By RICK SOLEM
LA CROSSE, Wis. – Kyle Bakalars put the Logan High School football team on his back all season.
He didn’t come in the touted leader of the Rangers’ offense, but he surely ended there, even through their final game.
Bakalars finished his career the Logan single-season leader in rushing yards with 1,692.
He broke the record with 24 carries for an incredible 194 yards and a touchdown – his 24th of the season – Friday.
Unfortunately, it came in a loss that ended Logan’s season and his high school career.
The Rangers ran into a buzz saw at Swanson Field, getting blown out by Rice Lake 50-13 in the WIAA Division 3 state quarterfinals.
While Bakalars shined on offense, it was the Warriors’ Isaiah Secerest that stole the show with 169 yards on only 14 carries – four of which went for touchdowns.
The 5-foot-7, 160-pound junior scored three of those TDs in a second quarter where Rice Lake went from up 7-0 to 27-7 at halftime. He scored from 14, 34 and 6 yards out, the last coming with 45 seconds to go in the half.
Logan (11-1) scored four minutes into the third quarter when Trey Davis hit Tanner Holzer for a 12-yard TD to pull within 27-13, but Rice Lake (9-3) said that was enough.
Just 17 seconds later, Secerest went 59 yards for his final touchdown and the Warriors closed out the game with a 23-0 run.
Rice Lake outgained Logan on the ground 494 to 253. And trying to come from behind in the air, Davis was just 6-for-14 for 30 yards with the one TD and two interceptions.
WIAA QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 3
RICE LAKE 50, LOGAN 13
Rice Lake 7 20 7 16 – 50
Logan 0 6 0 0 – 13
First quarter: RL—Alain Pierre 3 run (Luke Fleming kick) 2:24.
Second quarter: RL—Isaiah Secrest 14 run (Fleming kick) 11:02. RL—Secrest 34 run (Fleming kick) 6:08. L—Kyle Bakalars 3 run (Josh Stevens) 3:54. RL—Secrest 6 run (run failed) :45.1.
Third quarter: L—Tanner Holzer 12 pass from Trey Davis (kick failed) 7:01. RL—Secrest 59 run (Fleming kick) 6:44.
Fourth quarter: RL—FG 22 Fleming 11:43. RL—Pierre 37 run (kick failed) 4:55. RL—Alex Webber 2 run (Fleming kick) 1:24.
Team Statistics
First downs: RL 16, L 13. Rushes-Yards: RL 54-494, L 40-253. Comp-Att-Int: RL 3-9-0, L 6-15-2. Passing yards: RL 51, L 36. Totals yards: RL 545, L 289. Penalties-yards: RL 2-20, L 7-55.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: RL—secrest 14-169, Pierre 19-129, Jake Roberts 5-45, Erik Hovde 10-34, Webber 6-17; L—Bakalars 24-194, Aric Elmore 6-25, Dylan Crocker 2-13, Davis 4-11, Holzer 2-5, Manny Buckhanan 1-4, Jarrod Besl 1-3.
Passing: RL—Hovde 3-9-0-51; L—Davis 6-14-2-30, Elmore 1-1-0-6.
Receiving: RL—Noah Pierce 1-32, Secrest 1-10, Tyler Hackel 1-9; L—Holzer 3-28, Davis 1-6, Evan Verhota 1-4, Andy Metcalf 1-4.
Records: RL 9-3; L 11-1.