WiLdKats stop Tigers

Ipswich-Edmunds Central played host to a non-conference foe, Kimball-White Lake, on Senior Night last Friday, honoring the Tiger seniors and their parents. But the visitors eventually did their own celebrating with a 37-0 win over the Tigers.

They methodically drove for a pair of first-quarter scores, culminated by Carter Fredericksen's two-yard and three-yard scampers, respectively. Wyatt Talbott kicked the PAT after the second touchdown for a 13-0 WildKats lead.

The visitors added a second-quarter TD late in the half for a 19-0 advantage. (It was a 22-yard aerial strike from Javen Holan to Caden Lenz.) And the WildKats would also score two touchdowns in the third quarter, first with a 53-yard return by Rafe Klehn and then on a one-yard carry by Holan. They completed scoring in the game with Talbott's six-yard run.

The Tigers were again able to generate some yardage from time to time and got into the redzone a couple of times. But the visitors' defense would protect their endzone the entire evening!

Kimball-White Lake logged 329 rushing yards, led by Fredericksen's 104. The visitors were also 12-19 in passing for 183 yards. Ipswich-EC, meanwhile, earned 115 rushing yards, led by Ben Kulesa with 47. Kaden Hix was next with 24 yards, followed by Daniel Braun with 20. Riley Nehlich also reached double-figures with 14 rushing yards, while Carter Heinz rushed for seven yards and Luke Peterson netted three. Kulesa also finished 7-19-2 in passing for 65 yards. Hix caught three of those passes for 45 yards and Matthew Hettich collected two receptions totaling eight yards. Daniel Braun contributed a reception for 10 yards and Jacob Nierman the remaining Tiger catch for two yards.

Defensively, I-EC totaled 68 tackles and was again led by Daniel Braun with 11 tackles, followed by Nehlich with nine and Kulesa was next with eight. Fifteen other Tigers recorded one or more tackles on the night. Kulesa and Daniel Braun each added a pass interception.

The loss dropped Ipswich-Edmunds Central to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in league play. Ipswich-EC will next travel to Eureka to face a Lake Region Conference foe North Border this Friday, which will complete the Tigers' regular-season schedule. (Next week will be their bye week.) The Tigers are still mathematically alive in the hunt for a 9A playoff berth, but could definitely use a win at Eureka to enhance those opportunities.