Franchise ResourcesSpartans Blank Panthers 43-0
Wauwatosa, WI – In Ironman Football League action, the Wauwatosa Spartans (2-2) played host to the Greendale Panthers (1-3) on Saturday night at Raabe Stadium. As part of the game, as has been the case with every home game this year, the Spartans partnered with a local charity, and pledged to donate a portion of ticket sales as well as the proceeds from a special post-game raffle courtesy of Long Wong’s Sports Bar to further its mission.
Saturday’s game featured the Special Olympics, and athletes from the Wauwatosa area served as volunteers on the Spartans’ sidelines. The Spartans’ welcomed Caroline Loose as the honorary captain at the coin flip, David Schmidt served as the ball boy and Amy Keisner as the water girl. Also, Special Olympics’ athletes received free admission to the game, resulting in a sizable cheering section.
The Spartans’ defense started what would become a scoring barrage, when LB Royal Ramseur stepped in front of a Panther pass, and raced 50 yards into the end zone for a touchdown, making it 6-0 after a missed extra point. Before the end of the first, the Spartans struck again on the legs of RB Bobby Windom, who took it in from 23 yards out for the game’s second score, and a 13-0 Spartan lead.
In the second, QB Tony Henner found an open WR Raymon Porchia, who sprinted through the Panther secondary for a 60-yard score, and a 19-0 lead after a failed two-point conversion. S Bob LaPlante then gathered in an interception to give the ball back to the Spartans, near the end of the half, and K Paul Schroeder booted through a 15-yard field goal for a 22-0 lead.
The second half brought more of the same, as Henner again found Porchia, for a 27-yard touchdown strike and a 29-0 lead. The Spartan defense got stingy again, when LB Darrel Jack recovered a fumble to give the ball back to the offense. It culminated in Henner finding WR Ric “Hachi-Go” Levy for a 30-yard score, and a 36-0 lead. Shortly before the end of the third, LaPlante would chip in with a fumble recovery to stop yet another Panther drive. The game’s final score came early in the fourth quarter, when Windom took another run into the end zone from 15 yards out for a 43-0 lead.
The Spartan defense was dominant in shutting out the Panthers. Defensive ends Joe Flick and Justin Morrow both registered multiple sacks, as did DT Adam Kujath.
The win puts the Spartans at 3-2, and drops the Panthers to 1-4. The Panthers host the Madison Mustangs on Saturday, while the Spartans stay home again as they welcome the Shorewood Monarchs to Raabe Stadium at 7:00 p.m. This budding AFC rivalry features a traveling trophy — a giant, decorative sword — which was started last year between the two teams, and is currently held by the Spartans. The Monarchs come in looking to get it back, and stay in the playoff hunt in the AFC.
