EVERYTHING EVERGREENS (FOX SPORTS WAUSAU-WSAU) – It's not impossible to image D.C. Everest beating Appleton North. But they'd have to play a near-perfect game. They didn't on Friday night.
There were two sequences where the quality of North's football team proved out.
The Lightning's biggest mistake of the game — a low snap on a punt that gave the Evergreens the ball at the 3-yard-line — gave their defensive line a chance to show its quality. Three rushing attempts towards the goal line where turned away. The Evergreens needed 4th down to get their only score of the night, a 1-yard plunge up the middle by Ethan Ostrowski that barely got into the end zone.
North's defensive line stole the show again late in the 1st half, when the Evergreens were backed up at their own 1 yard line. North won the battle at the line of scrimmage for three plays in a row, eventually forcing an end zone fumble that the Lightning recovered.
Everest turned the ball over four times in the first half, leading to 21 points.
The Evergreens had a glimmer of hope in the third quarter. North took the opening kickoff and marched down to the 20 yard line. Trailing 21-6 at the time, it was a situation when the Everest defense could not allow any more points. And Everest came up with an interception, turning the Lightning away. If the Evergreens were able to put a drive together, the would have played themselves back into the ballgame. But they fumbled three plays later. North recovered, and converted the turnover into another touchdown.
The sour end to the 2019 football season doesn't take away anything from what this year's team accomplished.
The Evergreens improved from a year ago in almost all aspects of the game: rushing, quarterback play, offensive and defensive line, receiving, and kicking/punting. They moved from a 2-win program in 2017 and 2018 to 6-win program. Two of their losses were decided in the 4th quarter, so their record could have been even better. They made it back into the playoffs for the first time in 3 years, and won a post-season game. That's a resume that the entire team can be proud of, and is a fine foundation to build on.
Chris Conley
11.2.19
