WESTON – The run had to end sometime.

Green Bay Notre Dame’s title game hopes were dashed in a 28-7 loss to Rice Lake in a WIAA Division 3 semifinal playoff football game on a cold Friday night at Stiehm Stadium.

The Tritons (10-3) were attempting to join West De Pere as the only area teams to reach three straight championship games, but two appearances and a state title will have to do.

The Warriors (10-2) will make their first title game appearance since finishing runner-up in 2014.

“It feels really good for these seniors,” Rice Lake coach Dan Hill said. “These guys were freshmen when we went to state last time. They went down there with us. For them to have their sights set on this goal and to make it happen, we have gone through a lot of stuff that people don’t know about. A lot of adversity these kids have gone through.”

Notre Dame beat Rice Lake on this same field in the semifinals last season, but it was a different Warriors team.

They entered with four players with at least 500 yards rushing, and the running game was just a bit too much for a Tritons defense that allowed more than 14 points in a game for the first time since September, when Bay Port put up 35 in Week 6.  

It was the 10th time in 12 games Rice Lake scored at least 28.

Unlike last season when Rice Lake turned the ball over three times, it had none in the rematch.

The Warriors took a 7-0 lead with 7 minutes, 24 seconds left in the opening quarter on a 66-yard run by senior wide receiver Kenny Bednarek, who took a pitch and used his big-time speed to race down the left sideline untouched.

Rice Lake extended the advantage to 14-0 with 4:30 remaining in the half on a 9-play, 75-yard drive that was capped with a 4-yard run from senior running back Billy Brown.

Notre Dame appeared like it was going to get the ball back during the drive, only to see Rice Lake extend it with a run off a fake punt that moved the Warriors to the Notre Dame 47.

Brandon Sutton went 44 yards on the next play to set up the TD three plays later.

“They are good, they executed their game plan very well,” Notre Dame coach Mike Rader said. “You expect that in Level 4 of the playoffs. That good teams should run their stuff very well, and they did.”

The Tritons couldn’t get much going on offense in the first 24 minutes. They punted on four of their six possessions in the first half, with the final drive ending due to the half.

Notre Dame’s best chance to score came in the final minutes of the opening quarter, but the Tritons turned the ball over on downs at the Rice Lake 14, getting 3 yards on fourth down when they needed 4.

Notre Dame made it a game to start the second half, driving down the field on the opening possession and cutting Rice Lake’s lead to 14-7 after a 6-yard TD pass from junior quarterback Wes Glime to senior tight end Matthew Rader on fourth-and-goal.

“We told them we were going to score the first drive of the second half and then we will only be down 7,” Rader said. “That’s a whole new game. … but obviously they were able to ground and pound and keep scoring.”

Indeed, the momentum didn’t last long. It didn’t even last one drive.

Rice Lake came right back to take a 14-point lead on a 3-yard TD run from fullback Brandon Sutton, and then put the final touches on the win with a 5-yard TD from quarterback Peyton Buckley with 10:38 remaining.

“They knew we didn’t play a good game (last season), and they wanted another shot,” Hill said. “They earned it.”

It just wasn’t Notre Dame’s night, but it was another successful season. The Tritons lost several standouts on both sides of the ball from 2016 but still ended up winning at least 10 games for the third straight year.

“Our program philosophy is faith, family, fundamentals and football,” Rader said. “They are a family. They are working together and being with each other through the weight room, just like all the other teams are. They believe in each other and pulled each other through many of the games.

“That’s what I want them to take out of it. This is a great experience, this game of football that we love, and that they are able to share it with their friends.”

G.B. Notre Dame 0 0 7 0 -- 7 

Rice Lake 7 7 7 7 -- 28 

First quarter

RL – Kenny Bednarek 66 run (Sam Bliese kick).

Second quarter

RL – Billy Brown 4 run (Bliese kick).

Third quarter

ND – Matthew Rader 6 pass from Wes Glime (Andrew Gruesen kick)

RL – Brandon Sutton 3 run (Bliese kick).

Fourth quarter

RL – Peyton Buckley 5 run (Bliese kick).

This article originally appeared in the Green Bay Press-Gazette