FIRST AND SHORT

Weekend Warriors: monitoring area alumni on next level

JR Radcliffe
jr.radcliffe@jrn.com

Local players competing at the next level were busy making an impact over the weekend.

North Dakota State  punter Jackson Koonce (19) celebrates after his team's win against No. 11 Iowa on Saturday.

North Dakota State landed the big win of the weekend, upsetting Iowa on a last second kick by Cam Pedersen  – who, by the way, hails from Eau Claire Regis – for a 23-21 victory. Numerous Wisconsinites are on the roster, including Nate Tanguay (three tackles, one for loss) of Mukwonago.

Others on the roster are Demaris Purifoy (Wauwatosa West), Cole Karcz (Germantown), Justice Kelly (University School) and several others from outside the Milwaukee area.

The big question now is: will anyone continue to schedule the Bison? This is not the first time they’ve given power-conference teams more than they can handle.

Elsewhere…

JJ Watt (Pewaukee) looks back to full strength. The Houston Texans moved to 2-0, with Watt in on two sacks, five tackles and a fumble recovery in a win over the Chiefs.

Joe Schobert (Waukesha West) recorded one tackle for the Browns against the Ravens in a game that came down to the wire but ultimately finished with the Ravens scoring 25 unanswered points to beat Cleveland, 25-20. Joe Thomas (Brookfield Central) and Cleveland appear to be in for a long year.

Derek Watt (Pewaukee) and the San Diego Chargers bounced back from a disappointing first-week loss to down Jacksonville (a team with Brookfield Central’s Brad Nortman at punter). Melvin Gordon scored again for the Chargers, suggesting that the reunion with his former Wisconsin fullback buddy is paying off. After no touchdowns last year, Gordon now has three in the first two games of 2016.

Nick Bellore (Whitefish Bay) logged his first tackle of the year with the San Francisco 49ers in a loss to Carolina.

Marwin Evans (Oak Creek) made a tackle that might have saved a touchdown early in the Green Bay Packers’ loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

The University of Wisconsin survived a troubling scare against Georgia State, 23-17, rallying from a fourth-quarter deficit. TJ Watt (Pewaukee) recorded a sack that accounted for a 15-yard loss, and Zack Baun (Brown Deer) added his own tackle for loss and forced a fumbled punt. Alec James (Brookfield East) also had a tackle.

Alec Kocour (Catholic Memorial) made eight tackles and Adam Conley (Franklin) had five, but Illinois State couldn’t follow up its big win over Northwestern last week and fell to Eastern Illinois, 24-21. Mitchell Brees (Greendale) also made two tackles.

Jackson Weber (Whitefish Bay) made five tackles and Cornell opened the season with a win over Bucknell.

Colin Downing (Whitefish Bay) punted eight times for Iowa State in a loss Saturday to TCU, averaging nearly 44 yards per punt.