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For someone who played special teams a year ago and entered this season as the backup behind Justin Conway, Aquinas junior running back Andy Kirchner has been a pleasant surprise. Blugolds coach Dan Coughlin thought Kirchner may be part of a running-back rotation entering his club’s preseason scrimmage. Kirchner was a whole lot more than that in the first half Friday in a game played at Logan, as Aquinas thoroughly and completed dominated previously-unbeaten Onalaska 42-7.
Kirchner rushed for 258 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries in the first half, behind a line of James Knutson, Zak Knutson, Trevor Dammon, Tony Linhart and Andy Fuchs. Kirchner, who had to leave at the end of the half due to exhaustion, appears to have answered one of the bigger question marks for the Blugolds (4-1, 2-1) entering the season, who would replace now-St. John’s running back Sam Pederson.
“Zak, James, Trevor, Tony and Andy opened huge holes for me,” Kirchner said. “It doesn’t take much to run through a hole a UPS truck could drive through.”
Kirchner’s best run may have made even Barry Sanders jealous. On that play, in the second quarter, Kirchner went straight downfield about 10 yards, stopped, jumped and cut on both feet to his left about a yard, cut to the sideline and ran through two more tackles for 25 yards.
“Andy’s been kind of the best-kept secret in the area,” Coughlin said. “We didn’t even know about him, but he stood out so much in our scrimmage that is was obvious he was going to be a big player for us.
“I don’t know if I’ve seen a jump cut as good as that. That’s something you can’t teach.”
Beyond the power-running game that Onalaska (4-1, 1-1) has been susceptible to in recent seasons, along with a fade route from Bobby Kachel to Tony Favre and a pass down the seam from Kachel to tight end Michael Balduzzi for touchdowns, Aquinas was highly effective with a no-huddle offense at times in the first half.
“We let Central dictate the tempo on us last week,” Coughlin said. “That no-huddle is something we discovered a year ago and we dedicated ourselves to running it this week.
“Onalaska thought we were going to throw. I think we’re good enough to run or throw.”
While the win and Central’s loss at Tomah propelled the Blugolds back into the Mississippi Valley Conference lead, Kirchner said Aquinas has bigger goals this season.
“This season is all for another state championship,” Kirchner said. “Central was tough last week, but our defense really shut down their option, too.”
Objectively, the loss is the worst for the Hilltoppers since a 38-0 defeat at the hands of Menomonie in 2002, and the worst in a MVC game since a 45-0 loss to Tomah in 1998. But subjectively, it may have been the worst for Onalaska since coach Dieter Antoni’s first two years at the helm in 1993 and 1994, when the Hilltoppers went a combined 2-16. Onalaska has made nine playoff berths in 13 years since then.
“It was disheartening,” Antoni said Monday after practice. “I was surprised. I thought it would be a good test for both teams and I don’t understand why we didn’t show up.
“We haven’t been able to completely pinpoint it yet. But when have 35 total plays and 30 of them come on two drives, that’s part of it.
“Defensively, their offense beat us to the inside, did a nice job pinching our ends and our linebackers have overpursuit problems. Our defensive line wasn’t getting blown out every play. We’re going to see the same thing Friday with (Tomah’s Joel) Sweeney.”
Antoni said he was a touch surprised Aquinas didn’t throw as much as they did in the previous week’s loss to Central. Antoni complimented the play of the Knutsons and Balduzzi as the keys to the success of the Blugolds offensive front. At the same time, Onalaska’s seven points were their fewest since a 27-0 season-opening loss at Waunakee in 2006.
“We thought we’d be able to score some points, but the took our stuff away,” Antoni said. “We’re also not a good team at playing catch-up.”
In addition to Sweeney, Tomah (2-1, 3-2) features two-way lineman John Van Gundy. Van Gundy also occasionally lines up at fullback in power sets.
“We’ve got to get people to the point of attack and start playing with more heart,” Antoni said. “We’ve got to get our defense playing in the first half like they have been in second halves.”
AQUINAS 42, ONALASKA 7
First quarter
Aqu — Bobby Kachel 1 run (Kachel run short), 1:54
Aqu — Andy Kirchner 10 run (Kirchner run), 6:15
Ona — Jake Rick 5 run (Tyler Adams kick), 10:10
Second quarter
Aqu — Tony Favre 20 pass from Kachel (Kachel run), 1:52
Aqu — Kirchner 22 run (Kachel run), 6:44
Aqu — Andy Vegel from Kachel (Favre pass from Kachel incomplete), 11:48
Third quarter
Aqu — Michael Balduzzi 13 pass from Kachel (Favre pass from Kachel incomplete), 1:24
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS
Rushing: Ona — Jordan Guth 10-60, Eric Lavery 6-41, Rick 10-40-1, Elwin West 8-38; Aqu — Kirchner 30-270-2, John Lauer 13-36, Dan Gierszewski 4-27, Max Gierszewski 3-12, Kachel 4-10, Matt Gordon 2-10, Zach Kammel 1-5, Peter Horth 1-(-1)
Passing: Ona — Guth 0-2-0-0-0; Aqu — Kachel 4-5-3-0-57
Receiving: Ona — none; Aqu — Balduzzi 2-32-1, Favre 1-20-1, Vegel 1-5-1
ONALASKA SEASON TOTALS
Rushing: Rick 47-434-7, Lavery 45-340-4, West 37-244-2, Guth 23-235-1, Nate Trannel 24-232-2, Adams 3-33-1, Drew Markworth 2-28, Elvis Rivera 4-15, Chris Cayler 1-8, Scott Thompson 2-3
Passing: Guth 19-51-2-2-233, Trannel 1-1-1-0-51, Adams 1-2-0-0-14
Receiving: Adams 12-202-3, Trannel 2-34, Hernandez 2-27, Rick 3-16, Klos 1-14, West 1-5
Scoring: Adams 49, Rick 42, Lavery 24, Guth 14, Trannel 14, West 12, Mike Culligan 6 (fumble return), Mason Sedlacek 2 (safety)
Interceptions: Matt Buehler 1, Ben Harring 1
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Ouch wrote on Oct 3, 2008 7:33 AM:
'nuff said. "