On Friday, Sept. 24, the Ellsworth Panthers football team traveled to Osceola to face the eighth-ranked team in Division 4 football in Wisconsin, a game that the second-ranked Panthers won 36-26 in a clash of two of the best teams in the state.

The Panthers received the first kick and the offense immediately began imposing its will. Less than 30 seconds into the game, Panthers quarterback Jack Janke took off for a 23-yard touchdown run which was followed by a two-point conversion pass that put Ellsworth up 8-0 just 26 seconds into the game.

The Osceola offense hit the field next and began a five-minute methodical drive down the field that culminated in an 11-yard touchdown pass from senior quarterback Charlie Tronrud to junior running back Garrett Slater. The Chieftains couldn’t convert the two-point conversion which made the score 8-6 in favor of Ellsworth.

The Panthers’ offense got the ball back with 5:51 remaining in the first quarter. The Ellsworth offense again couldn’t be stopped. Ten seconds into the drive, Janke unleashed a 68-yard touchdown pass to senior wide receiver Ashten Quade to give the Panthers a 14-6 lead.

Osceola began the second quarter with two scoring drives that gave the Chieftains their first lead of the game. Tronrud connected on a six-yard touchdown pass to Slater and then eight minutes later, Tronrud again connected with Slater, this time for a nine-yard touchdown pass to take a 20-14 lead.

When Ellsworth got the ball back, they were trailing for the first time in four games. Janke and the rest of the Panthers got to work and began marching down the field. After crossing midfield, Janke connected with senior running back Max Grand on a 45yard touchdown pass that gave Ellsworth a 22-20 lead going into halftime.

Grand’s efforts throughout the first half and the remainder of the game made him the leading rusher for the night. He accumulated 129 rushing yards on 19 carries, as well as 45 receiving yards on the aforementioned touchdown reception. After the game, Panthers head coach Rob Heller spoke about his dynamic offense.

“I think a third grader could coach our offense, no offense to coach Janke,” Heller said in a lighthearted, joking manner. “When you have that kind of talent and that kind of speed, it’s an absolute nightmare to try to defend them. There are so many options, the kids have so much experience and it’s finally coming to a head for us. That confidence is irreplaceable, and you saw it in that second half.”

The Panthers played nearly mistake-free football in the second half against Osceola, despite the third quarter beginning with a two-minute drive by the Chieftains that culminated in a one-yard touchdown run by Jesse Lueck to give Osceola a 26-22 lead.

Less than two minutes later, Janke scored a Panthers touchdown on a one-yard touchdown carry that put Ellsworth back in the lead 30-26. In the fourth quarter, Quade added another touchdown to put the game out of reach, giving Ellsworth a 36-26 lead which they held for the remainder of the game. Coach Heller spoke about the importance of the win against one of the best teams in Wisconsin.

“It’s big,” Heller said after the win on Friday night. “We haven’t had a game like this – we got one started in West Salem, but it’s nice to see a quality opponent to see how our kids respond to a little bit of adversity. That’s a well-coached team that’s seven years removed from a state title. We’ve never had any luck up here and it was nice to see the kids come together and put together a quality second half.”

The win for Ellsworth is without question the biggest of their season. The Panthers not only defeated the eighth-ranked team in the state on the road in a cold, hostile environment, but they also defeated their biggest opponent in the Middle Border Conference.

Going into the game, both Osceola and Ellsworth were 3-0 in Middle Border Conference games, which had them in a threeway tie along with Prescott for first place in the standings. By winning the game, Ellsworth essentially makes the quest for a conference championship a two-team race with Prescott, another team that remains undefeated in conference games with a 4-0 record.

Ellsworth’s offense has been nothing short of dynamic through the first six games of the season. The Panthers are averaging 50 points per game and have scored a conference-leading 200 points in four Middle Border Conference matchups this season. They’ve scored 22 touchdowns on the ground and seven through the air this year.

The Panthers’ dynamic offense will be put to the test next week on Friday, Oct. 1, when they host the Prescott Cardinals for their homecoming game at 7 p.m. The winner of that game will be the only remaining undefeated team in the Middle Border Conference and will be well on its way to a 2021 conference championship.

Panthers senior defensive lineman Braxton Quade rushing Osceola quarterback Charlie Tronrud during the Panthers’ 36-26 victory against the Chieftains. Photo by Reagan Hoverman