Sitte’s Heroics Bring it Home for Vikings in Overtime Victory

By Kevin Boneske, Peninsula Pulse – September 11th, 2023

Gibraltar’s football team celebrates its 53-50 overtime victory Friday over Algoma. Photo by Rachel Lukas.

When Braden Sitte’s field goal from 42 yards out sailed over the goalpost Friday night in Fish Creek, it ended what may have been the wildest football game ever played on Gibraltar’s gridiron.

Sitte’s overtime field goal gave Gibraltar a 53-50 victory over Peninsula Conference rival Algoma on Sept. 8 and capped a comeback and a back-and-forth final stanza that left fans breathless.

The Vikings trailed 28-14 at halftime after scoring two touchdowns that included a three-yard pass from Brady Kita to Will Lecy and Kita running in the end zone from eight yards away.

Gibraltar then tied the game at 28-28 after three quarters with Lecy tallying two touchdowns by catching a 24-yard pass from Kita and running 25 yards for a score.

The two teams closed out the fourth quarter scoring six touchdowns between them. The Vikings got touchdowns in the final 12 minutes of regulation on a 20-yard pass from Kita to Lecy and a 10-yard run by Kita, but trailed in the final minute. Then Sitte’s heroics began. He forced overtime in the final seconds with a 51-yard scamper that the Vikings followed with a two-point conversion to tie the game.

Gibraltar kept the Wolves off the scoreboard in the overtime session before Sitte ended the game by booting the winning field goal. The Vikings outgained Algoma in total offense, 498-437 yards.

Kita completed 23 of 32 passes for 219 yards with three touchdowns. Of Gibraltar’s 277 rushing yards, Lecy ran for 146 yards on 14 carries.

The Vikings, who improved 3-0 overall and 2-0 in the conference, return to action Sept. 15 with a league game at Wausaukee.

Pioneers Pummeled in Second Half

After being tied 12-12 at halftime Sept. 8, Sevastopol’s football team scored only one more touchdown and lost its Peninsula Conference road game to Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas, 44-18.

The Pioneers’ two first-half touchdowns included a 65-yard run by Landon Frank and a 10-yard scoring strike from Logan Schuh to Michael Wautlet. Frank added a 53-yard touchdown run in the second half. Frank carried the ball 11 times and accounted for 147 of Sevastopol’s 190 rushing yards.

Schuh completed eight of 16 passes for 118 yards with a touchdown and an interception.

The Pioneers (0-3, 0-2) will seek their first win of the season Sept. 15 when they host a league game against Oneida Nation/NEW Lutheran.