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Waukesha West too much for Parker

WAUKESHA — How do you stop Waukesha West’s balanced offense?

It’s a question that has been unanswered for 20 straight high school football games.

Unfortunately for Janesville Parker, it didn’t have the answer, either.

Waukesha West quarterback Brandon Berghoefer fired two touchdown passes and ran for two more to propel the defending state champion Wolverines (10-0) to their 20th straight victory, 34-7 over Parker (6-4), in a WIAA Division 1 first-round game here Saturday night.

The talented Wolverines move on to face Sun Prairie (8-2), which edged out Lake Geneva Badger, 22-21.

Parker, meanwhile, was forced to give the Wolverines their due.

“I tell you what. I’m awfully impressed with their team,” Parker coach Joe Dye said of the Wolverines. “They compete at a high level. I have so much respect for their coaching staff.”

Dye also was impressed with the way his Vikings jumped on the defending champions in the first quarter.

Parker’s Erik Albeck got the visiting crowd on its feet with a blistering 68-yard punt return for a touchdown with eight minutes left in the first quarter.

But the Wolverines struck right back with Berghoefer’s 55-yard touchdown run.

Parker stopped Waukesha on its next possession, but a costly punt muff gave the Wolverines a first-and-goal at the Parker 10. Three plays later, Joe Schobert cashed in on a 3-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7 late in the first quarter.

“That turnover really changed momentum,” Dye said. “We got them stopped, and they punt it to us, and we turn the ball over. Typically in high school football, turnovers are how you lose games, and that was a key turnover.”

Parker, nevertheless, remained within a touchdown until late in the first half before Berghoefer hit Schobert on a 60-yard touchdown pass. That made it 21-7.

“Berghoefer is the key,” Dye said. “He makes so many plays for them. If you try to stop Berghoefer, then Schoebert makes a big play for them.”

It was all Waukesha West from there.

The Wolverines broke the game open early in the third on Berghoefer’s 31-yard touchdown strike to a wide-open Steve Drida en route to a 27-7 lead. Berghoefer later made it 34-7 early in the fourth on a nifty 14-yard touchdown run.

Parker made one last long drive inside the Wolverine 3 before a fumble ended the drive.

“It’s a tough way to go out,” Dye said. “But this is a first-class team we played.”

WEST 34, PARKER 7

Janesville Parker 7 0 0 0—7

Waukesha West 14 7 6 7—34

Scoring summary: JP—Erik Albeck, 68 yard punt return (Cullin Simonson kick). WW—Brandon Berghoefer, 55 run (Steve Drida kick). WW—Schobert, 3 run (Drida kick). WW—Joe Schobert, 60 pass from Berghoefer (Steve Drida kick). WW—Drida, 31 pass from Berghoefer (kick failed). WW—Berghoefer, 14 run (Drida kick).

Statistics: First downs—JP 16, WW 14. Rushing yards—JP 34-111, WW 22-155. Passing Yards—JP 99, WW 126. Passes JP 15-10-1, WW 6-4-0. Fumbles JP 2, WW 0. Penalties WW 4-35, J 2-15.