Northland Pines seniors go out with a win in final home game

The Northland Pines varsity football team hosted the Crandon Cardinals on senior night last Friday at Northland Pines High School, and the 18 seniors on the roster went out with a 17-0 win in the final home game of their Northland Pines football career. On top of celebrating the seniors, it was another dominating defensive performance, with the unit posting a shutout and only allowing six points in the last two games.
Northland Pines Head Coach Justin Nimsgern knew the night would have plenty of emotion, and said that emotion translated to the performance on the field.

“They handled it really well. Trying not to take this team (Crandon) lightly. In the past, [Crandon] looks at us as a rival. We’ve got to play them tough, and they are going to give us everything they have,” said Head Coach Justin Nimsgern.

The Eagles sent the opening kickoff to Crandon and opened the night on defense. The Cardinals made a few chunk plays and ran the ball all the way inside Pines’ 20-yard line before the first impact play of the night. The Eagles punched the ball out and recovered the ball to keep Crandon off the board. On the offense’s first play from scrimmage, senior running back Conrad Droby found a hole and ran 87 yards for the game’s first score with about seven minutes left in the first quarter. The Eagles made another defensive stop, and the first quarter ended with the 7-0 score.

“Defense was lights out tonight. They just got after it. Five takeaways, I mean, I’m so happy for these seniors going off with their first win against Crandon in their high school careers. It was exciting for them,” stated Nimsgern.

It was the first of five takeaways Pines had on the night, with two interceptions and three fumble recoveries.
Coach Nimsgern said the defensive effort was kind of like boxing. All 11 players out on the field used their instincts once Crandon lined up and just read the play ahead of them. He said that with how Crandon runs the option play, the Eagles just felt things out as the game went on, took some punches and “capitalized on mistakes with hustle and pursuit to the ball.”

The Eagles were driving in Crandon territory as the first quarter expired. Senior placekicker Tyler Vojta put Northland Pines ahead 10-0 early in the second with a made 28-yard field goal.

That 10-0 score remained up until the halftime break.

Each held the line defensively as the teams returned to the field in the third quarter. A scoreless quarter by both sides kept the score at 10-0 in a low-scoring affair. Pines did have a few chances in Crandon territory but couldn’t capitalize on extending the lead. The next score came about five minutes into the fourth, when senior Tucker Brock plunged into the end zone from a yard out to make it a 17-0 game.

Northland Pines moved to 4-4 overall and 3-3 in the Northwoods Conference, good for fourth place. The Eagles end the regular season later this week with a road game at Stratford High School. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.