Bath at Pewamo-Westphalia – – Football – – The Bleacher Denizen – – October 14, 2022 – – by Chuck Krafft

Tonight, your Bleacher Denizen is off to Pewamo-Westphalia High School to watch as the Pirates host the Bath Bees in a CMAC Football Game. Bath enters the game at 5-2, but both losses are in the CMAC. Pewamo-Westphalia is a perennial power; they have had a couple unexpected losses this year; only one was in the CMAC and if they win this game they will clinch a share of the CMAC Football Championship with Fowler and Laingsburg.

As I got to the game, some of the P-W (this abbreviation will be used for “Pewamo-Westphalia” to save wear and tear on your Bleacher Denizen’s aging fingers.) cheerleaders were doing a spirited dance to Ice, Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice. It was fun to watch them; I told them I would give the cheerleaders a shout out in the blog and I guess this is it.

The P-W band went on the field to play the Pirate Fight Song and the National Anthem. They did a fine job with both.

As we could not hear this, I’d like to play my You Tube version of “Little Brown Church.” When I got to the press box and glanced at my cell phone, I was delighted that this video now has had 1000 views! (It was at 999 when I stopped at Ox Market to pick up some smoked chicken!) Here it is!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bOnetrJFi6o

Pewamo-Westphalia won the coin toss and elected to defer their decision about kicking or receiving to the second half. Bath chose to receive.

It is now time to look at the events of this game through the glasses of an aging Bleacher Denizen whose football career as a receiver was severely curtailed when the Powers that Bee refused to allow him to use a bushel basket to try to catch passes.

P-W’s Eric Bruna Jodar kicked the ball to the eight yard line where DeVondre Chandler fielded and returned it 27 yards before Eric Bruna Jodar tackled him. Bath started its opening possession on its own 35 yard line.

Ethan McFarland stopped Bath’s first down run for a one yard loss. Brayden Bennett’s first down pass to Bradlee Uhlmann gained three yards before Grant Pohl stopped him. Gabe Miller covered on Bath’s incomplete third down pass. Bradlee Uhlmann’s fourth down punt was fielded by Connor Pohl on the Pirate 27 yard line. Cole Chamberlain tackled him after a short gain.

P-W started its first series on their own 30 yard line.

Troy Wertman took the ball to the left and broke several tackles on his way to a thirty-three yard gain. Colin Hagerman made the Bee tackle. A penalty on Bath cost them five additional yards. P-W had a first down on the Bath 32 yard line.

Troy Wertman gained six yards on a first down run; Hunter Holmberg made the Bee tackle. Hunter Holmberg stopped the Pirate second down run for a one yard gain. On the next play, Dylan May took the ball through the middle for a twenty-five yard touchdown run. Dylan May made the long snap, Troy Wertman held the ball and Eric Bruna Jodar kicked it through the goalpost to give his Pirates a 7-0 lead with 8:43 remaining in the first quarter.

Eric Bruna Jodar kicked the ball off to the 11 yard line where DeVondre Chandler fielded it and gained sixteen yards before Kyle Thelen tackled him. Bath started its series on its own 27 yard line.

Gavin Nurenberg stopped the Bee first down run for a two yard gain. Gabe Miller tackled the second down runner for a two yard loss. After a five yard penalty pushed Bath back another five yards, Brayden Bennett threw a pass to Bradlee Uhlmann over the middle for a thirty-one yard gain. Connor Pohl made the tackle for P-W.

Gabe Miller led a number of Pirate tacklers in stopping Bath’s first down run up the middle for a one yard gain. Max Parry gained four yards on a second down run up the left end. Trevor Spitzley made the Pirate tackle. Gavin Nurenburg stopped the Bath third down run by Bradlee Uhlmann for a two yard gain. Bradlee Uhlmann fought with spirit on his fourth down run, but the Pirate line stopped him short of a first down. P-W took the ball over on downs on its own 39 yard line.

Dylan May did a fake and took the ball up the middle on a first down quarterback keeper. Cole Chamberlain made the tackle for Bath. Dylan May passed to Connor Pohl for a four yard gain to earn a Pirate first down; Michael Friend made the Bee tackle.

Troy Wertman gained five yards on a first down run before Sam Wonch took him down. Troy Wertman’s second down run earned six yards and a first down before Max Parry stopped him.

Troy Wertman gained six yards on a first down run up the middle before Sam Wonch stopped his progress. Cole Chamberlain covered for the Bees on the Pirate incomplete second down pass. Dylan May passed to Connor Pohl for a nine yard third down gain that gave the Pirates a first down on the Bee 23 yard line. Michael Friend made the tackle for Bath.

Troy Wertman took the ball to the left for a five yard first down gain and up the middle for a three yard second down gain. Troy Wertman barreled through the middle for a thirteen yard gain and another first down before Cole Chamberlain stopped him. P-W had a first down on the Bath 2 yard line.

Bath’s defense stoutly stopped the Pirate first down run short of the goal. A holding penalty pushed P-W back to the 13 yard line. On the first down repeat, Dylan May took the ball through the middle for a six yard gain. Max Parry got the tackle for the Bees. Andrew Raphael stopped the Pirate second down run for a two yard loss. Dylan May made a nice fake and then ran around the right end for a nine yard touchdown. Dylan May made the long snap to Troy Wertman, who held the ball as Eric Bruna Jodar booted it through the uprights to give his Pirates a 14-0 lead with 5.7 seconds to play in the first quarter.

Eric Bruna Jodar boomed his kickoff into the end zone, so the Bees started their next series on their own 20 yard line.

Gabe Miller stopped the Bath first down running play for a four yard loss as the first quarter ended.

After one quarter, Pewamo-Westphalia held a 14-0 lead. Bath had a second down with fourteen yards to go on their own 16 yard line.

The P-W line stopped Bath’s second down run for a three yard loss. Brayden Bennett ran out of the pocket and gained about five yards before drew Trierweiler shoved him out of bounds. Bradlee Uhlmann punted on fourth down. The ball glanced off a Pirate receiver, but Connor Pohl dived on the ball on the Pirate 35 yard line to prevent a P-W turnover. The Pirates started their next series on their own 35 yard line.

Troy Wertman took the ball over the right tackle for a fourteen yard gain before Hunter Holmberg stopped him.

Andrew Raphael and Michael Friend teamed up to stop the P-W first down run for a four yard loss. Troy Wertman got around the right end and gained about seven yards on the Pirate second down run. Cole Chamberlain and Colin Hagerman made the tackle for Bath. Two penalties assessed on the Bees gave P-W a first down on the Bath 14 yard line.

Troy Wertman burst through the middle and broke several tackles on his way to a fourteen yard touchdown run. The extra point kicked bounced off the goal post. With 9:00 remaining in the first half, Pewamo-Westphalia had a 20-0 lead.

Because of a Bath penalty, Eric Bruna Jodar kicked the ball off from the Bath 45 yard line and easily put it through the end zone. (Someone in the booth joked that the ball may end up in the neighbor’s yard. I’m just hoping it wasn’t a ball hawk like some of the people I heard of as a child who would take balls that landed in their yard.) Mercifully, Mr. Jodar’s great kickoff did NOT go quite that far! Bath started its next series on their own 20 yard line.

Gabe Miller stopped the Bee first down run for a three yard loss. Dylan May, Gabe Miller and Reece Thelen teamed up to stop the Bath second down run for no gain. A flag after the play cost Bath ten yards. Blake Birchmeier’s timely hit caused Bath’s third down pass to fall incomplete. Bradlee Uhlmann punted on fourth down. Troy Wertman fielded the ball on the Bath 35 yard line. He returned it five yards before Cole Chamberlain tackled him.

P-W started its series on the Bath 30 yard line.

Troy Wertman gained five yards on a first down run before he ran into Hunter Holmberg and Sam Wonch. Dylan May passed to Grant Pohl for a nine yard gain and a first down. Bradlee Uhlmann made the tackle for Bath.

Troy Wertman gained five yards on a first down run to the left and six yards on a second down run to the right to give his Pirates a first down on the Bee 5 yard line.

The P-W first down pass into the end zone fell incomplete. Troy Wertman plowed into the middle for a four yard second down gain. Troy Wertman fought to earn the final yard P-W needed for a touchdown. With a fine snap from Dylan May and a hold from Troy Wertman, Eric Bruna Jodar kicked the extra point to give the Pirates a 27-0 lead with 5:26 remaining in the first half.

Eric Bruna Jodar kicked the ball from the 25 yard line instead of the 40 because of a Pirate penalty. The Bath kickoff receiver slipped as he caught the ball on the Bee 25 yard line; Bath started its next series there.

Blake Birchmeier stopped the Bee first down pitch to the right for a two yard loss. Brayden Bennett completed a second down pass to Quinton Raphael on the left side for a four yard gain. Blake Birchmeier got the tackle for P-W. Kiefer Trimmer and Gabe Miller teamed up to sack the Bee quarterback for a ten yard third down loss. Bradlee Uhlmann punted on fourth down. P-W fielded the ball on the Bath 46 yard line, but lost four yards before he was stung by a swarm of bees! P-W started its next series on the 50 yard line.

Troy Wertman took a first down pitch to the right for a twenty-one yard gain before he ran into Max Parry.

Dylan May passed to Grant Pohl for a four yard first down gain; Max Parry pushed him out of bounds. On the next play, Dylan May unleashed a beautiful pass to Gabe Miller, who caught it in stride for a twenty-five yard touchdown. Eric Bruna Jodar’s successful extra point gave P-W a 34-0 lead with 1:53 left on the first half clock.

Eric Bruna Jodar kicked the ball off to the 10 yard line. Bradlee Uhlmann caught the ball at the 10 yard line and ran it out to the P-W yard 42 yard line for a 48 yard return.

Brayden Bennett’s first down pass to Bradlee Uhlmann gained eight yards before Connor Pohl stopped him. Bath’s second down run was stopped for no gain. Grant Pohl covered on the Bee incomplete third down pass. The P-W line stopped Bath’s fourth down run short of a first down, although it was so close that the measuring crew came out.

On the final play of the first half, the Pirates took a knee.

The Pirates took a 34-0 lead into the locker room at half time and may very well hold this lead with the second half commences.

The Pewamo-Westphalia Band is directed by Drum Major Chase Kramer, Assistant Drum Major Megan Droste, Guard Captain Georgia Smith and Band Director Randy Voisinet. They played their 2022 Field Show, “I Want My MTV”. The songs included “All Star”, “Zoot Suit Riot”, “I Want it That Way” and “Take on Me.” They did a fine job with the music and the marching.

Since we can’t hear the band on the internet right now, for your musical (hopeful) pleasure, here is some raw piano playing on my solo version of “Red River Valley” which is also nearing a minor milestone hit count!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w03AhhNk1M8

Colin Hagerman kicked off for Bath to open the second half. Trevor Smith caught the kickoff at the 18 yard line and returned it eleven yards to the Pirate 29 yard line where P-W started its first series of the second half.

Brayton Thelen went to the left for a four yard first down gain; Max Parry made the Bee tackle. Brayton Thelen went into the middle for a four yard gain. Sam Wonch got the tackle for Bath. Kyle Thelen went into the middle for a four yard gain before Sam Wonch stopped him. P-W had a first down on its own 41 yard line.

Brayton Thelen gained two yards on a first down run up the middle before Sam Wonch halted his progress. Max Parry and Sam Wonch stopped the Pirate second down run for a one yard loss. Brayton Thelen gained three yards on a third down run to the left; Max Parry got the tackle for Bath. Troy Wertman punted on fourth down; his put was downed on the Bath 27 yard line; the Bees started their next series at that point.

Bradlee Uhlmann took the ball to the right for a four yard first down gain. Dalton Brown made the tackle for the Pirates. Bradlee Uhlmann earned three yards on his second down run to the right. Remington McCrimmon gained six yards on a third down run to the right to earn a first down. Dalton Brown made the Pirate tackle.

Cole Chamberlain gained eighteen yards on a run to give his Bees a first down on the Pirate 42 yard line.

Cole Chamberlain’s first down run earned four yards up the middle before Brayton Thelen stopped him. Nolan Rowley gained eight yards up the middle on second down to give Bath a first down on the P-W 30 yard line.

On the next play, Bradley Huhn recovered a Bee fumble and the Pirates had a first down on their own 35 yard line.

Brayton Thelen gained three yards on first down before Max Parry took him down. After a bad snap, Brayton Thelen hustled to recover the ball to prevent a turnover deep in opposing territory. Michael Friend made the final tackle on the P-W 15 yard line. Brayton Thelen gained five yards on third down; Max Parry got the tackle for Bath. The Pirates’ Trevor Smith downed Troy Wertman’s fourth down punt on the 50 yard line, where the Bees started their next series.

Trent Channell tackled Bath’s first down runner for a five yard loss. On the next play, Bradlee Uhlmann went around the left end and gained twenty-three yards for a first down before Brayton Thelen made the stop. Bath had a first down on the P-W 32 yard line.

Reece Thelen leaped and nearly intercepted Bath’s first down pass, which fell incomplete. Trent Channell batted down Bath’s second down pass. Bradlee Uhlmann took a third down pitch to the right for eleven yards and another first down; Alex Downs made the tackle for P-W.

On the final play of the third quarter, Brayden Bennett tossed a pass to Colin Hagerman for an eleven yard gain.

Pewamo-Westphalia had a 34-0 lead at the end of the third quarter. Bath had a first down on the P-W 10 yard line.

Remington McCrimmon went to the left for an eight yard first down gain. Trent Piggott got made the tackle for the Pirates. Collin Schneider and Cayden Spitzley stopped the Bath second down run for a one yard loss. Bath fumbled the ball into the end zone on third down. Max Parry jumped on the ball to give Bath a touchdown. Bath’s point after pass was no good. With 10:32 remaining in the contest, Bath trimmed the P-W lead to 34-6.

Colin Hagerman kicked the ball off to the 25 yard line, where Trevor Smith downed it for P-W.

Brayton Thelen went up the middle for a three yard gain. Quinton Raphael made the tackle for Bath. Bath stopped P-W’s second down run for no gain. Hunter Holmberg stopped the Pirate third down run for a one yard loss. Troy Wertman punted on fourth down. Dylan May downed the punt on the Bath 18 yard line; the Bees started their next drive there.

On the next play, Ben Pawlanta recovered a Bath fumble on the Bee 22 yard line.

Brayton Thelen powered through the middle for a twenty-two yard touchdown run. Holder Troy Wertman showed quick, soft hands as he gathered the long snap. Eric Bruna Jodar kicked it through the goal posts to give P-W a 41-6 lead with 8:08 left on the clock.

Eric Bruna Jodar’s kickoff glanced off a Bee returner and went into the end zone. Bath started its drive on its own 20 yard line.

Cole Chamberlain went around the left end for a long run; Nolen Arens tackled him to prevent a touchdown. However a holding penalty caused the down to be replayed. Cole Chamberlain went around the left end and gained eleven yards for a first down before Reece Thelen halted his progress.

Cole Chamberlain went up the middle for a two yard gain before (as the announcer noted) he ran into a boatload of Pirates. Colin Mitchell took a pitch to the right for a seven yard second down gain before Logan Drysdale stopped him. On third down, Cole Chamberlain gained three yards to the right for another first down. Logan Drysdale got the tackle for P-W.

Logan Drysdale stopped Bath’s first down run for a one yard gain. On the next play, Cole Chamberlain took a pitch to the left for a fifty-seven yard touchdown. The Point After Pass fell incomplete. With 3:09 remaining in the game, Pewamo-Westphalia had a 41-12 lead.

Colin Hagerman kicked the ball off to the 23 yard line where it was downed. A penalty on P-W moved the ball back to the 13 yard line where they started their next series.

Brayton Thelen went to the left and dragged several Bee tacklers for a nine yard gain. Brayton Thelen went up the middle for a seven yard gain and a first down before Keegan Hunt stopped him.

Kyle Thelen ran for a short gain on the next play; a penalty on Bath gave P-W a first down on their own 46 yard line.

Pewamo-Westphalia took knees on the next two plays as time expired.

Pewamo-Westphalia won the game to push their record to 5-3 and clinch a share of the CMAC Football Championship!