DAVID VS. GOLITH 1987…PART 2

THE GAME

The game would be noted for a great passing performance by the run orientated team, a major injury and his gutty replacement along with a controversial late call for the underdogs.

Marquette got the opening kickoff and turned in a seven-play drive with Jeff Jarecki taking the ball in from nine-yards out for the first score.  Kicker Andy Di Piazza converted the extra point and with 8:50 into the first quarter as Marquette led 7-0.  Prior to the game Coach Basham heard comments that his club would walk over the Macks.  And why not?  “David” (McDonell) had only 97 boys out of a total of 210 students.  “Goliath” (Marquette) had 1,021 students…all boys.  Basham had a deeper bench.  They were bigger.  They played, what many around the state thought was a tougher schedule. 

The Macks expected the Hilltoppers to be tough but just 16-seconds after giving up the opening touchdown, Ben Gardow hit Randy Baier with a 40-yard touchdown and Keith Stirling kicked the tying extra point.  Was Marquette panicking?  NO, but the run game was stopped by a fumble and McDonell began to march down the field.  Then, tragedy for the Macks occurred.  Driving for the go ahead score Gardow couldn’t find an open receiver, so he ran and made it to Marquette’s five. There two Marquette players laid him out.  He held onto the ball, but he was down.  He had severely bruised ribs and had to be helped off the field. He was sent to an Oshkosh hospital for further evaluation.

Chippewa Falls Herald-Telegram November 13, 1987

Upon his return to the game Gardow would, despite his best efforts to convince Coach Uchytil that he could play, would not return. It would turn out that the bruised ribs would later be diagnosed as his having a broken bone.  Back-up quarterback Mike Hayes was called on to take over for Gardow.  Hayes was a starting linebacker who never expected to play offense in the title game.  In fact, in 1986 as a junior, he missed the season with an injured vertebra.  Hayes had good reason not to expect to play quarterback. He had a broken finger on his passing hand and had trouble gripping the ball, but he gave it a try.  In the first quarter Gardow had thrown 14-6-1-100-1 before leaving the game.  On his first play in the backfield Hayes picked up two yards and then he hit Randy Baier for a three-yard touchdown.  Sterling converted and suddenly the Hilltoppers were down 14-7. 

Marquette had averaged about 210 yards a game rushing during the regular season along with 80 yards passing.  In the playoffs their opponents found ways to shup the run down.  Thanks to their great defense they made it to the finals.  McDonell had a generally good defense overall and their players came to prove that they belonged in Oshkosh.  The Macks shut down the Hilltopper run game and in the second quarter Jeff Jarecki shined tossing two touchdowns, one to Frank Kastelic for 19-yards with 1:33 left in the period.  Hayes then tossed an interception and with :09 left on the clock Jarecki passed 28-yards to Alex Kasun to take the lead, 20-14.  Di Piazza missed the extra-point, but Marquette was on top in a real dogfight of a game.

The second half a slugfest.  Defensive tackle Kevin Lancette played with reckless abandon.  Linebackers Mike Hayes (Playing both ways throughout the game) and Mike Crawford stuffed the Marquette run game.  Jarecki tried to get the run game going to no avail so he continued to pass when appropriate.  Neither team could mount a drive but in the fourth quarter Hayes tossed an interception and Todd Belardi (Brian’s brother) returned it 45-yards for a touchdown and Marquette led 26-14.  McDonell finally put together the only real drive, by either team in the half, after the interception.  It was a 12-play, 56-yard drive that was capped by Hayes running two-yards for the score.  The extra point was missed, and the lead was cut to 26-20 with 2:56 left in the game.  Uchytil wanted the ball back for one last try for a chance to win.

Marquette took the kickoff but after three plays they were forced to punt.  Hayes was back on the field and ready to lead his team to victory.  McDonell quickly began to drive but Marquette forced them into a fourth and one on the 46-yard line.  THEN, the controversy occurred.  Hard pressure on Hayes by a Hilltopper defender, had a hand on him but Hayes was able evade the tackle.  The path to a first down was clear as he then moved up field, but a whistle blew, and a referee declared that Hayes’ knee touched the ground and the ball went to Marquette.  Later, when viewing the film of the game, the tape showed that the knee was six-eight inches off the ground but from the referees angle it appeared to touch the playing field.

Marquette then ran the clock out, taking the title, winning 26-20. 

In the game, Marquette only gained 48-yards in 36-carries on the ground with four out of five lost fumbles.  However, Jarecki was 19-10-0-161-2 on the game as he received the WISAA Championship game MVP award.  He also was a defensive back (One of a few two-way Marquette players) and played well in the game making several tackles and breaking up passes. Jeff was recently inducted into the MIHS Athletic Hall of Fame.  He graduated in 1989 having played in six Hilltopper-Catholic Memorial Crusader football, basketball and baseball matchups.  He directed his football team to two state football titles as the school again won in 1988 (12-1 record) defeating La Crosse Aquinas 7-0.  He was one of three team captains his senior year despite missing the first four games with a broken collar bone.  In his 22-game career he passed 292-131-9-2031-23 (School records at the time). It was a stellar career.

Mike Hayes finished the game with stats of 39-16-2-122-1 and seven tackles, all with a broken finger.  He was the team’s leading rusher with 34-yards on 13 carries and one score.

Talking to the press Marquette Coach Dick Basham said: “We thought we could come here and run the ball and run the clock.   It turned out they had us on the run.”   McDonell’s end Randy Baier had eight receptions for 108-yards and two scores.  Basham adjusted his defense which started out with four rushers and seven pass defenders.  They went from man-to-man pass defense to a zone. With Baier ripping them apart in the first quarter Basham pulled one rusher and added another defensive back to bump the receiver to try and slow him down. 

After the game Coach Uchytil said, “If Ben had been in there the whole game, I really believe we would have scored three more touchdowns. But Mike (Hayes) did a great job."  Uchytil had nothing but praise for his defense, even though his team lost. I don’t think anyone here thought we could play defense like that,” he added.

Marquette’s team and individual final season stats for the most part are not available.  What is known are the passing stats for Jarecki who threw 155 passes with 62 completions, four interceptions, 1,126 yards and 12 touchdowns.  On the other hand, the Chippewa Falls Herald-Telegram had the most complete season stats for a team that I may have ever come across.  Despite being injured in the title game Ben Gardow posted passing totals of 503-265-25-3,507-34.  He also carried the ball 120 times for 112 yards and two scores.  His 623 plays and 265 completions placed him second in the then national records.  In 1989 he set new state seasonal records as he passed 515-298-22-3664-44.  His three-year career (He may have been the backup to Dave Huffcutt in 1986 he never threw a pass) saw him set career records of 1,348-712-48-9,047-87.

Rick Baier, Randy Baier and Mitch Steinmetz only played two years (1986-87) but put up staggering receiving numbers.  Rick had 1987 final stats of 106 receptions (A single season state record), 1,077 yards and seven touchdowns.  His career totals read 176-1,643-11.  Brother Randy hauled in 76 passes good for 1,066 yards and 13 touchdowns.  His career totals are listed as 172-2,515-27.  Rick’s career receptions rank him #12 on the state records list.   Randy is next at #13.  Being the #3 receiver for the team showed that Mitch Steinmetz was very productive with 1987 stats of 55-890-5 and career totals of 121-1,845-15.  I can’t find career totals of three senior players from any another Wisconsin team coming close to what these guys accomplished in a two-season career. Also, I shouldn’t leave out mentioning the #4 receiver, junior Todd Bowe who caught 41 passes for 601 yards and nine touchdowns.  

Finally, besides Ben Gardow throwing 503 passes, Mike Hayes tossed the ball 96 times on the season.  Todd Bresina threw the ball eight times and Todd Bowe passed four balls.  The teams 612 passing attempts are a state single season team record.

Tired of reading all the stats?  I understand that it is mind boggling.  But I felt that to not include the information I wouldn’t be putting the season and title game in the proper perspective the story deserved.

 The final word on the game comes from the Milwaukee Journal game report, again written by Bob Schwoch:

“Basham was full of praise for McDonell which proved itself worthy of being called the second-best private school team in the state.”

“There’s lots of ways to play the game” Basham said.  “They (McDonell) played the game to the hilt.  They could give any team in the state of Wisconsin all they could handle.”

This was truly a game, a championship game, to remember.