BIG NIGHT … Evergreen signal caller Bryce Bolger (above) threw for 228 yards and three touchdowns in Evergreen’s 42-0 win over Ottawa Hills.
PHOTOS BY RENEA KESSLER / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
STRONG RUN … Jarret Studenka carries an Ottawa Hills tackler on a run in the second half for the Vikings.
By: Joe Blystone
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
publisher@thevillagereporter.com
METAMORA (August 29, 2025) – Coach Hunter Kohls’ Evergreen Vikings are fast….in fact, very fast. That speed keyed a 35-point first quarter explosion that carried the Vikings to a 42-0 shellacking of Ottawa Hills.
“We have a lot of experienced guys, older guys who have been playing now for two or three years,” Kohls said about his team’s athleticism.
“Again, I know that coaches recognize it that we are probably the fastest team in the league. This will be something that we will use to our advantage.”
It took the Vikings just five plays after the opening kick to hit pay dirt. Bryce Bolger carried for runs of 19 and 11 to set up Austin Gillen’s 11 jaunt to the end zone just 84 seconds into the game for a 7-0 lead.
Evergreen was far from done. After a Green Bears’ punt, Alex Mossing’s leaping catch for 34 yards set up a Wil Ruetz six-yard run with 7:13 left in the first.
Then, in a span of 59 seconds late in the first, the Vikings blew the game wide open as they hung 21 more on the board.
After getting possession on their own 20 off another punt, Hayes Studenka romped for 18 yards, then Bolger hit Ruetz for a 47-yard strike to push the margin to 21-0.
Kellen Schmidt recovered a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, and it took just one play, a Bolger screen pass to Quinn Eisel, to make it 28-0.
Brendan Holman’s pick three plays later led to another one-play score as Bolger’s deep ball was high pointed by Eisel, and the athletic senior receiver broke a tackle and romped the rest of the way for a 69-yard TD. Bolger threw for 199 yards in the quarter and three scores.
“This is something we have been harping on all summer,” Kohls explained of the Vikes’ huge first. “We want to start fast and play fast.
“I know last year it was a struggle to get going a few times, and that put us behind the ball, so we need to start and play fast and finish the game. That’s been important to stress as a key during our offseason.”
Studenka capped the scoring for Evergreen with a 21-yard touchdown with 3:50 left in the game.
The sophomore back picked up 84 yards on the night while Bolger, who did not throw a pass after the first series of the second quarter, finished with 228 yards in the air.
The Viking defense, led by JJ Johnson and Jackson Huffman, who each had multiple tackles for loss, allowed only 116 yards total, 40 of which came on the Bears’ last possession. Evergreen forced three turnovers on the night.
UP NEXT: September 5 – Evergreen (2-0) at Lake (0-2); Ottawa Hills (0-2) at Swanton (0-2)
OHHS 0 0 0 0 – 0
EHS 35 0 0 7 – 42
E – Gillen 11-yd run (Mossing kick)
E – Ruetz 6-yd run (Mossing kick)
E – Ruetz 47-yd pass from Bolger (Mossing kick)
E- Eisel 27-yd pass from Bolger (Mossing kick)
E – Eisel 69-yd pass from Bolger (Mossing kick)
E – Studenka 21-yd run (Mossing kick)