Weimar Stuns Previously Unbeaten Schulenburg
The Schulenburg Shorthorns suffered a bitter 27-12 loss at home against their archrivals, the Weimar Wildcats, on Friday night, Sept. 25.
Schulenburg won the coin toss and began the game with a respectable drive down to the Weimar 15 yard line. But an interception returned for a touchdown by Weimar’s Joey Ramirez ended that drive and the Shorthorns’ spirit. The Horns tried coming back in the fourth quarter, but by that point, the Wildcats had put the game out of reach.
“Great battle, Horns. Great battle,” Weimar coach Ryan McIver yelled across the field during the COVID wave that followed the match (this is an affair that has replaced the traditional handshake, which involves both teams lining up at the hash marks across the field from each other and waving).
After the game, Shorthorn coach Walter Brock instructed his players to jog straight to the locker room. He was not available for comment.
Penalties at key moments in the game cost the Horns greatly Friday night. On a Weimar third down at midfield about halfway through the first quarter, the Wildcat center snapped the ball, apparently prematurely, as the rest of the offensive line stayed down. The Shorthorn defense barrelled through the line. The officials whistled the play dead and threw a flag. After an conference, the referee called it defensive offsides. That set up the Cats’ second touchdown.
Afterwards, Brock huddled his team on the sideline and told them, “Are we going to pout, or are we going to fight through some adversity?”
On the next possession, Schulenburg made it down to the Weimar 26 yard line but turned the ball over on downs after two incomplete passes.
The score stayed 13-0 until late in the second quarter. About three minutes to go in the half, Schulenburg forced Weimar to punt from their own 35. Upon the snap, officials called Schulenburg for an illegal formation on defense. The referee said a Schulenburg defender was lined up over the ball snapper. That gave Weimar a first down. The Wildcats scored a touchdown eight plays later with 16 seconds left in the half. The extra point was good, bringing the score to 20-0 at halftime.
Weimar received the kickoff after halftime. The two teams traded possessions without scoring. Weimar got the ball back with about four minutes left in the third quarter. Schulenburg’s Desmond Lewis picked up a big interception on a Weimar third down play at the Shorthorn 44 yard line, but the Horns were unable to turn that into a score. Weimar got the ball back on downs at midfield as the third quarter came to a close.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Weimar ran the ball all the way to the 20. Weimar quarterback Joey Ramirez threw a fourth down pass to Reed Purdy in the endzone. The extra point made the score 27-0.
Schulenburg finally lit up their side of the scoreboard on the next possession. A facemask penalty and pass interference by Weimar put the Horns in good position. A pass from Brett Janecek to Desmond Lewis gave Schulenburg their first six points. Weimar blocked the extra point, leaving the score at 27-6.
The Horns employed a “bum rush” style on-side kickoff and recovered the ball near midfield with 7:50 left in the game. They used an air attack on the next drive, getting down to the four yard line before punching the ball into the endzone with a run.
Schulenburg attempted for two points and failed, bring the score to 27-12.
The Horns tried a more traditional on-side kickoff to follow. But this time the Wildcats were ready for it an recovered the ball. The Schulenburg defense put up some good pressure during the next series. They forced Weimar to punt with about five minutes left in the game. Schulenburg got the ball back at their own 16. The Horns put together another impressive air attack. Janecek’s arm pushed the Horns down to the Weimar 30 before the Wild cat defense forced a turnover on downs.
Weimar got the ball back with 2:50 left in the game. The Wildcats managed a final first down and burned the remaining time off the clock.
“It’s all about what the kids did tonight, it didn’t have anything to do with the play calls or anything like that” McIver said after the game. “They went out and executed and they played harder than they played all year. We had seven bodies to the ball on tackles every time. They played with passion and I’m so proud of them.”
Schulenburg was undefeated heading into the rivalry game. They are now 4-1. Weimar is now 2-3. Both teams are tied in district at 1-1.
INDIVIDUAL STATS
Rushing – Schulenburg: Kenny King 10-77, Desmond Lewis 7-41, Brett Janecek 6-23, Jeremiah Houston 4-9, Keisean Johnson 4-7, Kenny Schramek 1-5; Weimar: Joey Ramirez 11-72, Nunu Wilson 9-29, Reed Purdy 11-24, Cole Duty 2-5, Dreylon McMillian 1-1, Team 1-(-2).
Passing – Schulenburg: Janecek 11 of 22 for 145 yards with 1 TD and 1 INT, King 0 for 2, Lewis 0 for 1; Weimar: Ramirez 6 of 10 for 81 yards with 2 TDs and 1 INT, Wilson 1 of 1 for 18 yards.
Receiving – Schulenburg: Keanu Anthony 2-53, Johnson 3-51, King 2-17, Lewis 3-17, Schramek 1-7; Weimar: Purdy 2-41, Wilson 2-32, Price 2-21, Castillo 1-5.