Cape QB Jen Boeschenstein hooked up with fellow senior Ben Ekedahl for a first-half TD vs. visiting Wells in Saturday afternoon, Nov. 12, and the boys swapped roles late in the fourth, Ekedahl pitching a surprise long-bomb to Boeschenstein for another spectacular score. But two flashy tallies weren’t enough to lift the Capers past the Warriors, who emerged victorious from no less a battle than the C South Regional Final, 27-14.

“They beat us up front,” simply said Capers head coach Aaron Filieo. “We could never get anything going offensively and on defense we played pretty well. However, they converted just about every third down possible. Essentially, they made the plays when they needed to, and we didn’t.”

Wells struck early, Evan Whitten putting his boys on the board with an eight-yard, tone-setting rush TD. Both teams then cranked up their respective defenses, each side thwarting the other repeatedly. 

Finally, late in the second, Cape evened the tally: Following a Warriors’ punt, the Capers inched forward from their own territory on Ryan Weare runs and Boeschenstein passes to Ekedahl and Marshall Peterson. Having led the Cape charge to first and 10 at the Warriors’ 25, Boeschenstein lobbed a long-bomb to Ekedahl in the end zone, who escaped his coverage and reeled in the touchdown. Peterson added the PAT to flatten the scoreboard at seven-all.

The Capers’ defense continued to look solid well into the third, but their offense couldn’t quite pull them ahead of their guests. Then, with roughly two minutes to play in the quarter, Wells jumped out front again, QB Owen Berry finding receiver Riley Dempsey for a 23-yard hookup and a TD. 14-7.

Berry added a rushing touchdown three minutes into the fourth, giving his boys a lead that began to look insurmountable. The Warriors’ defense successfully held the Capers at bay for much of the rest of the game, and Dempsey capped the afternoon with another run TD inside the last minute. 

Wells essentially had the game wrapped up. To Cape’s great credit, however, they refused to go down without a fight. With just 28.9 seconds left on the clock, Ekedahl seized the reins at QB, hurtling the ball rightward to Boeschenstein, who cut back through the middle and broke away from his Warriors defenders. Boeschenstein reached the end zone, tearing a chunk out of Wells’s lead and helping his team end their season, even in defeat, on a positive note.

No. 1 Cape returns to the sidelines till next fall at 10-1. The Capers topped all takers – including the second-ranked Warriors, 13-7 on the road in week eight – during the regular season, then opened their push through the bracketing by annihilating Poland 40-6 in the quarterfinals. In the semis, they dispatched Spruce Mountain with like ease, 43-7, and thus earned home field advantage for Saturday’s rematch with Wells.

Filieo closed the season with a few remarks on his seniors: “Outstanding senior class,” he said. “Great leadership, and they helped galvanize the largest team, roster-wise, that we’ve ever had. Great kids to be around and laugh with, yet they worked their tails off severy single day.”

For more photos, visit www.keepmecurrent.com/category/sports.

The Capers o-line gets set for the snap.

Caper Ryan Weare lays down a tackle on a Wells opponent.

Caper Ben Ekedahl reels in the TD pass that would even the afternoon’s tally at 7-7.

Jack Glanville carries for the Capers in their loss to Wells on Saturday.

Caper Marshall Peterson goes up for a pass vs. multiple Warriors defenders.

Cape’s Brett McAlister chases down Warriors ball-carrier Tyler Bridge.

Ben Ekedahl proved a crucial weapon for the Capers all season.

Caper Nat Jordan works his way through the post-game handshake line.

Cape Captains (from left) Brett McAlister, Ben Ekedahl, Jacob Jordan and Nat Jordan accept their C South Runners-up plaque on Saturday.

Cape’s Peyton Weatherbie cradles the ball, prepping to throw himself into the fray.

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