Hamilton Advances in State Tourney After OT Win

The football team went on the road Friday night and did something nobody else had done this season: They beat powerhouse Manitowoc Lincoln in a thrilling game in which both teams scored in overtime.

The 27-24 upset victory in the second round game of the Division 1 WIAA playoffs puts the Chargers one step closer to the state tournament in Madison. Hamilton will take on Milwaukee Riverside either Friday or Saturday at a location yet to be determined.

The Chargers were led by running back Drew Patterson, who ran for 202 yards and scored three touchdowns - including the 14-yard game winner that happened just after the Ships kicked a field goal in OT to give them a 24-21 lead.

Hamilton got the ball back on their 25-yard line and had once chance to score. After quarterback Matt Judson hit receiver JR Flor with an 11-yard pass, Patterson ran into the end zone to win the game.

The fourth-seeded Chargers came into the game with a 9-1 record but were clearly the underdog against the No. 1 seed Ships. Not only was Manitowoc Lincoln 10-0 coming into Friday's game, but they also were the ranked the fourth best team in the state in the WisSports.net Coaches Poll.

The game was scoreless until there was 1:02 left in the first half, when Hamilton scored first on a 33-yard touchdown run by running back Nick Patterson, Drew's brother.

The Chargers took a 14-0 lead after Drew Patterson scored the first of his three TDs on a 50-yard run with 10:47 left in the third quarter.

However, on the Ships' first play after the kickoff, Austin Zucchi had a 50-yard touchdown run to make it a 14-7 game.

With 4:02 left in the third, Drew Patterson scored on another long run - this time it was 57 yards - to put the Chargers up 21-7 heading into the fourth quarter.

In the fourth, Zucchi scored twice for Manitowoc Lincoln, while the Chargers came up empty. The game-tying touchdown came on a 2-yard run with just 32 seconds left in the game. That tied the score at 21 and sent it into overtime.

The Ships got first possession in OT and picked up three points on a 34-yard field goal by Michael Longmeyer.

The ball then went back to Hamilton, and the stage was set for Drew Patterson's third TD, which gave the victory to the Chargers.

Almost all of Hamilton's offense was generated by the running game. The Chargers had 263 rushing yards - all from Drew and Nick Patterson.

Judson had just four complete passes for a total of 69 yards.