Menominee T-Jacks Fall After Missed Opportunities

MENOMINEE---Too many missed opportunites cost the Marinette/Menominee Timberjacks in their battle against the Sheboygan County Rebels Saturday night.

It was a game that featured the top two semi-pro teams in the Wisconsin State Football League (WSFL), both entering the game with 6-1 records.

Sheboygan scored two touchdowns in the first quarter and then held off the Timberjacks, 20-6.

Sheboygan's Drew Strampke scored on runs of four and 21 yards to give his team the 14-0 lead at Menominee's Spies Field.

The Timberjacks countered with a three-yard touchdown run by fullback Justin Baker, who was an All-Stater at Cedarville High School and was an All-Conference selection at St. Norbert College.

The snap on the extra point was fumbled, so the score remained 14-6. And that would be just the first of many mistakes the M&M team made on this cloudy, chilly evening.

Justin Baker scores an M&M touchdown.

First, there were several big penalties that put the Timberjacks into long-yardage situations.

The biggest penalty was a block-in-the-back call that negated a pretty 81-yard touchdown run by second-year pro Ryan LaCount of Oconto.

The Timberjacks also had a blocked punt, and an interception deep in their own territory. Fortunately, the M&M defense held the Rebels to two field goals and one missed field goal attempt.

M&M's Ryan LaCount runs 81 yards for TD....but flag on the play!

But the offense struggled, even though it moved the ball well at times.

In the second half, the Timberjacks were driving into the Rebel red-zone when Baker fumbled after making a nice run inside the 15.

Later, the T-jacks had another chance when LaCount was hit helmet-to-helmet after a run near the sidelines. That would be a 15-yard penalty, and another 15 yards were taked on when Sheboygan complained.

Sheboygan's Drae Strampe gets his second TD

But several incomplete passes later, the Timberjacks turned the ball over on downs, and the Sheboygan boys ran the clock out.

Click the thumbnails in the ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS box to see videos and photos from Saturday night's game.