Friday night’s football game was a complete opposite to the first game of the season against Sheboygan South.

The season opener was a blowout with a running clock for the second half.  The Jaguars, on the other hand, refused to surrender despite the Tritons’ strong defensive stands in the first quarter, a good running game led by senior workhorse Brandon Limoni, scrambling and passing by senior quarterback Wes Glime, and an interception by senior Grady Brick.  

All looked good–both defensively and offensively–with six minutes left in the first half and a 13-3 Triton lead. Then the Jaguars got lucky as two Triton drives fizzled–one to the 13-yard line and the other to the Jaguar 11.

And before Triton fans knew it, the Jaguars scored as the half ended.  Suddenly it was a new ball game at 13-10 with the momentum in Ashwaubenon’s favor.

At halftime, Triton fan Bill Cowans overheard the Jaguars’ coach reminding his team the Tritons were destined to tire out, that many of the NDA players were “going both ways.”

His words ultimately proved false despite a fired-up Ashwaubenon stopping the Tritons on their opening possession of the second half.

Then Glime took over, firing long bombs to seniors Cade Vanhout and Tommy Martzahl, the latter described by Cowans as “half a second from being a disaster to a TD.”  Glime, chased by the Jaguars, had connected with Martzahl for the score and then with senior Josh Cribben for the two-point conversion.

Tritons thought they could breathe a little easier with a 21-10 lead and two minutes left in the third quarter.

But the Jaguars were determined to make a game of it, and 15 seconds later they scored, making it 21-17.

NDA resorted to big runs by Limoni behind strong blocking by the supposed-to-be-tiring offensive line. Glime’s rollout pass to Cribben made it 28-17, and senior Matthew Re’s interception “sealed the deal,” according to Cowans.

“It wasn’t pretty, but it’s a win,” said one Triton coach.

Thursday night, August 30, NDA plays another conference game at Sheboygan North.