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Sports

Kappel Leads Nicolet to Victory Over Waukesha South in Opener

Senior quarterback gets Knights off on the right foot in 41-28 win.

Nicolet quarterback Brandon Kappel ran for an early touchdown and then threw another to lead the Knights to a 41-28 home win over Waukesha South in the opening game of the season.

Kappel, a senior, had a 20-yard touchdown run in the first quarter that put the Knights up 7-0 and capped a drive that took just 2 minutes and 3 seconds.

Kappel also finished 5 of 9 passing for 51 yards and one touchdown.

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Waukesha South came back with an answer of its own when Isaiah Pitchford ran one in from six yards out.

South was led by Corey Broussard, the senior running back who gained 205 yards on just 24 carries and led everyone with three touchdowns.

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The Blackshirts kept pounding the ball with run play after run play, but just couldn’t keep up with the Knights. 

The real game changer came with the Knights already up 14-7 and South back to punt when senior running back/linebacker Bryce Bowen blocked the punt, recovered it and ran it in for six. The ensuing point-after kick put Nicolet up 21-7.

The Knights never looked back and took the game 41-28, giving first year coach Brad Kozaczuk his first win in the blue and white. Players celebrated the win by giving the coach a water bath on the sidelines.

After the game, Kozaczuk said the goals for his team are "the same as everybody else. We’re going to try five games, six games, make the playoffs and then roll the dice from there.”

While the Knights are playing under a first-year coach, the Blackshirts are coached by Dave Rusch, who has been at the helm for some 20 years.

“Well, congratulations to him," Rusch said of Kozaczuk's first win. "They did a good job and he had the guys ready to play.”

South is looking to rebound this season after finishing the 2010 campaign with a 3-6 record.

"The Classic Eight is tougher than hell, so we need to strap it on and get ready," Rusch said.

Even though Nicolet came away with the victory, the Knights' play sometimes wasn't pretty.

The Knights had their fair share of penalties, which Kappel addressed after the game. "Some of our guys get real into it and we've got to watch that," he said.

The Knights will go to Wauwatosa East on Friday, while Waukesha South will stay at home and welcome in Milwaukee Hamilton.

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