Football: D.C. Everest uses big 2nd half to rally past Menomonie and earn first win of the season.

The D.C. Everest football team found themselves in some trouble in the 3rd quarter of their game vs. Menomonie at Stiehm Stadium. Following a 50-22 loss at Chippewa Falls last week, the Evergreens were down 21-9 to Menomonie early in the 3rd quarter and were in danger of falling to 0-2 on the young season. However, Everest came alive on both sides of the ball and scored 21 unanswered points to rally for a 30-21 win over the Mustangs in the first meeting of the teams since 1958.

Menomonie started quickly with a touchdown on the first series of the game but Everest would respond with a plunge into the end zone by quarterback Ty Rohde to pull within 7-6 after a missed PAT. Everest then used an onside kick to pull ahead for the first time. Everest recovered the onside kick and was able to drive to the Menomonie 11 before the drive stalled. Wes Polley hit a 28 yard field goal to put DCE up 9-7 with just over 2 and a half minutes left in the first quarter. However, that would be all the Everest points until the 3rd quarter. Menomonie took a 13-9 lead when Carter Goodman ran in from 4 yards out with 5:03 left in the 2nd quarter and that would be the score at the half as Everest drove inside the Mustang 10 in the final seconds of the 2nd quarter before an interception ended the threat.

The 2nd half started poorly for the Evergreens as they went 3 and out offensively. On the punt attempt, the snap was short and the Punter tackled at the Evergreens' 15 yard line. On the next play, Aaron Howard hit Liam Asher for a touchdown that put Menomonie up 21-9 after a two-point conversion.

However, it was all Everest after that. Vander Truax would return the ensuing kickoff to the 49 yard line and the Evergreens would then use the run game to move down field. Everest would run 7 of the 8 plays and scored on a 22 yard run by Tristan Gast to pull within 21-17 after a 2-point conversion with 5:47 left in the third quarter. On the first play of Menonomie's next possession, Howard was intercepted by Everest's Jon Schmidt to set up the Evergreens at the Mustang 29.

Andrew Bangtson would run 12 yards to the 17 and Gast followed with a 9 yard gain to the 8. On 2nd and 1 Bangtson kept the Everest run game humming with a 8 yard touchdown run that gave the Evergreens the lead at 23-21. Then the DCE defense would again stop Menomonie and it was the Mustangs who made a special teams error. A high snap led to a short punt and give Everest great field position at the Menomonie 42. However the Evergreens couldn't take advantage as a fumbled snap at the 15 was recovered by the Mustangs.

The Everest defense again got a stop and, after a punt, Everest again started in Menomonie territory at the 48. The Evergreens would then put the game away in style but pounding the ball for 10 consecutive runs that culminated with a 4 yard Bangtson touchdown run that pushed the DCE to 30-21 with 2:39 left and that would be the final score.

Bangtson finished with 89 yards on 13 carries with 2 touchdowns with Gast providing 61 yards on 9 carries with 1 TD. Rohde hit on 7 of 14 passes for 125 yards and 2 interceptions. Samuel Duran caught 5 of those passes for 103 yards. Defensively Caleb Hemauer had 6 tackles while Will Hopper and Davion Griffin each made five tackles.

The Evergreens are now 1-1 and will host Wausau West in the Wisconsin Valley Conference opener on Friday night. That game will be broadcast live on Wausau Area Sports starting with the pregame at 6:30 pm and the opening kickoff at 7.