Prep report: Tigers maintain dominance over Oredockers
Aug. 18—ASHLAND — Northwestern maintained control in the U.S. Highway 2 rivalry and kicked off the 2023 Wisconsin high school football season with a victory, topping Ashland 36-6 in a non-conference road game on Friday, Aug. 18.
The Tigers, whose winning streak over their eastern neighbors extends into the 2000s, took the lead on a short run from Bryce Ronchi with 4:31 remaining in the first quarter, but it wasn't until a sequence of events late in the half when Northwestern took control of the game.
After a fourth-down incompletion in the end zone allowed Northwestern to turn the Oredockers over on downs deep in Tigers territory, Cooper Lawton delivered a rushing touchdown. After a Boden Teal interception and long return gave the Tigers one last shot at the end zone before the break, quarterback Gavin Williams connected with Lawton, who made a diving touchdown catch on the last play of the half as Northwestern went to the locker room up 22-0.
Ronchi added a second rushing score in the second half, while Ian Smith rumbled in from short range late. Laken Villaverde got the hosts on the board with a touchdown in running time with less than three minutes to play, and went on to lead Ashland in rushing with 79 yards on 11 attempts.
The Tigers, who had a 305-186 yardage advantage, maintained a balanced attack. Teal worked mostly on the outside to amass a game-high 97 rush yards on 10 carries, while also catching three passes for 52 yards. Ronchi ran for 66 yards on 12 attempts, while Lawton had 58 yards on 13 tries.
Northwestern (1-0) stays on the road for a second non-league game, on Aug. 25 at Somerset.
The Spartans easily navigated a windy day at Nemadji Golf Course to win a Heart O'North Conference dual meet on Friday, Aug. 18
Makaela Reinke led Superior with a 43, while Autumn Cooper was close behind, shooting 44.
Superior defeated all three opponents in a quadrangular tennis meet on Wednesday, Aug. 16 in Amery, Wisconsin.
The Spartans defeated Barron 7-0, Ellsworth 4-3 and Amery 7-0.
Despite the sweep, the Amery match featured four flights that went to a third-set supertiebreaker. Lexi Johnsen and Annika Nikoi of Superior, playing Nos. 2 and 3 singles, respectively, won their tiebreakers 10-7, as did the No. 3 doubles team of Lexi Kimmes and Abby Barker. No. 2 doubles team Mattie Schilling and Kenlyn Thimm were 10-4 winners in the tiebreaker.
After splitting four singles points, Superior had the 2-1 edge in doubles matches, with Greta Clark and Johnsen winning No. 1 6-0, 6-1 and Sierra Thralow and Jenna Briggs taking No. 3 6-1, 7-5.
