Appleton East football downs Appleton North for first time in 11 years

By Paul Lecker
AppletonSportsPage.com

APPLETON – For the first time since 2014, the Appleton East football team has claimed victory in its crosstown rivalry with Appleton North.

Alex Thompson scored the go-ahead touchdown for the Patriots with 8:15 to go, and Caden Laumer recovered a fumble in the final minute to seal it as Appleton East posted a 13-7 victory in a Fox Valley Association game Friday night at Pickett Field at Appleton East High School.

Appleton East won five of the first nine matchups with North beginning in 1995, and other than a 10-9 win in 2014, the Lightning had one every one since – 20 of 21 – dating back to 2004.

“It was a gritty win, and I’m proud of the way our guys responded,” Appleton East coach Jarrius James said. “They kept their composure, trusted each other, and made the big plays when we needed them. This win is huge for our program not just because of the opponent, but because it shows the growth and belief in the work we’ve been putting in. It’s a step in the right direction and a confidence boost for our whole team.”

Appleton North scored on its first possession, driving 60 yards in seven plays, as Grant Hardy hit Brock Struensee with a swing pass on fourth-and-4 and the junior running back brought to the house for 37 yards a touchdown. The extra point made it 7-0.

From there, East’s defense dominated. North was held to just 122 total yards and four first downs after the opening drive, keeping the Patriots within striking distance.

Two long drives for East ended on downs inside Lightning territory and North took the 7-0 lead into halftime.

After a three-and-out to start the third quarter by North, the Patriots took over at the 50. Alex Thompson entered at quarterback, giving the Patriots another running option, and it seemed to spark the Appleton East offense.

Thompson ran four times for 43 yards on the drive, including a key 3-yard run on fourth-and-1, and Ayden Kruse finished off the drive with a 4-yard touchdown run. The extra point kick tied the game at 7-7.

East forced two more three-and-outs and the Patriots took over on their own 37 with just over 11 minutes left in the game.

Krue, who finished with 203 rushing yards on 32 carries, ran 40 yards on a third down play to bring the Patriots to the 3 and Thompson took it in on the next play to give the Patriots a 13-7 lead. The hold on the extra point attempt was mishandled, leading to an incomplete pass.

North got close to midfield on its next possession before the drive stalled and East was unable to run out the clock, punting the ball back to the Lightning with 1:30 remaining.

North took over on its own 25 and Hardy completed passes to Alijah Valeri and Keegan Muchow to bring it up to the 42. As time was ticking down, Hardy hit Valeri again, but the ball came loose near midfield and Laumer recovered at the 47 with 45 seconds to go.

Appleton East kneeled twice to run out the clock and claim its third win of the season. The Patriots are now 3-5 overall and 2-4 in the FVA, while Appleton North drops to 5-3 and 4-2 in conference play.

D.J. Wilson finished with 78 yards rushing and Hardy threw for 84 for the Lightning.

Both teams will finish their regular-season schedules next Friday, Oct. 17, as North hosts Kimberly and East travels to Kaukauna.

Patriots 13, Lightning 7
Appleton North   7   0   0   0   –   7
Appleton East   0   0   7   6   –   13
First Quarter
AN – Brock Struensee 37 pass from Grant Hardy (Khalier Chandavong kick), 7:35.
Third Quarter
AE – Ayden Kruse 4 run (Rowan Higgins kick), 4:31.
Fourth Quarter
AE – Alex Thompson 3 run (pass failed), 8:15.
Team Statistics
First downs: AN 6; AE 14.
Rushing (att-yards): AN 22-98; AE 46-259.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): AN 10-18-84-0; AE 4-14-41-1.
Total yards: AN 182; AE 300.
Fumbles (total-lost): AN 1-1; AE 1-0.
Penalties (no.-yards): AN 4-39; AE 11-78.
Punting (no.-avg.): AN 6-30.0; AE 4-34.5.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: AN, D.J. Wilson 18-78, Grant Hardy 3-21, Anthony Reischl 1-minus 1. AE, Ayden Kruse 32-205, Alex Thompson 12-31, Adrian Scaife 3-4, Genghis Xiong 1-minus 1.
Passing: AN, Hardy 10-18-84-0. AE, Ryder Waters 4-14-41-1.
Receiving: AN, Alijah Valeri 3-25, Keegan Muchow 3-16, Brock Struensee 1-37, Reischl 1-11, Sam Schmalz 1-minus 2, Wilson 1-minus 3. AE, Michael Morales 2-28, Tate Savides 2-13.
Interception (defense): AN, Dane Smith.
Fumble recovery (defense): AE, Caden Laumer.
Records: Appleton North 5-3, 4-2 Fox Valley Association; Appleton East 3-5, 2-4 Fox Valley Association.