Politsch, Setterstrom power Forreston to 34-13 win over Seneca
Source: The Shaw Local News Sports. Casualplayhub News adds summary, context, and editorial framing while linking back to the original report.
Forreston’s junior quarterback Connor Politsch knew that staying mentally tough would be the difference in Friday night’s Week 2 clash at Seneca. “Knowing Seneca is a [Class] 2A school and how good they’ve been the past four or five seasons, we knew we couldn’t get down on ourselves if we had a bad play or two,” Politsch said. “We talk a lot about bouncing back and continuing to fight to push forward. I thought we did a great job with that.”
Politsch backed up his words with a stellar performance, running for a pair of touchdowns and throwing for another. Alongside him, Liam Setterstrom also rushed for two scores as the Cardinals rolled to a 34-13 victory, improving to 2-0 on the young season. Forreston’s ground game was relentless, finishing with 232 yards on 41 carries. Setterstrom led the way with 78 yards, while Politsch added 37 yards on the ground and completed 8 of 9 passes for 94 yards, including a touchdown strike to Axel Harson.
“Our offensive line did a great job of creating space,” Politsch said. “And our running backs did a great job of hitting those open spots and really running hard. I felt like we were able to get to the second level a lot, especially on a few plays that kept drives going. I thought we were clicking pretty good tonight.”
The Cardinals struck first with a quarterback plunge from Politsch to take a 6-0 lead after the opening quarter. They extended the margin to 14-0 with 8 minutes, 8 seconds left in the second period on Setterstrom’s 6-yard scoring dash. Seneca answered with a 2-yard touchdown run by Judd Taylor, cutting the deficit to 14-6. But Forreston responded quickly, set up by a 48-yard pass from Politsch to Jonathan Milnes, and Politsch scampered 10 yards for a touchdown to give the visitors a 20-6 halftime lead.
Forreston kept the momentum in the third quarter, scoring twice. First, Setterstrom broke free for a 12-yard touchdown run, and then Politsch connected with Harson for another score to make it 34-6. Seneca closed out the game’s scoring in the fourth quarter on a 6-yard touchdown run by Miles LeRoy. The Fighting Irish finished with 186 rushing yards on 40 carries and added 20 passing yards, but two fumbles proved costly.
Defensively, Forreston was dominant, led by Eli Ferris, who recorded three sacks. “I’m thrilled with the way our defense played tonight,” Forreston coach Keynon Janicke said. “We talk about defensively if we can limit big plays and continue to rally to the football, just be relentless, we feel pretty good about our chances. Working against stopping a power-T offense is so hard to simulate in practice, so I give our scout team, our junior varsity guys, a lot of credit for getting us ready.”
Janicke also noted the offensive evolution. “I think offensively we may be a little more dynamic than we’ve been in the past, so that allows us to do some different things. I feel like we have a nice mix of speed, guys that run really hard and physicality up front that we can be a pretty tough offense to compete against.”
For Seneca, Judd Taylor led the rushing attack with 61 yards on 10 carries, while Kolten Pfeifer added 41 yards on six carries. The Fighting Irish fell to 0-2, marking the first time since 2021 they have lost consecutive games. Despite the defeat, coach Terry Maxwell saw signs of improvement. “This is still a very inexperienced group, but the things we worked on this week during practice I felt I saw tonight,” Maxwell said. “I think our backs got more downhill than last week, and just our flow offensively was a little better. Turnovers and missed tackles hurt us last week, and that hurt us again tonight, so those are things that we’ll continue to work on to clean up.”
Maxwell drew parallels to a previous team. “I see the final score and I’m not happy about the outcome, but I’m encouraged with the progress we made from Week 1 to Week 2. This group reminds me a lot of the team from 2021. We were young back then like this group is, but every week we continued to get better, and we were a pretty good football team by the time Week 9 rolled around.”
Both teams hit the road next week. Forreston travels to Lena-Winslow, while Seneca visits Iroquois West.
Article commentary
Forreston’s 34-13 victory over Seneca was a statement of resilience and execution, particularly from a young Cardinals squad that has quickly found its rhythm. Quarterback Connor Politsch embodied the mental toughness he preached, delivering a near-flawless performance both through the air and on the ground. His ability to spread the ball and keep the defense guessing was complemented by Liam Setterstrom’s punishing running style, giving Forreston a balanced attack that could prove formidable in the weeks ahead. The Cardinals’ offensive line deserves significant credit for creating running lanes and protecting Politsch, allowing him to complete 8 of 9 passes. That kind of efficiency is rare for a junior quarterback, especially early in the season. The team’s ability to get to the second level on multiple plays sustained drives and wore down a Seneca defense that, despite flashes, struggled to contain the run. Coach Keynon Janicke’s decision to emphasize a more dynamic offense is paying off, as the Cardinals now have a mix of speed and power that makes them difficult to prepare for. Defensively, Forreston was relentless. Three sacks from Eli Ferris disrupted Seneca’s timing, and the unit forced two fumbles, preventing the Fighting Irish from building any sustained momentum. Janicke’s praise for the scout team underscores the importance of preparation, especially against a power-T offense that is notoriously hard to simulate. The defense’s ability to limit big plays kept Seneca from capitalizing on its own rushing yards, which totaled 186 but were largely contained in chunks. For Seneca, the loss continues a challenging start, but the glimpses of improvement are real. Judd Taylor and Kolten Pfeifer showed more downhill running than in Week 1, and the offensive flow was cleaner. However, turnovers and missed tackles remain persistent issues. Coach Terry Maxwell’s comparison to the 2021 team, which grew into a strong unit by season’s end, offers a realistic roadmap. That team started 0-2 but finished with a winning record, and Maxwell’s belief in this group’s trajectory is well-founded. The Fighting Irish are young, and experience will come with reps. Looking ahead, Forreston’s test against Lena-Winslow will be a true measuring stick. Lena-Winslow is a perennial power, and the Cardinals will need to replicate their balanced attack and defensive discipline. For Seneca, a trip to Iroquois West presents an opportunity to right the ship. If they can clean up the turnovers and tackle better, they have the talent to turn their season around. The development of their young roster will be fascinating to watch, and Maxwell’s patience and perspective could be the key to unlocking their potential. Overall, this game highlighted the importance of mental toughness and execution. Forreston showed it can handle adversity and maintain composure, while Seneca showed it can compete physically but needs to refine its discipline. The season is still young, and both teams have room to grow. The narrative of resilience, as Politsch and Maxwell both emphasized, will likely define their journeys.