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EAU CLAIRE – The Spencer/Columbus Catholic football team made a comeback for the ages, however it ended up not to be enough.
The Rockets scored three fourth-quarter touchdowns to force overtime before bowing to Eau Claire Regis 25-22 in a Cloverbelt Conference game Saturday at Carson Park.
Regis led 22-0 after returning the second-half kickoff for a touchdown, but the Rockets were not about to go down without a fight.
Spencer/Columbus scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the final one on a 5-yard touchdown run by Tyler Voda with 1:33 remaining in regulation. Calvin Lenz tied the game with a two-point conversion run to force overtime.
The Rockets did not score in overtime and Eau Claire Regis’ Cam Pederson kicked an 18-yard field goal to win the game.
Regis improves to 3-2 overall and 3-1 in the Cloverbelt, while Spencer/Columbus drops to 2-3 and 1-3 in the conference.
The loss leaves the Rockets in a tough spot if they wish to reach the WIAA playoffs for the second year in a row. S/C will have to win its final three games of the Cloverbelt season to finish 4-3 and earn a spot in the postseason. The Rockets host Altoona (2-2) next Friday and finish the season with games at Osseo-Fairchild (1-2) and at Marshfield against Fall Creek (1-3).
Regis led 15-0 at halftime after scoring runs by Sam Bachmeier and Max Sires.
Following the 85-yard kickoff return by Sires to start the second half, it looked as if the Rockets were in for a long day.
However, Spencer turned things around and used a special teams play to get back in it.
Ryan Busse recovered a blocked punt in the end zone on the first play of the fourth quarter and Voda ran in a two-point conversion to make it 22-8.
Matthias Gouin scored on a 13-yard touchdown run midway through the quarter and Voda capped the scoring in regulation with the TD with 1:33 to go.
Defensively, Voda had 12 tackles and an interception for S/C. He also led the team with 74 yards rushing, while Mitch Susa added 65.
Twelve different Ramblers carried the ball, racking up 231 yards on the ground.
Ramblers 25, Rockets 22 (OT)
Spencer/Columbus 0 0 0 22 0 – 22
Eau Claire Regis 8 7 7 0 3 – 25
First Quarter
ECR – Sam Bachmeier 7 run (Daylon DeSouza run), 2:27.
Second Quarter
ECR – Max Sires 5 run (Cam Pederson kick), 8:00.
Third Quarter
ECR – Sires 85 kickoff return (Pederson kick), 11:44.
Fourth Quarter
SC – Ryan Busse recovered blocked punt in end zone (Tyler Voda run), 11:55.
SC – Matthias Gouin 13 run (PAT failed), 7:23.
SC – Voda 5 run (Calvin Lenz run), 1:33.
Overtime
ECR – Pederson 18 field goal.
Team Statistics
First downs: Spencer/Columbus 13; Regis 16.
Rushing (att-yards): Spencer/Columbus 53-193; Regis 54-231.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): Spencer/Columbus 2-8-31-0; Regis 2-8-16-1.
Penalties (No.-yards): Spencer/Columbus 6-50; Regis 4-30.
Fumbles (total-lost): Spencer/Columbus 0-0; Regis 1-0.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: SC, Tyler Voda 22-74, Mitch Susa 11-65, Matthias Gouin 5-38, Calvin Lenz 12-9, Hunter Hildebrandt 3-7. ECR, Daylon DeSouza 6-64, Noah Schober 4-37, Tommy Chica 5-31, Noel Ortiz 4-23, Sam Bachmeier 11-20, Max Sires 10-18, Jaxon Brown 5-16, Sean Jordan 3-10, Jarlen Bryan 2-8, Gunner Kern 1-4, Bucky Kahn 1-0, Zach Pire 2-0.
Passing: SC, Lenz 2-7-31-0, Gouin 0-1-0-0. ECR, Schoeber 1-3-8-0, Sires 1-3-8-1.
Receiving: SC, M. Susa 1-17, Ryan Busse 1-14. ECR, Victor Bourget 1-8, DeSouza 1-8.
Interceptions (defense): SC, Voda.
Punting (No.-avg.): SC, Busse 3-38.0. ECR, Sires 3-27.7.
Records: Spencer/Columbus 2-3, 1-3 Cloverbelt Conference; Eau Claire Regis 3-2, 3-1 Cloverbelt Conference.