WEST SALEM — Leave it to Onalaska High School football coach Tom Yashinsky to go back four years for specific inspiration in a critical moment of a nonconference rivalry game.
It was very early in the fourth quarter on Friday when senior Tanner Siebert intercepted a West Salem pass while the Hilltoppers nursed a 7-point lead in a battle between teams expected to challenge for their respective conference championships.
Visiting Onalaska had done a good job of moving the ball in chunks with running back Kaeson Stettler and quarterback Ian Kowal all night, but Yashinsky felt the need to make something back happen. So he took himself back to a moment that went against him on the same field in 2021.
“We fumbled at the 30(-yard line) right down there coming this way,” Yashinsky said, motioning with his hand the direction of the action. “(The Panthers) came back on the very next play with a reverse pass for a touchdown in that end zone.
“It was a complete momentum shift because we had them on the ropes. What I learned from that moment was — in a change of momentum like that, take your shot.”
With the help of Wylder Burch and Luke Siegel, the Hilltoppers made it happen for a huge play in what became a 35-26 victory.
On the first snap from site of the interception — Onalaska’s 19-yard line — Burch drifted to his right and caught a backward pass from Kowal. He looked down the field to see Siegel run down the sideline and right past the West Salem defense.
Burch lofted a perfect pass that Siegel caught around his own 40 and took the rest of the way for an 81-yard touchdown that made West Salem coach Ryan Olson drop to a knee on the other side of the field.
“It was in our pocket,” Yashinsky said of the play. “We had to dial it up. It was the right time and the right place.”
The connection highlighted a 122-yard receiving night for Siegel, one of the few returning targets for Kowal. Siegel, who caught 4 passes, said the pass was the first he has caught from Burch.
“Yash had a great play call, and Wylder trusted me to go get that ball,” Siegel said. “Yash knew he had a momentum-shifter in his pocket, and we pulled it out at the right time.”
Siegel’s big night was also part of a statement for an Onalaska passing game that may be more effective than anyone anticipated this fall. After leaning heavily on 1,600-yard rusher Cam Cornett last season, some figured that same plan would be implemented with Stettler this season.
Stettler finished with 93 rushing yards and a touchdown catch against the Panthers, but Kowal completed his first 14 passes and had 19 completions to 5 receivers.
“We have a lot of athletic receivers and a lot of speed,” said Siegel, whose 16 catches for 153 yards last season topped all returning players. “There’s a lot of trust in the guys we have.”
Yashinsky has said the same all summer and can emphasize it again after what the Hilltoppers accomplished against what has traditionally been a very good defense in West Salem.
Siebert added 7 catches for 68 yards, Tristan Molling 2 for 53 and a touchdown, Stettler 5 for 44 and the touchdown and Brendan Chenault 2 for 15.
“I’m gonna go to bat for Ian and for our receivers,” he said. “People don’t realize how much Ian has grown in the last year. Our receivers are pretty darn good, but no one had been able to see that yet.
“It’s all about getting the next kids ready. People think we’re going to just lean on Kaeson, but no, we’re gonna throw the ball. We’ve become a lot more dynamic this year.”
