ONALASKA — Senior quarterback Ian Kowal scored on a 6-yard run with 11 seconds on the clock to lift the Onalaska High School football team to a 34-31 WIAA Division 3 first-round playoff win over Menomonie on Friday.
The second-seeded Hilltoppers (8-2) advance to host sixth-seeded Pewaukee (5-5) in the second round on Oct. 31.
Onalaska came back from a 16-0 deficit after one quarter and played through an injury to junior running back Kaeson Stettler in the first quarter but needed a late touchdown drive to eliminate the Mustangs (4-6) in their 37th straight playoff appearance.
Senior Carson Zinnecker picked up the rushing game with 69 yards on 14 carries after Stettler gained 37 on six attempts.
Kowal completed 15 of 23 attempts for 146 yards and senior Jackson Egan caught five passes for 66 yards and a touchdown. Sophomore Wylder Burch also had a touchdown catch of a Kowal pass.
The Hilltoppers climbed to within 16-14 at halftime on Egan’s 21-yard touchdown catch with 41 seconds left in the second quarter before junior Brendan Chenault took control of the third.
Chenault opened the second half with an 85-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and with his team clinging to a 20-16 lead and the Mustangs driving, intercepted a pass and returned that 90 yards for another touchdown.
DJ Butler then scored two straight touchdowns for Menomonie as it built a 31-27 lead with more than 8 minutes remaining. Butler gained for 288 of Menomonie’s 311 rushing yards and took the go-ahead touchdown 64 yards.
Kowal’s winning score was his first rushing touchdown of the season.
