Football team falls to 0-3

The end result wasn’t what they were hoping for. But there was improvement, and these days, that’s something for Sauk Prairie’s football team. Host Watertown toppled Sauk Prairie, 43-16, last Friday. The Eagles fell to 0-3 on the young season. After being outscored, 62-9, in the first two games, though, Sauk Prairie was more competitive against the Goslings (2-1). “I thought we played really hard and improved,” Eagles second-year coach Clay Iverson said. “Credit to Watertown. They made plays, but our kids battled and got better. I am proud of them for that.” Owen Diehl had a big game for the Eagles, catching five passes for 129 yards. Diehl also scored on a two-point conversion. “Owen is a kid that has made himself into a really good football player,” Iverson said. “He is one of our few guys with experience returning. He is a smart, hard-working kid. I am really happy he is having such a nice year.” Iverson also noted that junior linebacker Wilson Uselman, junior Damien Wright-Rodriguez and sophomore linebacker Nolan Vils all had strong performances. In the end, though, Watertown had too many weapons. The Goslings ran for 230 yards on 35 carries (6.6) and threw for 119 yards. Watertown raced to a 19-0 halftime lead and extended that to 26-0 early in the third quarter. Wilson Uselman answered with a touchdown for the Eagles and Diehl ran in the two-point conversion as Sauk Prairie pulled within 26-8. Watertown extended its lead to 43-8, before Tyler Uselman had a 14-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter and Wright-Rodriguez ran in the two-point conversion to account for the final score. • On deck: Sauk Prairie travels to Portage Friday at 7 p.m. The Warriors are 1-2 on the season with a win over Reedsburg and losses to Watertown and Madison Edgewood. “Portage plays really hard,” Iverson said. “I like the way they are coached. They have a couple of big offensive linemen that they move around and backs that run hard. It will be another great challenge.”     WATERTOWN 43,  SAUK PRAIRIE 16 Sauk Prairie …… 0 0 8 8 — 16 Watertown … 9 10 17 7 — 43 W: Safety, Kronquist tackles runner in end zone, 5:21 W: Huff 11 run (Fischer kick), 1:42 W: Walter 8 run (Fischer kick), 7:25 W: Fischer 48 field goal, 0:02 W: Rhodes 45 pass from Huff (Fischer kick), 6:24 SP: W. Uselman 1 run (Diehl run), 5:43 W: Fischer 30 field goal, 3:53 W: Sippel 1 run (Fischer kick), 1:01 W: Sippel 7 run (Fischer kick), 10:11 SP: T. Uselman 14 run (Wright-Rodriguez run), 6:42 TEAM STATISTICS First downs — SP 9, W 14. Rushing (Att.-Yds.) — SP 33-155; W 38-225. Passing yards — SP 150; W 119. Passes (Comp.-Att.-Int.) — SP 6-16-2; W 12-19-1. Penalties-yards — SP 2-29; W 8-52. Fumbles-lost — SP 0-0; W 3-0. INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Rushing — SP: Uselman 12-39; W: Huff 12-116. Passing — SP: Gibbs 4-13-2-112; W: Huff 7-10-0-99. Receiving — SP: Diehl 5-129; W: Rhodes 1-45.