Citizen Staff/James Wold
Waupun's Jordan White (36) deflects this pass away from Beaver Dam's Dan Docter (87) Friday evening.
WAUPUN — One play late in the first half turned the entire complexion of Friday's football season opener between Beaver Dam and Waupun around.
Leading 7-6 with one minute left before halftime, Golden Beavers punter Dusty Blanchard tried to field a high snap in the end zone, had it bounce off his hands twice and Waupun's Josh McCullough recovered it for a touchdown.
The play turned the game around in the hosts' favor as Waupun downed BD, 19-7, in the first game between the rivals since Sept. 1, 1995.
"(The botched snap) completely changed the momentum of the game," BD coach Tim White said. "In the timeout before the play, I said everything except to tell Dusty to run out of bounds if it was a bad snap.
"I chalk that mistake up to me. It's on me."
On the other hand, Waupun coach Rick Applin wasn't going to complain about the turn of events.
"Anytime something like that happens, it's going to fire you up," Applin said.
BD (0-1) needed just one big play and 46 seconds to get on the board.
Tailback Devin Kellenberger took a pitch from Ben Brooks on a third-and-10 from his own 9-yard line, sprung to the outside and never looked back for a 91 yard touchdown and a quick 7-0 lead.
"We didn't do a great job defensively on that play," Applin said. "Our linebackers and cornerbacks got pinned on that play and our pursuit wasn't very good."
But Waupun (1-0) got back into the game on the strength of its multiple rushing attack. Late in the quarter, three players — Jordan Peterson, Austin Armga and Taylor Nehls — combined for a 58-yard drive.
Peterson finished drive on a 1-yard run but Waupun missed the conversion attempt to keep BD ahead.
Third down, however, would determine the outcome of this matchup.
BD was 2-for-10 in the game and didn't have one conversion in the second half. Meanwhile, Waupun was simply stellar, going 6-for-8 in the second half.
The Warriors broke the spirit of the Golden Beavers early in the fourth quarter. Waupun marched down the field on a 13-play, 67-yard touchdown drive that featured three third-down conversions from quarterback Cory Nickel.
The junior came up with a big play every time Waupun need it on the drive. Nickel had 17-yard completion to Armga on a third-and-10, then had a 22-yard pass to Nehls on another third-and-long. Nickel finished the day 8-of-10 for 144 yards.
"Cory did a pretty good job passing," Applin said. "But we've got to have a little more control with our mistakes (nine penalties for 48 yards and two fumbles)."
Waupun's last conversion from Matt Kolitz set up Armga's 5-yard touchdown run one play later.
"We just couldn't get them off the field," said White who's BD squad ran only 11 plays in the second half compared to Waupun's 34.
BD's inability to sustain drives could have had something to do with Waupun's defensive line, specifically Jordan Kohout. The Wisconsin recruit had two sacks, two other tackles for losses and anchored a defensive front that gave up 115 yards after Kellenberger's early run.
"Kohout was defensively very strong," White said. "They lined him up at nose tackle and he was in the backfield a lot."
Next week, BD hosts Watertown Luther Prep while Waupun heads to Mauston.
Beaver Dam 7 0 0 0 - 7
Waupun 6 7 0 6 - 19
BD - Kellenberger 91 run (Propst kick)
W - Peterson 1 run (pass fail)
W - McCullough 0 run (Pluim kick)
W - Armga 5 run (pass fail)
BD W
First downs 4 14
Total Net Yards 206 323
Rushes-yards 24-134 43-179
Passing 72 144
Comp-Att-Int 4-17-1 8-10-0
Penalties-Yards 3-20 9-58
Fumbles-Lost 2-1 4-2
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS: RUSHING-BD, Kellenberger 9-137. W, Armga 11-73. PASSING-BD, Brooks 4-17-1-72. W, Nickel 10-8-0-144. RECEIVING-BD, Docter 2-28. W, Nehls 4-67.