Carthage 36, Milwaukee 22

After two weeks of preparation, the Milwaukee Panther club football team took the field on the eve of the fall semester, taking on Division III Carthage College in Kenosha on Labor Day. The Panthers got off to an incredible start, capitalizing on five turnovers to head into halftime with a 22-0 lead. However, the Red Men’s depth came into play, and they overcame Milwaukee, 36-22.

The Milwaukee Panthers, a club football team that operates using only UWM students, came into the game after only two weeks of preparation and roughly 35 players. Carthage, however, suited up around 70 footballers, and the differential really came into play during the game. “We came out strong and just got winded…we’ve got to do some conditioning, and we’ll be better next week,” assistant coach Bryce McCourt said following the loss. “This is the first game, and we’ve only practiced for two weeks so far.”

Milwaukee kicked off to begin the game, but it wasn’t long before they had the ball in their hands. On Carthage’s first play from scrimmage, the ball was tipped at the line and picked off by a Panther linebacker around the 50-yard line.

With 11:42 left in the first quarter, quarterback Adam Polifka threw a short pass to Kenny Burns. Burns caught the ball on the run then dipped, juked and dove in for the first score of the game. After a failed two-point conversion, the score stood Milwaukee 6, Carthage 0.

Just four minutes later, the Red Men went three and out and prepared to punt. The play took a turn toward the Panthers, however, when Gaston Solis recovered a high snap in the end zone. Starting running back Jeff Cottam ran a perfect square in on the extra point try, and Milwaukee was safely up by two touchdowns.

The first half resembled an exhibition match on “Madden,” as players on both teams looked as though they were using the hit stick at will, drawing “oohs” and “aahs” from the crowd of more than 500. After a Panther drive stalled at the Carthage 9, Andy Kozlowski and Nick Altobelli engulfed the Red Men QB to set up 3rd and 25, effectively ending the drive.

With five minutes left in the first half, Mike Lopata threw a short pass to Jeff Cottam that turned into an 80-yard touchdown scamper. Carthage blitzed all four of their linebackers, and Lopata burned them right over the top for the final Milwaukee touchdown.

Things turned for the worse in the second half. Joel Pena, who ran for nearly 100 yards in the contest, lost the football in a scrum, where it was picked up by Carthage lineman Tim Egan and ran back for a touchdown. Following a successful two-point conversion, the Panthers and Red Men had several stalled drives before Carthage struck again with 6:47 left in the third quarter.

The game was equaled by Carthage back Derek Peach with 43.7 seconds remaining in the third. That was when the game turned ugly.

Several captains on the Panthers’ squad went down with injuries. Pena was hurt in the third quarter, as was Josh Hartel. Jon Zeamer recovered a fumble in the fourth quarter, but left the game with cramps shortly afterward. At the 9:48 mark in the fourth, Carthage receiver Sean O’Donnell caught a touchdown, taking the lead for good. Milwaukee made a comeback effort, but a fumble recovery set up another Red Men touchdown, and Carthage defeated the Milwaukee Panthers, 36-22.

This Sunday, the Panthers play at Concordia in Mequon. Game time is 1 p.m. Don’t forget to check out the Sept. 24 issue of the Post, which will be a special issue previewing the annual Battle for the Golden Keg with the Marquette club football team on Sept. 29.

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