Reporting from Dave Bray's broadcast on 107.1:
With a 14-14 score at halftime, to say the Wolverines and Brush Beetdiggers were evenly matched was a good call.
But with a 28-14 win on Saturday, the Bayfield Wolverines apparently ate their veggies this week.
Specifically, beets.
The BHS moms served them at a team dinner on Thursday night before the team hit the road Friday in a charter bus for the long trip to Brush.
In spite of some calls that didn't go in their favor, the Wolverines stuck out a tough game, facing the unfamiliar task of coming back from behind to even up the score by halftime.
The Wolverines took charge of the game from the start, with Wyatt Freier receiving the opening kickoff and running it to the 45 yardline. Kelton McCoy threw a long pass to Taed Heydinger for a first down and Zane Phelps tried to run it in, but it was stopped short of the goaline.
Brush took over the ball, couldn't move it very far, and punted from the 18 yardline.
Heydinger received at the 45 yardline. After a few short runs, McCoy passed to Brian Mashak, who caught the ball on the three. McCoy ran it in on a quarterback sneak to get the Wolverines on the board first.
With McCoy holding the ball, Taed Heydinger kicked his first of four extra points this week, making up for a shaky performance last week when he missed several PAT attempts.
Brush then took possession of the ball, but the Wolverines get the first turnover of the game when the Beetdiggers fumbled and Noath Loutherback recovered at the Brush 45 yardline.
A few plays later, BHS fans groaned as Wyatt Freier almost caught a fleaflicker pass by Taed Heydinger in the endzone.
Bayfield's kick was met by a 79-yard touchdown run by B.J. Hirschfeld. The extra point was good, and it was 7-7.
David Hawkins started the second quarter with a 20-plus yard run.
Later he ran it into the endzone, but a holding call against Bayfield brought it back to the 13 yard line.
Clay Shaver, one of the stars of the Brush team, had what appeared to be a knee injury and hobbled slowly off the field.
In the ironic play of the game, Brush's Arnoldo Maltos-Garcia threw a pass to the endzone, and Phelps tipped it, but it fell into the hands of a Beetdigger for a touchdown, and Brush was ahead 14-7.
After a kickoff to the Wolverines, Brody McGhehey ran it back. Hunter Killough caught a McCoy pass and got inside Beetdigger territory on their 40th. Phelps runs it to the 25 for a first down, then McCoy passed to Wyatt Freier on the seven yardline for another first down and it was first down and goal.
McCoy was sacked again and lost a few yards, but a handoff to Phelps ended in a touchdown. The kick was good, and it was 14-14 at the half, then at the end of the third quarter.
At the start of the fourth quarter, McGhehey caught 26-yard pass from Kelton McCoy, Heydinger's kick was good, and it was 21-14.
The Beetdiggers came back with a huge return on the Bayfield kick, however, so the Bayfield defense needed to step up.
That came in the form of Cash Snooks, who intercepted a Brush pass halfway through the fourth quarter.
With 4:23 left, Wolverines started trying to use as much time on the clock as possible while trying to make another TD.
Most of the yardage came from short runs by Phelps, with another run by Kelton McCoy for a first down on the 15 yardline.
Then Phelps ran it in for 15 yards, getting another touchdown. The extra point was good, for 28-14. Phelps kicked the ball to the Beetdiggers, who tried to move it in for another touchdown.
Kyle Killough levelled a Brush receiver, who had to limp off the field with just a few minutes left.
Snooks then scored another interception, sealing the victory for the Wolverines with 35 seconds left.
The Wolverines got another call for unsportsmanlike conduct, costing Bayfield more yardage, but they were able to kneel down at the end of the game to finish their state quarterfinal game.
This was the first loss at home for Brush since 2014.
The Wolverines now host the state quarterfinals on Saturday, Nov. 21. The La Junta Tigers will be travelling west after defeating Sterling 34-13 in their quarterfinal game.
The winner of that game moves to the state finals on Saturday, Nov. 28, against either Kent Denver, which beat Eaton 44-21, or Platte Valley of Kersey, which defeated Strasburg.
