Butch McCartney
The top two defensive teams in the WIAC met in Carson Park on Saturday, and the defenses dominated the game from the outset.
Sophomore Nick Diciaula’s 22-yard field goal with 6 minutes, 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter gave Eau Claire a 10-7 win and allowed the Blugolds to clinch a tie for the WIAC title, their first since 1998.
After playing to a stalemate through three quarters, the Eau Claire offensive line dominated the fourth quarter. The momentum swing came early in the quarter with junior linebacker Brad Gawronski’s interception at the La Crosse 49-yard line.
“I drop back into that kind of coverage a lot,” Gawronski said. “The quarterback threw it in there, and I saw it and reacted.”
On Eau Claire’s first offensive play after the interception, senior running back Darrell Souhrada set the Eau Claire career rushing record with a nine-yard run up the middle. Souhrada broke Lee Weigel’s mark of 4,105 yards. He now has 4,211 yards for his career.
Souhrada was happy to get the rushing record, but was happier for his team’s accomplishment.
“The only reason I got the record is because of the support of the offensive line,” Souhrada said. “It will probably mean more to me later on. I’m just happy we got the conference championship. It’s a great feeling.”
Head coach Todd Hoffner also praised Souhrada’s record, saying it was representative of a great career.
“Darrell’s a heck of an athlete,” Hoffner said. “It’s not easy to run in this league.”
Eau Claire didn’t pause after Souhrada’s record-breaking run, opting to keep the drive moving by giving him the ball again on the next play. Seven plays later, five of which were carries by Souhrada, Eau Claire was lining up for Diciaula’s go-ahead field goal.
La Crosse was unable to move the ball after the ensuing kickoff and was forced to punt. The punt sailed to the Eau Claire 16-yard line, where it bounced and hit senior Jason Dunn.
Dunn and a La Crosse defender jumped on the loose ball at the same time, and both teams were soon piled on top of it. After untangling the pile, and a short conference, officials gave the ball to Eau Claire.
One play after surviving that near-disaster, the Blugolds gave the ball to Souhrada. He ran through the left side of the line, cut back right, and took off down the sideline.
A downfield block by junior receiver Chad Crutchley helped spring Souhrada to a 50-yard gain, a play that seemed to take the air out of the Eagles.
Later in the drive, Souhrada was stopped on fourth and short with 51 seconds left, giving La Crosse one last chance. That chance disappeared on a fourth down play, when sophomore Austin Crow broke through the line for his third sack of the game.
“He stepped up in the pocket and I was right there,” Crow said. “I almost stripped the ball, but since it was fourth down, that wouldn’t have helped any.”
Crow echoed the feelings of his teammates about the magnitude of the win.
“It’s an unbelievable win,” he said. “We hadn’t beat them at home since 1987. The offense played a great game.”
The win was especially important for freshman quarterback Nels Fredrickson, who was making his first collegiate start in place of injured senior Brian Rasmussen.
“I’ve never been so nervous before a game,” Fredrickson said. “I can’t explain how this win feels.”
One part of the game that made it extra special for Fredrickson was that the Eagles’ starting quarterback, senior Josh Boraas, is Fredrickson’s cousin.
“It was pretty fun,” Fredrickson said. “We were calling each other before the game, giving each other a little crap.”
Fredrickson finished 8-16 passing for 78 yards and one interception. He also ran for 36 yards, including a first quarter touchdown from seven yards out.
Souhrada carried the ball 40 times for a season game-high 178 yards. 125 of those yards came in the fourth quarter.
Next Saturday, the Blugolds, who are 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the WIAC, will travel to UW-Stevens Point (6-2, 4-2), where a win will give Eau Claire its first outright conference title since 1983.
