August 27, 2021 – Germantown, WI – It was one of the most difficult matchups for both teams on their respective schedules as Germantown hosted Hartford.
The first half saw decent ball movement but no real highlights except for an interception by Germantown senior defensive back Anthony Ryan-Spitz and a field goal by Germantown junior Conrad Stuesser to put the Warhawks up 3-0 at halftime.
The second half started with a bang as Germantown senior running back Aaron Grant broke a 68-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.
Although the ensuing extra-point attempt was blocked, the Warhawks’ defense began making Hartford junior quarterback Austin Kutz’s day a living nightmare, bringing pressure to the backfield and covering his receivers extremely well.
The drive after Grant’s touchdown saw Germantown senior defensive lineman Cameron Gray tip a Kutz pass that was intercepted by Germantown senior Kyle Haas.
Germantown senior defensive back Zachary Hower also got an interception in the third quarter. Haas would add another interception in the fourth quarter, and later Grant would effectively seal the win for the Warhawks with an 88-yard touchdown run, which put the Warhawks up 16-0.
Germantown junior linebacker Nathan Schmidt would get the team’s fifth and final interception in the fourth quarter; the five interceptions matching the total number of passes thrown by Kutz in Hartford’s win last week.
Stuesser would add another field goal to make it 19-0, but the Orioles refused to be shutout and thanks to a defensive penalty by Germantown with time expired, the Orioles got to run a free play, Senior running back AJ Pepin scored on a 1-yard run to end the game 19-6 in favor of Germantown.
Germantown head coach Jake Davis was proud of his team for being able to focus on what they could control and not letting last week’s loss to Homestead discourage them. Coach Davis spoke well of his team’s progress and that their hard work was rewarded with their win tonight.
Grant said his long runs were a product of practice and vision. “If I see the touchdown is there for the taking, I am going to just go man.” He also credited his offensive line, giving them praise while joking, “they are all amazing and they are all adults, and now I owe them donuts because we technically shut them (Hartford) out.”
Meanwhile, Hower spoke about the team’s defensive domination. “Our whole team has that defensive mindset to make plays and that allowed us to create turnovers and build momentum. The scoreboard tells the final story.”
Germantown (1-1) will now begin its conference schedule traveling to Menomonee Falls (0-2), Friday, September 3 at 7 p.m. Hartford (1-1) will face Slinger (2-0) at home on Friday, September 3 at 7 p.m.