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Owen-Withee holds off late Pepin/Alma rally to claim the Division 7 state title

11/20/2014, 1:00pm CST
By Travis Wilson

It was a bit of a slow, grinding game but eventually Owen-Withee broke things open and seemed headed for a runaway win in the Division 7 state title game against Pepin/Alma. A pair of late Eagles scores put some pressure on the Blackhawks however, but a key 3rd and 9 conversion allowed Owen-Withee to hold on for a 17-12 victory and the school's third state championship.

Owen-Withee dominated the first half, out-gaining the Eagles 169 to 49 in total yards. A turnover on downs and a lost fumble limited them to just 9 points however.

The third quarter was back and forth, and Owen-Withee appeared to put the game away with 7:24 remaining in the 4th quarter on a 15-yard Bryce Niemi touchdown run to go up 17-0. Pepin/Alma rallied with a pair of touchdown passes in a two minute span to make it 17-12 with 2:50 left however.

Owen-Withee faced a 3rd and 9, but a quarterback sweep converted the first down and sealed the Division 7 title.

Austin Milliren finished with 102 yards rushing on 18 carries to lead the team, while Niemi added 87 on 24 carries. Josiah Goerlitz completed 3 of 4 passes.

For Pepin/Alma, Lance Johnson led the team with 28 rushing yards, while Sam Mueller completed 10 of 19 passes for 163 yards and 2 touchdowns. 

Tag(s): News Archive  News  Travis Wilson  Football Playoffs