam Vidales completed a jump pass to Cannon Sternitzky on a trick play in the third period to make it 28-6.
Zach Heelein, who had eight catches for 98 yards, broke free for a 54-yard touchdown reception, while Sternitzky added a short 2s-yard run.
But the most impressive aspect may have been the defense, set up many of those scoring with short fields. It held the Skyhawks five first downs in the first three quarters while Jacob Canty and Max Walrod had big interceptions leading to short offensive drives. William Cunningham also recovered a fumble following a sack in the fourth quarter.
“That defense, they are like a bunch of brothers,” Woodstock coach Mike Brasile said. “They are kind of slap-happy sometimes, and they are a bunch of characters. They enjoy hitting people. It’s great to see.”
Johnsburg was able to give itself a little to build on late. Quarterback Ian Boal found Cade Piggott on a 42-yard touchdown pass before a 66-yard reception set up a five-yard run by Austin Gibb on the next drive. Boal finished 6 for 19 for 121 yards, 106 of which went to Cade Piggott.
But overall, Skyhawks coach Sam Lesniak knows there is a lot of work to be done prior to next week’s game against Woodstock North.
“We’re struggling right now,” he said. “We are struggling offensively and need to do a better job at every position. We have to get some positive momentum.
“We have a lot of guys that are first-year varsity experience, but nonetheless we are just not playing well enough. It’s not translating from practice.”