Waunakee fails to capitalize on comeback chances as season ends in postseason upset

On one play, the top-seeded Warriors were facing second-and-goal with just a few yards separating them from the end zone, but they failed to get across the goal line. On the next opportunity, Waunakee returned the ball to near the Evergreens' 30-yard line but then couldn’t pick up a first down.

The Warriors’ defense couldn’t hold back the seventh-seeded Evergreens forever. D.C. Everest made a field goal to make it a two-possession game with about three minutes remaining, ending Waunakee’s hopes of a comeback victory.

D.C. Everest held on to beat Waunakee 31-21 to win the sectional championship and move on to face No. 2 seed Bay Port in the semifinals next week.

“I can tell they love playing with each other, and they’re just really strong as one unit,” Waunakee wide receiver Kaden MacKenzie said of the Evergreens. “I think that’s the reason you see teams like that get farther than expected because they just love playing with each other and they’re a good team.”

D.C. Everest came out on top thanks to its passing offense and strong defense. The Evergreens made huge gains through long passes down the field. Waunakee’s defense couldn’t break through the offensive line to pressure quarterback Logan George, giving him plenty of room to make the throws he wanted to.

George finished the game with 276 passing yards and a passing touchdown.

Initially, the Warriors fared better defending against rushing plays, but the Evergreens wore them down throughout the game and were able to execute their plays on fourth downs to keep drives alive. D.C. Everest had 21 first downs compared to Waunakee’s 15.

The Warriors kept the game close in the second half, either tied with the Evergreens or trailing by a single touchdown for most of it, thanks to a momentum-changing play at the end of the first half.

Waunakee was down by 14 points with three seconds left in the opening half, and the team needed a touchdown to stay in the game.

With the Evergreens closing in on him, quarterback Vance Johnson hurled the ball to the endzone, where MacKenzie fought off a defender to make the catch and close the gap to one score.

“We rep that in practice almost every day,” MacKenzie said. “I kind of got off to a slow start, ran down there, and Vance bought some time, so it was a really good play. He made it easy for me.”

Despite the heroics of Johnson and Mackenzie on that play, the comeback fell short, and Waunakee finished its season in the sectional championship game a year after making it to the Division 2 state title game.