Wildcats in Thrilling 20-18 Victory at Piqua Catholic

By Don Bachman

This year’s Minster high football team, currently sporting a rather mediocre 3-4 record, has had its share of faults and shortcomings. However, fans who traveled to Piqua Friday night had a right to be as proud of the 1953 wearers of the Orange and Black as they have been of past teams with better records.

For Friday night the Wildcats put on a display of fight and dogged determination that earned them a 20-18 win with only 50 seconds remaining. The locals never quit scrapping. Five times they lost the ball on fumbles, twice on the ten yard line. That would be enough to make many a grid squad give up.

Add to those five fumbles penalties of 30 yards inside the Piqua 20 yard line late in the last down and giving the ball to Piqua Catholic with only two minutes left in the game.

With all this adversity the Cats would not let up and they were finally rewarded when Dave Seger cracked over from the one foot line with 50 seconds remaining to give the win.

But no mention of the Minster victory would be complete without giving a great share of the laurels to quarterback Johnny Froning. The lanky senior signal caller turned in the greatest individual effort in Minster high history as he carried the ball 16 times from scrimmage to pile up 11 yards for an average of 6.9. He ran the second half kickoff back 82 yards for the second Wildcat score, completed five of nine passes for 46 yards, ran two punts back for 26 yards, kicked both extra points, intercepted a Piqua pass and played an outstanding defensive game.

Froning, including passing and his kick returns, notched an amazing total of 265 yards while playing the entire contest without a breather.

The play of Dave Seger, Jan Hogenkamp, Teddy Frericks and Bob Wente was also outstanding. Seger, injured in the third quarter, came off the bench in the final period to score the clincher. Sophomore Hogenkamp and freshman Frericks, the defensive backs, each picked off a pair of Piqua passes while Wente rambled for 83 yards in 10 plays for an 8.3 average, including a 30 yard touchdown run.

Bouquets must also be extended to the Minster defensive line which kept Piqua out of Wildcat territory the entire second half and gave the locals their final scoring drive.

The Orange and Black started poorly. After holding the Cavaliers following the opening kickoff, Wente fumbled a fourth down punt and Piqua recovered on the Minster 45. A pass from Starrett to Rice was completed to the 30 but a holding penalty on the following play moved Piqua back to the 45. Starrett flipped a pass to Hipple who was downed on the 14. Kelly cracked over tackle to put Piqua ahead 6-0. Hammer’s plunge for the point was stopped.

The Wildcats tied it up just six plays following the kickoff return to the Minster 43. A holding penalty moved the ball back to the 27 but Wente smacked off tackle for 12 yards to the 39. Froning then sprinted off tackle, cut to the outside and went all the way to the Piqua 24 for a gain of 37 yards. Davis moved to the 20 and Wente slashed off tackle into the end zone. Froning’s kick was blocked, and the score was 6-6.

Minster recovered a Piqua fumble after the following kickoff but fumbled the ball right back two plays later on the Piqua 45. The Cavaliers moved to midfield before Hogenkamp intercepted Starrett’s pass and ran it back to the Minster 20. The Cavaliers held the Cat offense and set up their second score when Seger got off a short punt that traveled only eight yards to the Minster 28.

Kelly gained 15 yards to the 13 and Sipple and Hammer moved the ball to the seven before Kelly sliced over tackle to score. A pass for the point was incomplete.

The Wildcats missed a fine scoring chance early in the second canto when they were held on downs on the Piqua seven.

Moffit intercepted a Froning serial and ran it ti the Piqua 45 late in the first half. After picking up a first down to the Minster 36 the Cavaliers engineered a sleeper play that made it 18-6. Sipple, unnoticed by the Cats, remained along the sidelines as the Cavaliers huddled, then raced downfield and took Starrett’s pass for the score. An attempted drop kick for the point was wide and the half ended 18-6.

The Wildcats jumped right back in the game as Froning scooped up the second half kickoff on his own 17, vaulted over a pile-up near the 30 and raced all the way for the touchdown. Froning capped his great run with a perfect extra point attempt and the lead was cut to 18-13.

The Cats moved deep into Cavalier territory twice in the later stages of the third period but lost the ball on fumbles both times, on the ten and on the eight.

Froning picked off a Piqua pass on the Piqua 30 early in the last period to get the locals moving goalward. Seger and Wente carried the ball to the Piqua 10 before a backfield in motion penalty moved them to the 15 with third down and six to go. The hard-charging Cavalier line held up and took over on the 12. Two plays later Teddy Frericks intercepted a Starrett pass to give Minster possession on the enemy 21. Seger and Wente each picked up five yards, but another penalty sent the Cats back to the 22. Froning ran to the 17 and passed to Hausfeld on the six.

Froning smacked to the two but a penalty put the ball on the 11. Froning, attempting to pass, was smothered for a loss on the Piqua 19 before Davis raced to the 13. Froning picked up a yard on a line smash to make it fourth and goal on the 12. A pass, Froning to Wente, in the end zone, was nullified by a backfield in motion penalty. Another pass fell incomplete and Piqua took over with less than three minutes remaining in the game.

The Cats held on downs and Starrett punted out of bounds on the Piqua 45 with two minutes left. Wente moved to the 44 and a holding penalty on the Cavaliers put the ball on the 23. Wente smashed to the 12 and Froning drove for a first down on the two. Froning hit the middle for a yard and then Seger bullied over for the score. Froning added the point and the Wildcats won their third league game in five starts.

Friday night Rockford plays here in the final game of the season, the last for three seniors, Johnny Froning, Bob Wente and Dave Seger.

Scoring by quarters:

Minster 6 0 7 7 — 20

Piqua Catholic 12 6 0 0 — 18