‘Cats dominate the Raiders

Edgar takes frustrations out on Friday

By Casey Krautkramer

Marathon’s football team ran into an angry Edgar squad on Friday, after Edgar suffered a 29-14 road setback to Colby the previous week. The Wildcats let off some steam against the Red Raiders right away, by scoring 27 first-quarter points in a dominating 42-0 home win.

It only took Edgar a few plays to nearly score a touchdown Marathon, but Wildcats senior Ayden Weisenberger coughed up the ball at Marathon’s three-yard line after a 45-yard run. Red Raiders junior Mason Seehafer recovered the fumble.

Marathon senior quarterback Ben Robbins completed an 11-yard pass to junior Daniel LaQua for a first down and Seehafer rushed for an eight-yard gain. Marathon’s promising first offensive possession stalled, however, after Edgar senior Peyton Dahlke tackled Marathon junior Matt Annis for a three-yard loss and Robbins’ pass intended for senior Jaden Koeller was incomplete.

Koehler only punted the ball 17 yards to Marathon’s 35-yard line, giving Edgar excellent field position on its second offensive possession. It only took Edgar two plays to score a touchdown.

Wildcats sophomore Karter Butt ran for a 21-yard gain and then a 14-yard touchdown. Edgar senior quarterback Mattison Butt’s two-point conversion pass went off Karter Butt’s fingertips in the corner of the end zone.

Ayden Weisenberger said his team wanted a much better start to its game against Marathon on Alumni Night. Edgar honored its football teams from 1970, 1971, 1980, 1981, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2010 and 2011 at halftime.

“After letting Colby score on its first offensive possession, one of our biggest goals against Marathon was to start off stronger than we have been, and that’s exactly what we did,” he said. “On the other side of the ball, we knew coming into the game that if we stopped Marathon running back Matt Annis then we would win the game.”

Edgar’s defense held Robbins to three straight incomplete passes on Marathon’s second offensive possession. Koehler punted the ball to Edgar’s 35-yard line, but it only took Edgar one play to score another touchdown. Mattison Butt executed a short screen pass to senior Jordan Bunkelman, who scampered for a 65-yard touchdown. Karter Butt ran for the two-point conversion to give the Wildcats a 14-0 lead.

Marathon’s next offensive possession stalled when Robbins was called for intentional grounding, after throwing the ball out of bounds to avoid heavy pressure from Edgar sophomore Brett Baumgartner.

It only took Edgar’s offense one play to score again, as senior Everet Brehm rumbled for a 28-yard touchdown. Mattison Butt’s extra point was good.

Things didn’t get any better for Robbins on Marathon’s fourth offensive possession in the first quarter. Robbins was sacked by Baumgartner for an eight-yard loss. He then threw an interception to Ayden Weisenberger, who atoned for losing a fumble early in the game with a 16-yard interception return for a touchdown. Mattison Butt missed the extra point, yet the Wildcats still led the Red Raiders, 27-0, in only the first quarter.

Ayden Weisenberg was proud of his team’s defensive performance against Marathon in shutting out Marathon.

“Our defensive line and linebackers played a really solid game putting pressure on Robbins play after play,” he said. “We took Marathon out of its element of running the football early in the first quarter, and when Marathon started passing the ball, I think its team just fell apart.”

Edgar capped off a six-play offensive drive, spanning from the end of the first quarter into the second quarter, on Karter Butt’s five-yard touchdown run. Mattison Butt missed the extra point. Robbins threw another interception on Marathon’s first possession in the second quarter to sophomore Teegan Streit, who returned the ball 32 yards. Mattison Butt later kicked a 24-yard field goal to give the Wildcats a commanding 36-0 halftime advantage.

Karter Butt added a 55-yard touchdown run in the third quarter. He finished

the game with seven rushes for 101 yards and three touchdowns.

Although Edgar lost to Colby two weeks ago in what likely determined the winner of the Marawood Conference championship, there’s still a chance Edgar beats Abbotsford and Colby loses to Abbotsford yet this season. Ayden Weisenberger said his Wildcats squad still has a good shot at winning a state championship this season, even if it doesn’t end up sharing the conference title.

“We’ve grown a lot already from our loss to Colby; we just need to keep improving and competing each week,” Ayden Weisenberger said. “Being able to share the conference championship would be awesome, but we have a long season left, especially if we are where we want to be at the end which is playing for a state championship at Camp Randall.”

In the short term, Edgar plays at Hurley this Friday, Sept. 24, in a battle of undefeated teams both ranked in the top 10 in Division 7 this season. Marathon plays at unbeaten Colby on Friday.

LEADING A CONVOY OF WILDCATS TO THE END ZONE- Sophomore Karter Butt (21) runs for his first of three touchdowns in Edgar’s 42-0 home win against Marathon on Friday. Edgar offensive linemen, who eventually joined Butt in the end zone to help him celebrate the team’s first score of the game, are senior Parker Schutte (75), senior Jace Kohel (62) and junior Carver Higgins (54). Marathon senior defensive back John Stoffel (20) follows the play.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER