MFL MarMac fell to 1-2 following a 31-20 loss to New Hampton in a non-district football game in Monona on Sept. 11.

The Chickasaws reached the end zone on their opening drive, but a missed extra point left the score 6-0. The Bulldogs knotted it 6-6 later in the half, on a touchdown by Tyce Wikner.

The sophomore carried that energy into New Hampton’s next possession, intercepting Chickasaw quarterback Kye Rausch and returning the ball to the goal line, where MFL MarMac QB Easton Lange punched it in. A Blake Schutte two-point conversion put the Bulldogs up 14-6.

MFL MarMac clung to a 14-12 lead at halftime after the Chickasaws broke away for a touchdown late in the second quarter.

Unfortunately, the Bulldogs couldn’t sustain their momentum in the second half, allowing New Hampton to take the lead halfway through the third quarter as penalties and mounting injuries hampered their own drives.

The Chickasaws scored again later in the quarter, after the Bulldogs turned the ball over on downs in their own territory, and went up 24-14.

MFL MarMac rallied in the fourth, drawing to within four points, at 24-20, on a touchdown by Rylan Schroeder. New Hampton put the game away with just over one minute remaining, however, with a touchdown and extra point making the score 31-20.

“They outplayed us in the second half. They were more physical than us, and they played with more energy,” said MFL MarMac head coach Dan Anderson. “We were still right there, but somebody had to make a play.”

The coach said Injuries and illness that knocked some players out of the game made it difficult, especially offensively, to execute some of the plans the team had prepared all week. One of the losses in the second half was Wikner, who scored four touchdowns a week ago and already had one that night.

“If we’re going to beat a team like that, we’re going to have to beat them up front, like we did in the first half, moving the ball and getting chunk yardage. But when they take away your bread and butter stuff, when we had a few guys out, that’s not very good,” Anderson said. “It kind of felt like last year, at times, when we were looking for somebody to put in there. We don’t have a lot of depth. That’s what happens with 1A football, you know. If you get a couple guys banged up, or a guy’s sick, all of a sudden everything gets pretty vanilla.”

Anderson credited Schroeder, a senior who moved from the offensive line to fullback when called upon. He hadn’t taken any reps at that position since the summer.

“He stepped in there and kind of was a spark plug in the fourth quarter,” Anderson said.

Defensively, junior Taco Thompson also stepped into strong safety from the corner position.

“He hasn’t played there all year and did a good job,” the coach commented.

Anderson was pleased with how the Bulldogs kept New Hampton’s big wide receivers largely under wraps. They had 93 yards total, including one touchdown. Instead, it was Chickasaw back Austyn Kleppe who proved more elusive, racking up 169 yards and three touchdowns on 20 carries.

Schutte led MFL MarMac with 7.5 tackles, and fellow senior Cameron Hagensick notched 6. Wikner picked up 5 tackles and the interception, followed by senior Kashton Decker and sophomore Archie Carlson each with 4.5 and sophomore Daxton Diemel with 4. Hagensick and Carlson also recorded sacks.

“We were well prepared. Those big receivers didn’t burn us,” Anderson said. “If you would have told me, after this game, that their big receivers weren’t going to catch any big touchdown passes, I would have thought we’re going to win this ball game.”

The Bulldog passing game was limited too, with just 20 yards on 3-for-9 passing by Lange, who threw one interception but rushed for a touchdown. The ground game, though, had 262 total yards, led by 127 and a TD from Wikner on 13 carries. Schroeder collected 57 yards and a touchdown on 11 attempts, and Decker reached 43 yards on 14 carries.

MFL MarMac begins Class 1A - District 5 play this week, traveling to undefeated Beckman Catholic on Friday, Sept. 18.