Tigers on to state!

Squad never quits to beat the Ledgers

By Casey Krautkramer

The Stratford football team’s “never quit” attitude helped it outlast St. Mary’s Springs Academy of Fond du Lac, 20-14, in overtime during Friday’s WIAA Division 6 Level 4 playoff game in Waupaca. Stratford will now play in its 10th state football championship in school history.

It was a defensive battle during the first three quarters of the game until both offenses came alive in the fourth quarter. Stratford’s defense held St. Mary’s Springs Academy to only nine total points in the first half.

Tigers senior quarterback Braeden Schueller recovered from throwing a pair of first-quarter interceptions. He completed a 30-yard passing touchdown to junior Gavin Leonhardt in the second quarter. Leonhardt caught the short pass from Schueller in front of Stratford’s sideline and then juked a defender before racing for the end zone. Senior Evan Danielson made the extra-point kick.

Stratford held a slim 7-0 halftime advantage against St. Mary’s Springs. Stratford’s pep band played during halftime to get Tiger fans ready for the second half of football. Dr. Nathan Lehman, Stratford schools superintendent, had a chance to glean advice from retired Stratford schools superintendent Scott Winch in the bleachers at halftime.

During halftime, Stratford senior linebacker Ryan Becker kept his teammates pumped up by yelling, “Let’s keep them to a zero, let’s go.” Meanwhile, star senior John Seitz III and junior Koehler Klity kept loose during halftime by playing catch with the football on the sideline.

Stratford still held a precarious 7-0 lead against St. Mary’s Springs going into the fourth quarter. Then the Level 4 playoff game started to get much more interesting. Ledgers senior quarterback Cullen King found success throwing quick passes to senior tight end Lucas Rameker on the outside in front of each team’s sideline. One of them resulted in a 30-yard touchdown by Rameker and extra point kick by senior Cole Rottman to tie the game at 7-7 with just over eight minutes left in the game.

Stratford answered the St. Mary’s Springs Academy score with a methodical touchdown drive that began on its own 12-yard line. Kilty’s eightyard run set up the successful next play when Schueller faked the handoff to Kilty and ran five yards for a first down.

Schueller then threw a quick pass to senior Ashton Wrensch for a big gain. The Tigers converted a key thirddown- and-nine play when Schueller completed a first-down pass to Leonhardt.

The Tigers fed the football to Kilty five straight times toward the end of the scoring drive. Kilty towed the football to the Ledgers’ two-yard line to set up Schueller’s two-yard touchdown run. Stratford held a 14-7 lead with one minute, 24 seconds left in the game.

St. Mary’s Springs Academy was motivated to tie the game. The Ledgers began their game-tying offensive drive on their own 30-yard line. Later on King recovered his own fumbled snap and threw an incomplete pass. However, a referee called a 15-yard pass interference penalty against the St. Mary’s Springs Academy receiver. The Ledgers received the football at midfield after the play. King’s pass bounced off Rameker’s fingertips backs into his hands for a first down to Stratford’s 22-yard line.

Later in the Ledger’s scoring drive, senior Levi Huempfner took a delayed handoff from King and ran to Stratford’s 11-yard line. Rameker then caught an 11-yard touchdown pass from King and Rottman kicked the extra point to tie the game at 14-14 with only 26 seconds remaining. Stratford chose to let the game clock run out on its next offensive possession and go to overtime.

Stratford senior captains Jackson Ormond, Schueller, Seitz III and Wrensch stood at midfield for the coin toss. High school overtime rules state each team begins with the football on the opposing team’s 25-yard line. Stratford received the football first in overtime and it didn’t take long to score.

Wrensch caught a 10-yard reception from Schueller followed by Kilty’s 15yard touchdown run. Stratford had a 20-14 lead after St. Mary’s Springs Academy blocked the extra-point kick.

Now it was St. Mary’s Springs Academy’s turn with the football at Stratford’s 25-yard line in overtime. Walker Weiss, a starting center on Stratford’s offensive line, got the Tiger fans pumped up before the Ledger’s crucial third-down-and-six play. Stratford’s defense rose to the occasion by sacking King, who threw the ball away when he was down. Referees called intentional grounding against King, resulting in the Ledgers losing a down. St. Mary’s Springs Academy needed to gain 19 yards on fourth down to gain a first down and keep its drive alive.

Jason Tubbs, Stratford head coach, installed Schueller into the game to help the Tigers’ defensive secondary. King threw the football into double coverage and Schueller intercepted it in the end zone.

Schueller then ran with the football in front of Stratford’s sideline while Coach Tubbs yelled at him to get down on the field and let the remaining seconds tick off the clock to end the game. Schueller said after Stratford’s win it was “crazy” for him to intercept the football and seal the team’s trip to the state championship. “I usually don’t play defense and to get a chance to make a play on the football was just amazing,” he said.

Coach Tubbs explained his defensive strategy after doing a little dance with the Level 4 championship plaque before handing it to his team’s senior captains.

“We put him (Schueller) in there to cover No. 10 (Rameker) because he is a great player and we knew they were going to throw it to him,” he said. “The guys rallied to the football and that’s what they’ve done all year. I am so proud of them.”

He spoke about his football squad’s ability to respond to each of St. Mary’s Springs Academy’s fourth-quarter touchdowns.

“These guys are the never-quit team.,” Coach Tubbs said. “It doesn’t matter what you throw at the our players. They played on the road every time, even when we had home games, during this season and I am just so proud of them. It’s just unbelieveable.”

Coach Tubbs was referring to Stratford’s football team playing its regular- season home games at Marshfield Senior High School to give the newlyplanted grass football field at Tigers Stadium in Stratford enough time to grow.

Stratford played its WIAA Division 6 Level 1 home game against Cumberland, a 54-0 win, on D.C. Everest’s football field in Schofield because Marshfield had a home Division 1 playoff game.

Stratford played its Level 2 home playoff game against Cadott, a 42-0 victory, at Marshfield Senior High School because Marshfield had a road playoff contest. Stratford then traveled three hours northwest to play Grantsburg, resulting in a 27-7 win, for its Level 3 playoff game.

Coach Tubbs had a 6-0 record in Level 4 playoff games as Stratford’s defensive coordinator when the Tigers won six consecutive WIAA Division 6 state championships from 2003 until 2008 under retired head coach Cal Tackes. Tubbs also won Level 4 games as Stratford’s head coach while leading Stratford to WIAA state runnersup finishes in 2018 and 2019.

“I told the guys before the game I am 8-0 in Level 4 and I want to get to 9-0,” Coach Tubbs said. “The last two times we went to Madison we came away with silver, and it’s great taking second place but we want to go down and win one.”

Stratford has a 10-2-1 record heading into its WIAA Division 6 state championship against Mondovi, 12-1, at 1 p.m. this Thursday, Nov. 17, at Camp Randall Stadium on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Schueller proudly grasped the Level 4 championship plaque after Friday’s win against St. Mary’s Springs Academy.

“It’s been a dream of my teammates and I since kindergarten for our high school football team to go to state football in Madison and now we are finally living it,” Schueller said.

“I usually don’t play defense and to get a chance to make a play on the football was just amazing.”Braeden Schueller Stratford senior