Raiders ‘believe’they can win
By Casey Krautkramer
Marathon’s varsity football coaches wore t-shirts on Friday night that read, “We Believe” on their backs during the team’s come-from-behind 27-20 non-conference home win against Pittsville.
The Red Raiders had two touchdowns called back because of penalties in the first half and were losing 12-0 at halftime to the Panthers. Things got worse when Marathon fumbled the opening kickoff in the second half. Pittsville took the football and scored another touchdown to take a 20-0 lead with seven minutes, 33 seconds left in the third quarter.
Marathon’s coaches and players could’ve thrown in the towel on their season opener, but instead, they had faith in this season’s team mission statement “We Believe.” Red Raiders senior wide receiver Cody Radtke caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback True Thurs with three minutes, 11 seconds left in the third quarter. Radtke kicked the extra point.
The team’s momentum on offense carried over to its defense. Red Raiders junior defensive lineman Cassius Ninabuck sacked Panthers senior quarterback Ben Friday to force a punt. Marathon got the football back and Radtke caught a pass from Thurs and
See FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS/ page 14
BRACING FOR THE TACKLE - Marathon sophomore wide receiver Garrett Bracewell catches a pass along the Red Raiders sideline on Friday night and then heads up field before getting tackled by a Pittsville defender.
STAFF PHOTOS/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
DEFENSIVE TACKLE GOBBLES UP THE RUNNING BACK - Marathon junior Hudson Voight stands up Pittsville junior running back Dawson Luther for no gain in Friday night’s 27-20 win.
DUAL-THREAT THURS TAKES TO THE AIR - Red Raiders junior quarterback True Thurs attempts a pass during Friday night’s season-opening home game against Pittsville. Thurs completed 14 of 26 passes for 241 yards and three touchdowns in the victory.
Chris Marcell Friday night lights
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ran to the two-yard line before the end of the third quarter. Pittsville led Marathon, 20-7, at the end of the third quarter but the Red Raiders were knocking on the doorstep of the end zone.
Thus ran the ball to Pittsville’s oneyard line on the first play of the fourth quarter. Marathon then had two receivers spread out to the right side of the field, and they blocked their defenders so Thurs could score a oneyard touchdown run. Radtke’s extra point kick failed but Marathon was now only down by seven points.
Pittsville’s offense got the football back and faced a fourth down and two at Marathon’s 20-yard line. The Red Raiders defense got another big stop when junior linebacker Nathan Hoenisch and junior defensive back Cale Quaintance combined to tackle Panthers quarterback Friday short of gaining the first down, forcing a punt.
Marathon junior tight end Chris Marcell atoned for a dropped pass on a previous offensive drive by catching a 64yard touchdown pass from Thurs with four minutes, 41 seconds remaining.
Marcell also caught the two-point conversion to give Marathon its first lead of the game, 21-20, against Pittsville.
Red Raiders head coach Ryan Winkler said he and his coaching staff discussed whether or not to have Radtke attempt the extra point kick to tie the game or go for the lead.
“We have confidence in our kicker but we thought that we saw something where their linebackers were coming up so we could get the pass catch over the middle for the two-point conversion,” he said.
Marcell was elated to catch both the long touchdown and two-point conversion passes from Thurs.
“It was the greatest feeling in the world and I couldn’t have done it without my teammates,” Marcell said. “Obviously it was a great throw by my quarterback True Thurs. I couldn’t have done this without any of my teammates who were hyping me up after the earlier dropped pass I had was really in my head.”
Marathon’s defense rose to the occasion again on Pitsville’s next offensive possession when Quaintance intercepted Pittsville’s other quarterback, senior Logan Zichert, on the Red Raiders’ 40-yard line with three minutes, 33 seconds left in the game.
The Red Raiders took the football and sophomore wide receiver Garrett Bracewell caught a 46-yard touchdown from Thurs with just over a minute remaining. Radtke bobbled the snap on the extra-point attempt but Marathon was ahead, 27-20, in the waning seconds of the game.
Marathon’s defense sealed the win by stopping Pittsville’s offense one final time. Sophomore defensive lineman Jace Ostrowski had two straight tackles and junior linebacker Will Tourtillott intercepted Friday’s pass with only 30 seconds left in the game.
Winkler said this year’s team mission statement “We Believe” was executed to perfection in the second half against Pittsville.
“We are just trying to get over the hump as a football program and we want the kids to know that we coaches believe in them and that they should believe in themselves, and we just need to have the belief that we can win,” he said. “We talk all the time about believing that we can win.”
Marcell said it was an amazing victory on opening night of the high school football season.
“It feels amazing, especially after a disappointing playoff loss last year,” he said. “We gained a lot of momentum and I think that I’m speaking for our whole team that it feels great.”
Marathon plays a road game against Auburndale at 7 p.m. this Friday, Aug. 30. Marathon built an 18-0 halftime lead against Auburndale in last season’s WIAA Division 6 Level 1 road playoff game, only to have Auburndale score 21 straight second-half points to win the game.
Auburndale also won its season opener on Friday, 42-21, in a road game against Spencer/Columbus Catholic.
Rivalry ensues
Edgar and Stratford will play each other at 7 p.m. this Friday, Aug. 30, in Edgar in the biggest small school football rivalry in the state. The Wildcats have beaten the Tigers in two straight seasons. Edgar defeated Stratford, 406, last year in Stratford. The Wildcats also beat the Tigers, 14-0, in Edgar during the 2022 season.
The Wildcats have a 30-26 regularseason lead against the Tigers since they began playing each other in 1965. Edgar also leads Stratford, 6-2, in the playoffs series. Therefore, Edgar currently holds a 36-28 lead against Stratford in the regular season and playoff games combined.
Edgar opened this season on Friday with a 28-20 road win against Ladysmith. The Wildcats held a slim 22-20 halftime advantage against the Lumberjacks who made the Division 6 playoffs last season.
Senior Jase Apfelbeck led Edgar in rushing with 18 carries for 112 yards and one touchdown. Sophomore Maverick Butt was second on the team in rushing with 13 carries for 51 yards and one touchdown. Junior Gavin Mauer ran twice for 29 yards and one touchdown.
Edgar senior linebacker Ty Schnelle paced the defense with nine tackles and a forced fumble. Defensive back Gavin Mauer collected eight tackles while linebacker Apfelbeck added seven. Butt and Hackel each intercepted one pass.
Stratford beat Mosinee, 30-6, in Friday’s home season opener. It’s the Tigers second straight win against the Indians. Stratford also beat Mosinee, 33-14, last season in Mosinee.
In Friday’s win, Stratford senior Caleb Wrensch led the team in rushing with seven carries for 92 yards and one touchdown. Senior quarterback Jack Tubbs was second for the Tigers in rushing with eight carries for 76 yards, including a 46-yard touchdown in the third quarter in which he broke several tackles en route to the end zone. Senior Reid Miller kicked a 30-yard field goal in the second quarter to give the Tigers a 17-6 halftime advantage.
Tubbs completed five of nine passes for 54 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. Senior Jett Schoenherr led Stratford in receiving with two receptions for 19 yards and one touchdown. Senior Alec Chapel caught a nine-yard touchdown from Tubbs in the fourth quarter to seal the victory.
Outside linebacker Wrensch and safety Chapel led Stratford’s defense with nine tackles each. Wrensch also recorded a quarterback sack. Senior defensive end Walker Weis added seven tackles and senior defensive end Carter Lueck had six tackles. Junior safety Brady Berg intercepted a pass.
