The Cameron Comets football team beat Colfax 50–12 in tonight’s Lakeland and Dunn–St. Croix crossover conference game in Cameron. They have now won four of their last five games. The Comets won, which put them in the playoffs for the third year in a row.
Barron, Boyceville, and Ladysmith were the first three teams Cameron lost to this season. Since that first loss in Lakeland Conference play, the Comets have beat Unity, Webster, Cadott, and now Colfax. With a record of 4-2 in league play, the Comets are tied for third place with Chetek-Weyerhaeuser.
Cameron coach Charlie Roherty said, “That was my test to the guys at the start.” I knew our first few games would be tough, but can we keep our minds in the game if we go 0-3? It was our fault that we didn’t beat Ladysmith, and beating Unity was the big spark that got us going.
It’s not easy to get your first win. But after that, we need to keep our guys’ minds there. In terms of body, we can hang with anyone.
In its win over Colfax, Cameron ran for more than 250 yards. Five different players ran for more than 30 yards. Cole Peterson ran the ball 11 times for 68 yards and scored three touchdowns. Aiden Golat ran the ball four times for 71 yards, which was the most on the team.
Bryce Odash scored twice and ran the ball seven times for 31 yards. Jax Manor (44 yards) and AJ Guerra both ran for more than 30 yards.
The Comets scored 16 points in the last four minutes of the half, giving them a 30–6 lead at the break. Peterson scored on a 12-yard run at 3:57. The Vikings’ next possession was pushed back by the Comet defense, which took full charge. Colfax started the drive at its own 43-yard line, but Tyler Phillips’ sack cost them 10 yards.
First, Odash stopped the running back for a loss of seven yards. Then, on third down, Phillips made the tackle for a loss of five yards while in the backfield. The Vikings were going to kick on fourth-and-32 from their own 21. However, the snap went over the punter’s head and out of the back of the end zone, giving Cameron a 23-6 lead.
The Comets were back in the end zone in five plays after the safety kick. Guerra threw a pass to Brady Gronski that went 31 yards and dropped it at the Colfax 2-yard line. Odash scored the game’s first touchdown with 43 seconds left in the half.
Cameron had an even bigger lead after a defense touchdown right away in the second half. When Phillips got the ball from the player carrying it, he ripped it out of their hands and ran 48 yards to the end zone. The Comets were ahead 37–6 just 24 seconds into the second half after Myles Grassman kicked the extra point.
“This was the first game I would say this season that we put four quarters together and we were technically sound on pretty much all fronts.” And Roherty said.
Phillips had five tackles at the end of the game, three of which were for loss. He also had a sack, two forced fumbles, and one defensive score.
Wilson made six tackles and forced a recovery, which was the most on the team. Cameron recovered a fumble by Zac Folz, who also had four stops in the game. It was Odash’s fifth stop overall, and two of them were for loss.
Odash scored his second touchdown run from one yard out with two minutes left in the third quarter. Armani Walters scored Cameron’s last touchdown with 10 minutes left in the game on a run of four yards.
Guerra completed 4 out of 5 passes for 53 yards, ending the game. Gronski caught two balls that went 39 yards.
Cameron’s last game of the season is Friday at home against Chetek-Weyerhaeuser. The Comets and Bulldogs both have 4-2 records in the Lakeland for the same reason. The game could have a big effect on the playoff position, and it’s also against a team from a nearby town.
Since the third week of the season, Chetek-Weyerhaeuser has played a very similar schedule to Cameron. They play the same opponent the following week, which gives the Bulldogs an edge because they can see how Cameron did against the same team before their own games.
“I have marked it on the calendar,” Roherty said. “I’ve had two games, not that I’m worried about, but Barron was No. 1 and they played a tough game, and Chetek is No. 2.”