CORNELL — The Chequamegon football team put together an impressive all-around performance Friday night, racing past Cornell 58-30 on August 28 in a game highlighted by explosive offense, relentless defense and a standout performance from Nate Nichols.
Chequamegon finished the night with 333 yards rushing and 91 yards passing, consistently moving the football while the defense controlled the game for much of the evening.
Nichols was at the center of the action on both sides of the ball. He finished with 122 total yards and four touchdowns, while also making a major impact defensively. Nichols recorded 10 tackles, forced two fumbles, recovered a fumble, intercepted a pass and returned it 32 yards, and blocked a punt.
His offensive production included three rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown, making him one of the game's most influential players.
Quarterback Ethan Ottosen accounted for three Chequamegon passing touchdowns while throwing for 91 yards. He also added 52 rushing yards. One of his touchdown passes went to Skyler Ottosen, who finished with one catch for 15 yards and a touchdown.
Mark Oskvarek also had a big night, totaling 91 yards and two touchdowns, including one rushing and one receiving score. CJ Rodriguez added a rushing touchdown while finishing with 59 total yards, and Cole Krause contributed 72 total yards.
While the offense generated plenty of points, Chequamegon's defense was equally impressive.
The defense held Cornell scoreless throughout the second half until the final play of the game, turning in a suffocating performance that featured big tackles, pressure and turnovers from throughout the lineup.
Nichols led the defensive effort with his 10 tackles, while Dawson Minnema also recorded 10 tackles, along with a forced fumble, tackle for loss and pressure.
Cooper Heizler added nine tackles and four pressures, while Olyver Soviak finished with seven tackles, a tackle for loss and a pressure.
Dawson Schmidt recorded six tackles and a sack, and Aiden Bushman contributed six tackles, a tackle for loss and three pass deflections. Avery Williams added five tackles and recovered a fumble.
The victory was truly a team effort, with Chequamegon getting contributions from all over the field.
Great blocking up front helped open running lanes, while hard running and physical play allowed the offense to consistently gain ground. On defense, players stepped up at different points throughout the evening to create turnovers, pressure the quarterback and make key stops.
The 58-30 victory gives Chequamegon a technically updated record of 2-1, following a forfeit by Elcho/White Lake earlier in the week.
With the combination of a powerful running game, efficient passing attack and a defense that dominated for most of the night, Chequamegon appears to be building plenty of momentum early in the season.
Having been in radio for 37 years, Joel is just starting to figure it out. From the days of spinning 45 records to modern-day social media, Joel has a slippery grasp on how to entertain his morning show listeners. Born in St. Paul, MN, Alum of Boyceville High School, and well-traveled in radio from Iowa to Minneapolis and many places in-between. Reach Joel at joel.karnick@civicmedia.us.
