West De Pere finishes as D3 state runner-up

MADISON – This was not how the West De Pere football team envisioned its season ending.

The Phantoms walked off Camp Randall Stadium still a little bit awestruck Friday after watching a 24-0 lead evaporate in the WIAA Division 3 state championship game.

However, West De Pere also walked off with its heads held high following a remarkable run to state for the fourth time in program history.

“This one is going to sting a little bit,” West De Pere football coach Jack Batten said following a 37-24 loss to Waukesha Catholic Memorial. “But I think after a while they’ll be able to realize what they were able to accomplish with a 13-1 record is pretty special.”

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The Phantoms made their march to Madison by not allowing any points off turnovers and never losing a fumble.

After forcing four turnovers on the Crusaders’ first five drives to build their lead Friday, West De Pere watched it wipe it away rather quickly in the second half.

It finished the game committing three turnovers, resulting in 14 points for Catholic Memorial, which compiled 295 of its 419 yards in the second half.

“You’ve got to protect the football,” Batten said. “It’s the number one statistic in football.”

The Phantoms totaled 310 yards of offense and just about doubled up the Crusaders for time of possession, controlling the football for 31 minutes, 58 seconds in the 48-minute game.

“We fought hard today,” West De Pere senior Jake Karchinski said. “We played with our hearts, and we just couldn’t come away with a ‘W.’”

Junior Ben Pawlak led the defense with an interception and team-high seven tackles.

Meanwhile, sophomore Josh Blount rushed for a team-high 87 yards and a touchdown in addition to completing 10 of 17 passes for 154 yards.

“You have to appreciate it,” Blount said. “It’s an incredible feat to get down here and play as hard as you can. We gave it our best 48 minutes, and Catholic Memorial did a nice job.”

Given the amount of sophomores and juniors it had in the starting lineup, West De Pere will be champing at the bit to try to win a state title next year.

For the team’s 16 seniors, they’ve got a lot to be proud of in winning the outright Bay Conference title and returning the program to state for the first time in seven years.

“I love every single one of them with all my heart,” Karchinski said about his senior teammates. “The biggest memory for me is playing with my brothers, my senior brothers. We’ve been playing together since Pop Warner. My greatest takeaway was playing my last year with them. It was great.

Batten added, “They’re a phenomenal group of young men. They worked their tails off. They do things the right way. They’re good teammates. They’re good kids in school.”