By Nate WoelfelSeptember 21, 2012
Stevens Point- Injuries have kept Pacelli’s Mike Fuller from playing at 100 percent.
Well, at least until Friday night.
The senior running back/ linebacker accounted for all four of the Cardinals’ touchdowns in a 28-7 win over Iola-Scandinavia in a Central Wisconsin-8 conference game at Goerke Field.
It was the Thunderbirds who got on the board first when Nick Wavruk connected with John Prahl on a screen pass that went for a 59-yard score, making it 7-0 midway through the first quarter.
The defensive blunder was a hard pill to swallow for Pacelli coach Steve Raczek.
“It’s tough to see, we were there to make the play, they just didn’t make it,” Raczek said. “I always tell the kids, you have to have a short memory in this game. You let it go and the kids bounced back.”
A big punt return from Deven Durigan had Pacelli threatening deep in Thunderbird territory early in the second. Fuller would polish off the short drive with a two-yard touchdown run, knotting the game at 7.
“Emotion is so huge, it plays such a huge part,” Raczek said. “When these kids believe and get excited and play on emotion, good things will happen.”
The deadlock continued into the fourth quarter until Fuller recovered a fumble and returned it for a touchdown. A missed extra point made it a six point advantage for Pacelli.
Minutes later, Fuller intercepted Wavruk and found the paint for the third time. A successful two-point conversion put the Cardinals up 21-7.
A 36-yard scamper from Michael Flees setup Fuller from two-yards out to put the game on ice.
Raczek is optimistic about what the standout performance could do for his veteran linebacker.
“He’s a nice linebacker, he just has that nose for the ball,” Raczek said. “If he can continue to play like that, it’s going to be a nice rest of the season for him.”
The win is the first conference victory of the season for Pacelli who improves to 2-3 overall and 1-3 in the CWC-8.
Raczek believes that this is the start of something for his squad.
“I think we’re over the hump now. We needed this,” Raczek said. “Iola’s a nice club and we knew that coming in. I think we will build upon this.”
I-S 7 0 0 0 – 7
P 0 7 0 21 – 28
