Algoma native part of zany college football play -- again
It's heady for any college football player to be involved in a play that goes viral. Algoma's Jesse Kroll, however, is used to it.
The Central Michigan receiver was part of the week's highlight-reel moment, a Hail Mary play executed to perfection that allowed the Chippewas to defeat Oklahoma State (in highly controversial fashion).
Corey Willis ran in the TD that gave Central the win over Oklahoma State, but it was Kroll who caught a long pass and quickly shuffled a lateral as he was being taken to the ground shy of the goal line. The play should have never happened, to be fair, since the officials incorrectly awarded an untimed down to Central Michigan after an intentional grounding on fourth down by the Cowboys. The refs have been suspended for the mistake.
Green Bay Press-Gazette writer Andrew Pekarek had a great profile on Kroll heading into his senior season with the Chippewas, referencing a trip he took to the ESPYs for his role in a 75-yard play that started with a long completion to Kroll, featured a number of laterals, and led to a touchdown at the buzzer when Central Michigan won the Bahamas Bowl in 2014 against Western Kentucky.
(Central Michigan elected to go for the win with a 2-point conversion and didn't get it, so Western Kentucky still won, 49-48.)
Other links of interest
Steven Tietz paints the scene for the final installment of one of the area's great rivalries, Homestead and Germantown. With Germantown getting moved to the Greater Metro next year, it's unlikely the two will meet again.
Speaking of rivalries coming to an end, Evan Frank writes about the final insane chapter of the Watertown-Oconomowoc rivalry, which ended with a casual 50-40 score.
Kimberly is now two wins shy of Manitowoc's state record for consecutive victories, landing No. 46 with a shutout win over Kaukauna. The three-time defending state champion, which won its last two title games in Division 1, both against Arrowhead, will face Appleton North next weekend. North figured to be a prime candidate to upset Kimberly, but an upset loss to Wausau West on Friday proves worrisome.
Tietz also has a great story on the 1976 state champion Falls East football team, the first state champion of the new playoff system, as it prepares to celebrate 40 years.