Field goal sends Siegfried back to the Stadium
By PAT LEONARD
Sports Writer
John Nowak's kick sailed through the uprights and the Siegfried Ramblers rushed the field raising their white helmets. They had done it, and they wanted everyone to know: Siegfried will return to the Stadium.
With a 23-yard field goal by Nowak in overtime, first-seeded Siegfried bested fourth-seeded Fisher, 3-0, in a semifinal game at Riehle fields Sunday.
The Green Wave's only loss of the regular season came in their first game against Siegfried, a 17-0 defeat in which Ramblers quarterback and outside linebacker Bill Bingle threw two touchdown passes and intercepted Fisher once. On Sunday, Fisher intercepted Bingle once and allowed no touchdowns, yet the Green Wave offense had equal difficulty advancing the ball.
It all came down to one kick, a big kick. Nowak felt no pressure.
"I knew the line would hold their blocks and give me time," Nowak said. "I just treated it like a routine extra point, because that's basically what it was."
In overtime, each team has four cracks at the end zone from the 10-yard line. Even after watching Fisher kicker Carl Elkins miss a 22-yard chip shot and having Fisher call a timeout to ice the Siegfried kicker, Nowak remained focused.
"John is confident, and confidence is a great thing to have in a kicker," Siegfried coach John Torgenson said. "I had no doubt putting him out there. He doesn't miss."
Siegfried kicked the field goal on third down in overtime as a precaution.
"If we would have fumbled the snap, we told the holder just to drop on it," Torgenson said. "It gave us two chances."
The teams finished with similar offensive stats. Siegfried amounted 122 yards of total offense compared to Fisher's 114. Siegfried's Bingle threw for 47 yards on 5-for-12 passing. Fisher quarterback Andy Pfiester had 59 yards on 6-12 passing. Ramblers running back Tim Breitbach ran for 68 yards on 16 carries. Cameron Chappell gained 41 yards on the ground for the Green Wave.
A botched Fisher punt early in the first quarter gave Siegfried the ball at the Fisher 20. Fisher held them on fourth-and-one and regained possession.
In the fourth quarter, a determined Siegfried offense marched downfield behind Bingle's arm, going 64 yards on 10 plays. A false start moved the Ramblers back, but a late hit on Bingle as he scampered out of bounds cost the Green Wave 15 yards and kept the Siegfried drive alive. Fisher's Lee Gettler put a stop to that, picking off Bingle at the 15-yard line and taking it back 20 yards.
Fisher was never able to capitalize after making big plays on the defensive end. The Green Wage missed a 35-yard field goal in regulation and then missed a 22-yarder in overtime.
Fisher's missed opportunities left the game up to John Nowak, holder Nate Rapche, and the Siegfried line. They did not disappoint.
"It was a hard fought game, the best game we played all year as far as both teams putting effort out there," Torgenson said. "It's nice to come out on top, but Fisher did an excellent job and they deserve a lot of credit. Now, we hope to win in the Stadium."
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, November 12, 2002
