November 5, 2021 – Hartford, Wi – Hartford and Pulaski stand at the precipice of qualifying for the WIAA state football finals, with just two more games between them and a date at Camp Randall Stadium for the Division 2 championship.
The Orioles travel to play the Red Raiders in Pulaski on Friday, November 5 with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
Orioles Flying High
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Hartford scored one of the biggest upsets of the playoffs this season vs. No. 1 De Pere on the road, 43-42 in overtime.
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Despite losing two of their last three North Shore Conference games before the playoffs, the Orioles have rebounded nicely, although it has not come easy, winning their playoff games by just one point each
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Hartford has averaged 30 points per game this season and finished with the most points scored in North Shore Conference play with 227 and the most overall total points in the North Shore with 330.
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The Orioles are a top 30 rushing team in the state, both in yardage (3,009) and team rushing touchdowns (40)
A Battle of Uncommon Opponents
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Pulaski and Hartford have never played each other in football, or at least not in the last 20 years of recorded encounters
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Pulaski has defeated No. 6 West De Pere 23-14 and No. 7 Slinger 10-7 respectively to make it to Level 3
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Pulaski enters the game with a 9-2 record and are one of just two remaining teams from the Fox River Classic Conference North Division (the other team is Bay Port, who plays in Division 1)
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The Red Raiders have the second most powerful scoring offense in the FRCC-North with scoring 224 points in conference play, and 325 total points this season (averaging 29.5 points per game)
Defensive Play Could Be the Deciding Factor
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While not atop the conferences in most defensive stat categories both teams have posted respectable numbers that translates to success on the field. In particular, the numbers that stand out are tackles generated for loss (46 for Hartford and 55 for Pulaski respectively) and sacks (18.0 for Hartford and 14.0 for Pulaski)
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The major area for excellence for both the Orioles and Red Raiders defensive units has been turnover generator, especially interceptions, with Pulaski leading its conference with 13 interceptions, while Hartford also leads its conference with 9 interceptions. Each team has also recovered 5 fumbles.
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In a battle of nearly identically offensive production, the team that makes one turnover or key stop will likely end up the winner
Three Key Players to Watch
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Pulaski junior running back Maverick Cole: Two of the top three rushers in the FRCC-North Conference play for Pulaski, with Cole being the team’s top rusher and second best in the conference. One of just two running backs in the conference to run for over 1,000 rushing yards (currently sitting at 1,005) he also leads the team in touchdowns with 14 rushing touchdowns
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Hartford junior running back Noah Deibert: Often overlooked because of his senior teammate and fellow running back AJ Pepin, who led the team in rushing yards and is second in the North Shore Conference almost every rushing category (203 rushing attempts, 1,403 rushing yards, and 127.5 rushing yards per game), Deibert has been quietly stringing together great season serving strong running back capable of picking up the slack when defenses start to shut down Pepin. Deibert has 153 rushing attempts for 872 rushing yards and is tied with Pepin not only for the team rushing touchdown lead but also is part of a three-way tie for the most rushing touchdowns in the conference with 16. If Pulaski can stop Pepin, they will also have to put just much effort into preventing Deibert from getting momentum in the run game for Hartford.
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Hartford junior quarterback Austin Kutz: In the North Shore, offenses are primarily rooted in the running game, and while Hartford is no excepted Kutz has still proven to one of the more effective passing quarterbacks of the conference. At 6’ 6”, Kutz has the size and length even better than many pros, and that has helped him to go 53 for 92 (57.6% completion) passing, with 769 passing yards (fifth best in the conference) and 4 passing touchdowns. Kutz’s real Achilles’ heel has been turning the ball over, as he has 8 interceptions (tied for second most in the conference) and one lost fumble this year. Against a Pulaski team whose defense in known for picking off passes from quarterbacks, in a conference that has several teams throw the ball more regularly than most, Kutz will be putting his natural attributes to their ultimate test, one that if failed could be the difference Hartford winning and losing this game.
