Edgar in driver’s seat

Team takes huge step toward a conference title

By Casey Krautkramer

Edgar’s varsity football team now has the upper edge on winning the Marawood Conference championship this season, after Friday’s 27-0 road win against Colby.

Colby was regarded as the best football team besides Edgar in the Marawood this season, despite a few other schools like Abbotsford and Auburndale remaining unbeaten thus far. Edgar will play its Homecoming game at 7 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 22, against another undefeated opponent, Abbotsford.

Edgar avenged last season’s loss to Colby at home. Edgar still shared the Marawood Conference title last year after Auburndale beat Colby. The Wildcats were hungry to beat Colby this season and win an outright Marawood Conference championship.

The Wildcats leaned on the hard running of senior Karter Butt, who led the team with 22 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns. Speedy senior running back Kohlbe Weisenberger rushed nine times for 64 yards and one touchdown. Junior receiver Leyton Schuett caught four passes for 59 yards.

Edgar senior quarterback Teegan Streit played a solid game against Colby by completing four of seven passes for 59 yards and he also ran the football four times and scored one touchdown.

It was Edgar’s defense, however, that was the star of the game against Colby. The Wildcats held the Hornets to only four first downs and 85 yards of total offense. Karter Butt led Edgar with 12 tackles including two tackles for loss. Senior Preston Dahlke had eight tackles and one tackle for loss, while Weisenberger had seven tackles including two tackles for loss.

Edgar’s defense has only surrendered an average of 2.8 points per game during its first five games this season. The Wildcats have shut out their last three opponents.

Edgar defeated Colby, which entered the game ranked sixth in Division 5, yet the Wildcats remain ranked fourth in Division 7. Edgar now has a 4-1 record this season but is more importantly unbeaten in the Marawood Conference.

Red Raiders lose shootout

It was a tale of two halves on Friday in the Marathon varsity football team’s 32-20 loss to Abbotsford. This football game was a mere two miles north of the Colby versus Edgar game. Marathon scored all 20 of its points in the first half against Abbotsford. The Red Raiders led the Falcons, 20-12, at halftime.

Marathon fell apart in the second half, however, as undefeated Abbotsford scored 20 points while holding Marathon scoreless. It was a pretty even football game, based on the statistics, as the Falcons only held a 2219 advantage in first downs. Abbotsford enjoyed more success running the football, 295 yards to 102 yards, against Marathon. The Red Raiders, meanwhile, had more success passing the ball, 244 yards to 103 yards, against the Falcons. Abbotsford lost both of its fumbles and Marathon lost all three of its fumbles.

Senior wideout Tyler Underwood led Marathon with seven catches for 93 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore end Drew Woelfel had four catches for 91 yards. Senior quarterback Cooper Hoeksema completed 15 of 20 passes for 233 yards and one touchdown and he ran the football five times for 23 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore quarterback True Thurs completed his only pass, an 11yard touchdown to Underwood for the team’s first score against Abbotsford. Thurs also ran the ball 18 times for 80 yards.

Thurs led Marathon’s defense with 10 tackles while senior Luke Aschenbrenner added eight. Senior Ethan Hale and Woelfel each had five tackles.

Marathon falls to 3-2 overall this season and now plays its Homecoming game at 7 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 22, against undefeated Auburndale. The Eagles are ranked seventh in Division 6.

Tigers homecoming win

Stratford’s varsity football squad had no trouble winning Saturday afternoon’s Homecoming game, 44-0, against Shiocton.

Tigers junior quarterback Jack Tubbs passed a 22-yard touchdown to junior Jett Schoenherr to start the team’s scoring. Junior Reid Miller kicked the extra point. Schoenherr then ran for a 1-yard touchdown and Miller again kicked the extra point to give Stratford a 14-0 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

Tubbs threw a 42-yard touchdown to senior Gavin Leonhardt in the second quarter. Senior Matt Folz, who was the holder for the extra point kick, grabbed the football and ran for the two-point conversion. Tubbs connected with Leonhardt again, this time for a 14-yard touchdown. Stratford let center Walker Weis run the ball up the middle for the two-point conversion.

Folz intercepted the football and he returned it for a 39-yard touchdown. Laurenz Plattner kicked the extra point to give Stratford a 37-0 halftime advantage. Senior Koehler Kilty ran for a four-yard touchdown in the third quarter and Miller kicked the extra point to end the team’s scoring against Shiocton.

Tubbs completed five of seven passes for 121 yards and three touchdowns. Folz completed his only pass of 33 yards to junior Xander Curtice. Kilty ran 19 times for 146 yards and a touchdown.

Senior Kaleb Krummel had Stratford’s lone quarterback sack on defense. Leonhardt paced the Tigers with seven tackles while junior Caleb Wrensch and Tubbs had five tackles apiece.

Stratford plays at Nekoosa at 7 p.m. this Friday, Sept. 22. Stratford, 4-1, remains undefeated in the Central Wisconsin Large Conference with Wittenberg-Birnamwood and Weyauwega- Fremont.

Bluejays suffer shut out

The Athens varsity eight-man football team lost to seventh ranked Owen-Withee, 49-0, on Friday at home. Sophomore Evin Passehl led the Bluejays with 11 rushes for 20 yards. Passehl had five kickoff returns for 71 yards and junior Kyle Schreiner had three kickoff returns for 51 yards. Athens has upcoming road games against Alma Center Lincoln and Thorp before playing its Homecoming game on Friday, Oct. 6, against Greenwood.

THURS STIFF ARMS AN ABBY DEFENDER- Marathon sophomore quarterback True Thurs eludes a pair of Abbotsford defensive players during Friday’s 32-20 road loss.TP PHOTO/SAMANTHA YOCIUS

YOUNG DEFENSE GETS A STOP- Athens defenders, pictured from left to right, are sophomore Gavin Frahm (30), junior Gavin Glenn (52), freshman Daxton Diethelm (10) and sophomore Riley Schultz-Becker (82) celebrate one of their few defensive stops during Friday’s 49-0 home loss to Owen-Withee. STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER

TURNING ON THE JETTS- Stratford junior receiver Jett Schoenherr celebrates his first of two first-quarter touchdowns against Shiocton during Saturday afternoon’s 44-0 Homecoming win.STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER