Neuqua Valley football opens the season at home against the Oswego Panthers. The Wildcats graduated 8 defensive starters but are dead set on winning the DVC title for a second straight year. It’s senior night for Neuqua and they want to open the season up with a victory like they did last year at Oswego. This highlight is sponsored by BMO.
Oswego forces turnover to begin the game
On the opening drive, the snap is too low and Oswego swarms the ball, gifting the Panthers a red zone start on their first possession of the year.
The Wildcats keep Oswego out of the end zone, but Tanner Stumpenhorst hits his first field goal of the game just a few minutes in.
Neuqua Valley marches down the field
Neuqua starts up again on offense, on fourth down senior quarterback Ryan Mohler takes off instead of punting and picks up the first down and more.
The Cats marched all the way down inside the Panthers’ ten, but the field goal attempt sees another botched snap that ends in the second turnover of the night for the blue and gold.
Oswego looking to get the short passing game going with the play-action. Brett Connolly finds Dylan King, who turns upfield for a solid gain.
Halfway through the second and after the teams exchanged possessions, Mohler airs it to Miles Miskel, but Jeremiah Cain breaks it up for Oswego.
Panthers lead at half
Right before the half, Stumperhorst lines up his second field goal of the night. The Panthers lead 6-0 going into the second half.
In the second half, Neuqua’s defense gets to work quickly. Justin Dutkiewicz flies in for a sack to bring some life back to the cats.
Oswego still is able to continue the drive, and here’s junior quarterback Brett Connelly finding Jeremiah Cain down the right side of the field for the biggest passing play of the game.
Noah Vera scores the first touchdown of the game
Deep in Wildcat territory, junior Noah Vera takes a handoff, bursts to the second level, and explodes for the first touchdown of the night. Oswego leads 13-0.
Ryan Mohler wasn’t done for the night though. The Senior on a designed run tries to will the Wildcats back into the game as he gets over midfield.
A few minutes later on 3rd down, Silvano Spatafora (spat-ah-for-ah) finds some open field, but the big hit and punchout from Elijah Seaton knocks the ball loose and gets another Oswego takeaway.
On the last play of the third quarter, Connelly tries to go deep to Cain but a falling Andrew Hoffman gets the ball back for Neuqua.
Neuqua Valley football drops season opener
In the fourth quarter, still trailing 13-0 and on 3rd down, Easton Ruby and Taiden Thomas get to Mohler and bring him down to pretty much seal up the Oswego victory.
Neuqua drops to 0-1 to start the season and they now look to regroup against Minooka next week, again at home.
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