Chris Caporale, sports@wolfrivermedia.com
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Community High School quarterback Jack Hanauer breaks a tackle in the backfield on one of his 11 carries Friday. Hanauer had five touchdowns, including three rushing scores, in a 47-0 season-opening victory over Clintonville.
Leader Photo by Chris Caporale Shawano Community High School running back Kien Moorman stiff-arms Clintonville defensive back Sean Finger during the second quarter of Shawano’s 47-0 road victory. Moorman had two touchdowns and 178 rushing yards on 11 carries.
Quarterback Jack Hanauer’s 195-pound frame has opened up the Shawano offensive playbook, and his talent was on full display Friday during the Hawks’ 47-0 thrashing of Clintonville in both teams’ 2016 season opener.
Hanauer accounted for five touchdowns, including three on the ground, in a road victory that avenged a 28-18 season-opening loss to the Truckers last fall.
The Hawks’ read-option offense, where the quarterback reads the defensive end before deciding to hand the ball off or keep it himself, worked wonders throughout the first half.
“Jack did a good job of making the right read and understanding it and not pressing and taking what the defense gave him,” Shawano head coach Al Tomow said. “And when that happens, our offense can be pretty effective.”
Hanauer threw an interception on the second play of the game, but responded well by leading an explosive drive just five minutes later. The drive featured four plays of over 15 yards, capped by Hanauer’s 16-yard TD run off-tackle for the opening score.
“If they don’t give us that, we’re going to have the running around the side,” Hanauer said.
Hanauer found wide receiver Dylan Sumnicht on the next possession for a 73-yard touchdown pass up the seam on a blown coverage by the Truckers.
“Everything has got to improve,” Clintonville head coach Scott Werfal said. “We didn’t have a single thing we did well, and that’s my fault. That’s our coaching staff’s fault.”
The Hawks’ playmaking ability showed again when Kien Moorman broke loose for a 46-yard run on the first play of Shawano’s fourth possession. He took the handoff to the left side before cutting back to the middle and breaking a few tackles for the score.
Shawano had to fight for its final score of the first half. With the ball inside the 10-yard line, an offsides penalty brought the Hawks to the 4-yard line. Hanauer kept the ball for a 2-yard run on third down. On fourth and goal, Hanauer kept the ball, this time pushing across the goal line for a 27-0 lead with nine minutes remaining in the half.
Clintonville put together its best offensive possession of the first half, driving into Shawano territory before Josh Mueller picked off Clintonville quarterback Kyle Finger at the 2-yard line.
After a three-and-out on the Truckers’ opening possession of the second half, Hanauer found Sumnicht on the left sideline. A missed tackled allowed Sumnicht to jog to the end zone.
On Clintonville’s next drive, Shawano right outside linebacker Seth Sousek, who had a sack in the first half, picked off a ball that was deflected and floating to the middle of the field to give the Hawks possession at the Clintonville 44-yard line.
“Seth doesn’t back down. What he lacks in size, he makes up for toughness and he’s got a lot of fight,” Tomow said. “He was the tone-setter for us defensively. … He played a heck of a game tonight.”
Hanauer scored a 44-yard touchdown on the next play. After another three-and-out by Shawano’s new 3-4 defense, Moorman added to his total, taking a handoff to the left and cutting back all the way to the right side of the field for a 45-yard touchdown and the 47-0 lead with 24 seconds remaining in the third quarter.
Hanauer finished with 258 yards, including 96 yards on 11 carries, and 162 yards passing on eight completions.
Sumnicht caught five balls for 135 yards and two touchdowns. Moorman had 179 yards and two touchdowns on 11 rushes.
Clintonville’s stagnant offense included just 34 passing yards. The team’s top two rushers, Finger and running back Bailey Tate, accounted for 116 yards. The majority of the yards came on Clintonville’s final two drives of the game.
“That was our challenge at halftime — for our kids to come out and finish the football game at a high level and not be OK with the other team moving the football or scoring points,” Tomow said. “I was happy with our growth in our football team today.”
Shawano 47, Clintonville 0
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Shawano 21 6 20 0 47
Clintonville 0 0 0 0 0
Scoring summary:
First quarter
S: Jack Hanauer 16-yard run (conversion no good) 6-0 (6:51).
S: Dylan Sumnicht 73-yard reception from Hanauer (conversion good) 14-0 (2:33).
S: Kien Moorman 46-yard run (PAT good) 21-0 (0:08).
Second quarter
S: Hanauer 2-yard run (PAT no good) 27-0 (9:01).
Third quarter
S: Sumnicht 32-yard reception from Hanauer (PAT good) 34-0 (7:45).
S: Hanauer 44-yard run (PAT good) 41-0 (5:57).
S: Moorman 45-yard run (PAT no good) 47-0 (0:24).
Fourth quarter
No scoring