MCDONALD'S SWNEWS4U.COM GAME OF THE WEEK (Aug. 20–27)
Southwestern/East Dubuque 28, Black Hawk/Warren 20

By A.J. Gates, Tri-County Press, Herald Independent

Wildcats prevail on 52-yard bomb in final seconds

SOUTH WAYNE — Anytime you play a team from Black Hawk/Warren you better be prepared for a physical game. That’s exactly what coach Joe Edler’s co-op squad from Southwestern/East Dubuque was expecting and that’s exactly what they got.

The WarCats proved to be up for the challenge in last Friday night’s season opener though, as they handed the host Warriors a 28–20 non-conference loss by dealing a last-second blow to their opponents.

With the two teams knotted at 20–20 with just 25 seconds to play in the fourth quarter, Southwestern/East Dubuque quarterback Aidan Colin connected with senior running back Brody Culbertson on a 52-yard touchdown strike to give the WarCats the victory.

 “The confidence in the huddle was tremendous. We called the play, and when we lined up I knew we had a chance,” coach Joe Edler said of the game-winning score. “Our line gave Aidan great time. Aidan made a great throw and Brody made a phenomenal catch.”

Going into the fourth quarter, Southwestern/East Dubuque was clinging to a 14-12 lead after getting an 88-yard kick return from Zander Tierney to open the game, and a 61-yard touchdown pass from Colin to Culbertson early in the third quarter.

Tierney extended the WarCat’s lead to 20-12 with a 74-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter, as the two-point conversion attempt came up short.

The Warriors followed up on their next possession with a touchdown drive at the 3:57 mark, as a crucial two-point conversion pass evened the score.

The two teams then traded possessions before the WarCats took over again with just 25 seconds to play. The rest, as they say, is history, as Southwestern/East Dubuque upset last year’s division 7 state runners up on their home field.

“We were able to match Black Hawk/Warren’s physicality, and that was crucial,” said coach Edler. “Another huge key was our defensive play as a whole. We were able to play aggressively and limit their big plays.”

“Overall the team played very well against Black Hawk/Warren. “We knew that we had to be physical to win, and the guys did just that,” Edler added. “We were able to play a complete four quarters against a great team, and the guys never gave up.”

The WarCats concluded the contest with 304 yards of total offense, gaining 184 yards through the air and 120 on the ground.

Colin completed 6-of-10 passing attempts for 184 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. His top target was Culbertson, who had five receptions for 153 yards and two touchdowns, while Tierney had one reception for 31 yards.

Tierney led the Southwestern/East Dubuque rushing attack with 89 yards and one TD on 10 carries, while Drew Kieffer added 24 yards on seven carries.

Giving up 222 total yards to the Warrior offense, the Southwestern/East Dubuque defense was led by senior defensive end Evan Mead, who had 11 total tackles. He was followed by Kieffer with eight and Drew Martin and Lucas Foley with four each.

The WarCats, who are playoff eligible this season, look to go 2-0 this Friday night as they host Boscobel, who is coming off a 41-12 loss to Hillsboro.

Southwestern/East Dubuque 28, Black Hawk/Warren 20
(from Friday, Aug. 23, at South Wayne)
SW/ED...........8  0   6 14 – 28
BH/Warren...0  0 12   8 – 20
First quarter
SW/ED - (14:47) - Zander Tierney, 88-yard kick return (Brody Culbertson run)
Third quarter
BH/W - (10:19) - Mahoney, 55-yard run (run failed)
SW/ED - (9:15) - Culbertson, 61-yard pass from Aidan Colin (run failed)
BH/W - (5:19) - Seffrood, 25-yard run (run failed)
Fourth quarter
SW/ED - (6:16) - Tierney, 74-yard run (run failed)
BH/W - (3:57) - Seffrood, 4-yard run (Schliem pass from Seffrood)
SW/ED - (0:10) - Culbertson, 52-yard pass from Colin (Drew Kieffer run)
Team statistics
First downs - SW/ED 6, BH/W 11. Rushing - SW/ED 31-120, BH/W 48-222. Passing yards - SW/ED 184, BH/W 0. Passes - SW/ED 6-10-1, BH/W 0-4-0. Fumbles-lost - SW/ED 0-0, BH/W 0-0. Penalties-yards - SW/ED 3-15, BH/W 7-23. 
Rushing leaders
SW/ED: Zander Tierney 10-89, Drew Kieffer 7-24, Brody Culbertson 9-4, Aidan Colin 4-2, Eban Mead 1-1.
BH/W: Owen Seffrood 25-129, Piercen Mahoney 7-78, Riley Mosley 5-12, Eli Schliem 7-3.
Passing leaders
SW/ED: Aidan Colin 6-10-1, 184.
BH/W: Eli Schliem 0-4-0, 0.
Receiving leaders
SW/ED: Brody Culbertson 5-153, Zander Tierney 1-31.
BH/W: None
Defensive leaders
SW/ED: Evan Mead 11 tackles, Drew Kieffer 8 tackles.
BH/W: Braxten Kent 7 tackles, Riley Mosley 6 tackles, Jacob Woodruff 5 tackles - 1 sack.