Wisconsin Lutheran rallies past Homestead in overtime thriller

MEQUON – Wisconsin Lutheran rallied from a late fourth-quarter deficit and held on in overtime to defeat Homestead, 36-35, on Oct. 2.

>Wisconsin Lutheran took possession first in overtime and Deacon Vierck scored his third rushing touchdown on a 3-yard run. The Vikings added the extra point to take a 36-29 lead.

>Homestead answered with a 9-yard rushing touchdown by Dominic Ganju, cutting the deficit to one point.

>The Highlanders attempted a 2-point conversion to win the game, but a pass fell incomplete, allowing Wisconsin Lutheran to escape.

>Homestead jumped out to an 8-0 lead in the first quarter after Lee Zortman scored on a 39-yard touchdown run and Vincent Yodbut added the 2-point conversion. Wisconsin Lutheran answered in the second quarter when Cooper Sievert scored on a 1-yard rushing touchdown. The Vikings added the extra point to cut Homestead's lead to 8-7. Homestead responded before halftime. Julian Ahlborn scored on a 14-yard rushing touchdown after a long run by Yodbut, giving the Highlanders a 15-7 lead at halftime.

>Wisconsin Lutheran came out of halftime with a long drive that ended with Sievert connecting with Jonah Sadler for a 23-yard touchdown. Vierck ran for the 2-point conversion to tie the game at 15. Homestead quickly answered when Ganju returned the ensuing kickoff 80 yards for a touchdown. Sam Klink's extra point gave the Highlanders a 22-15 lead. Wisconsin Lutheran continued to battle back, converting a fourth-and-12 fake punt during its next possession before carrying the momentum into the fourth quarter. Vierck scored on a 1-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter, and the Vikings tied the game at 22-22 with the extra point.

>Homestead regained the lead when a trick play resulted in a 26-yard touchdown pass to Ganju. The Highlanders led 29-22 after Klink's extra point.

>Wisconsin Lutheran answered again.

>Vierck broke off a long run to put the Vikings at the Homestead 1-yard line, then finished the drive with a 1-yard touchdown run. The extra point tied the game at 29-29 with 1:50 remaining. Homestead's ensuing drive ended with a punt, pinning Wisconsin Lutheran at its 1-yard line with little time remaining.

>The Vikings quickly moved down the field. Dee Gray broke a long run to the 48-yard line, followed by a long pass from Sievert to Gray that moved the ball to the Homestead 45. A defensive holding penalty gave Wisconsin Lutheran a first down at the Homestead 35 with 5 seconds remaining. A scramble on the final play resulted in a completed pass to Gray, who was tackled at the Homestead 10-yard line as regulation ended.

>The game went to overtime tied at 29.

>Wisconsin Lutheran improves to 4-3 overall and 3-2 in the North Shore Conference. Homestead falls to 6-1 overall and 4-1 in the North Shore.

>This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Wisconsin Lutheran rallies past Homestead in overtime thriller