By james art 
VERONA — There’s no doubt that Verona and Hartland Arrowhead are two of the biggest heavyweight programs in all of Wisconsin high school football.
The Warhawks hit enough shots to knock off the Wildcats Friday night, earning a 22-21 win in a second-round WIAA Division 1 playoff game at Verona High School.
Junior Brendan Foley scored the game-winning touchdown with 1 minute, 26 seconds left and fourth-seeded Arrowhead’s defense held off No. 1 Verona in the final seconds to advance to next week’s state quarterfinals. The Warhawks will meet second-seeded Mukwonago after the Indians’ 21-14 win over Racine Case.
Hartland Arrowhead’s Brendan Foley scores the game-winning touchdown during Friday night’s 22-21 win over Verona in a WIAA Division 1 second-round game at Verona High School.
“It’s been a roller coaster, but I couldn’t be more proud of the boys,” Verona coach Andrew Riley said. “Some things didn’t go our way, but the boys battled through the adversity; they just pat themselves on the back and go to work.”
Verona’s offense wasted no time after falling behind for the third time. The Wildcats (10-1) quickly moved to the Arrowhead 30-yard line after a 17-yard pass from Caleb Hallmark and a pass interference call after starting at their own 39.
Things slowed down from there, however, as the Wildcats failed to pick up another yard despite looking to move the chains after another pass interference call on a second-down fade to senior Tre Poteat against two Arrowhead defenders. The officials waved the flag for accidental contact, however, and a pass ended up slipping through the hands of Poteit and Bryson Smith on fourth-and-10, allowing the Warhawks to take the downs and run out the clock.
Verona’s Tre Poteat slips away from a tackle attempt by a Hartland Arrowhead defender during the first half of Friday’s second-round WIAA Division 1 playoff game at Verona High School.
SEAN DAVIS, LEE SPORTS WISCONSIN
Poteat scored all three of the Wildcats’ touchdowns, including a 58-yard quarterback keeper with 7:55 left to take a 21-16 lead.
“My teammate Ben Weber told me, ‘Keep it outside, it’s going to be wide open,'” Poteat said.
Verona’s defense quickly recovered the ball, but the punt return burned the Wildcats as the Warhawks forced a Poteat fumble on the first play of the ensuing kickoff to set up Foley’s game-winning score.
“We were going to give the ball to our best player in a spot where we thought it really worked,” Riley said. “I thought we shot every boat in the chamber and we had to continue to be aggressive at it. I wouldn’t change it all.”
Poteat, a Tennessee commit, gave Verona the lead midway through the second quarter with a 67-yard interception return touchdown, his second pick six of the year, for a 7-0 lead. Arrowhead immediately responded with a 95-yard kickoff return on Ryan Haymon’s ensuing kickoff to go up 8-7 after Foley’s 2-point run.
Poteat later caught a 24-yard pass from Hallmark on the Wildcats’ opening drive of the second half for a 15-8 lead, but again the Warhawks answered. Arrowhead responded with a 15-play drive that included five third-down conversions capped by Vance Holtz’s 1-yard quarterback run for a 16-15 lead with 8:20 to play.
Verona’s Boden Brotzman and Rowan Boniface (9) come together for a sack against Hartland Arrowhead’s Vance Holtz during the first half of Friday night’s second-round WIAA Division 1 playoff game at Verona High School.
SEAN DAVIS, LEE SPORTS WISCONSIN
“They just played with all their might and relentless effort,” Verona’s Rowan Boniface said. “They stayed low, gave maximum effort every play and just beat us. They’re just a really good attack and they have players who can perform; all on the other side.’
As upsetting as the loss was for the Wildcats, who were looking to make a second straight state quarterfinal, Poteat was proud of the way the team held its morale.
“We just picked each other up and stayed as one. That was our game plan; to stay together, stay us and stay true to ourselves.”