Central Lake/Ellsworth Trojans Face Defeat in Regional Semi-Finals Against Merrill Vandals

On a cold and sunny November 1st, the Central Lake/Ellsworth Trojans took on the Merrill Vandals at Merrill High School for the Regional Semi-Finals. Despite a hard-fought contest, the Trojans were overpowered by the Vandals, culminating in a final score of 60-20 in favor of Merrill. Merrill's crucial moment came just before halftime, scoring a disputed last-second touchdown. The play was ruled a catch despite appearing to be out of bounds, giving Merrill a significant momentum boost as they headed into the break and subsequently receiving the second-half kickoff. For Central Lake/Ellsworth, several players made notable contributions. Billy Hopp, Josiah Chellis, and Nolan Essenberg all scored touchdowns, striving to keep the team competitive. Additionally, Brady Roggenbeck completed 11 of 16 passes for 185 yards, throwing three touchdowns and one interception. Roggenbeck also converted a two-point attempt to Essenberg. On the receiving end, Bill Hopp caught five passes covering 130 yards, including a touchdown, while Chellis and Essenberg made significant receptions that contributed to the score. Defensively, the team also saw strong performances. Bill Hopp and Josiah Chellis each tallied eight tackles. Nolan Essenberg, apart from his offensive contributions, intercepted one pass and made six tackles. Riley Shafer and Jeremiah Briolat added five tackles each, reinforcing the Trojans' defensive efforts throughout the game. The young Central Lake/Ellsworth Trojans finished the season 6-4. The team will look to draw on the experiences from this season to build further and enhance their performance in future competitions.