SPORTS - Let it snow, let the Wildcats win
SPORTS
By Casey Krautkramer
A brisk northwest wind blew the falling snow at Edgar and Potosi/Cassville football players during the start of Thursday morning’s WIAA Division 7 state championship football game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. By the time Edgar beat Potosi/Cassville, 19-0, the snow had subsided in the early afternoon and the Wildcats were hoisting another shiny gold state championship trophy.
The Wildcats won back-to-back D-7 state championships and their ninth state football title in school history. Edgar is tied with Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs with nine WIAA state championships for the second most in state history.
Jerry Sinz was gifted a surprise state championship in his 50th season as Edgar’s varsity head football coach.
“I’m shocked they were able to play as good as they did because we graduated so many guys and we had new quarterbacks and running backs,” he said. “Our motto was 1 percent better every day. I thought our coaches did a great job. I am amazed that we got a shut out today but of course I’m sure the weather had something to do with it. It was not fun out there for anybody. I thought it was a big deal that we kicked off and got the wind at our back in the first quarter and pinned them.”
“I told the guys that if we get ahead by two touchdowns it’s going to be hard for them to come back in this weather, because it’s just about impossible to throw the ball. Our quarterback was doing two hand pitch passes just to get the ball out. He couldn't grip the ball because he has little hands and they were frozen, so yeah it’s amazing to me that we won and I’m
See BACK-TO-BACK/ page 16
HAVING FUN SCORING IN THE SNOW - Edgar senior Will Hackel runs into the end zone while the snow flakes fly for a 10-yard touchdown early in Thursday’s 19-0 win against Potosi/Cassville in the WIAA Division 7 state title game at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. Wildcats junior quarterback Tucker Streit is seen raising his arms to signal the touchdown while junior guard Alex Schneider (64) also celebrates the score. staffphoto/caseykrautkramer Back-to-back
Continued from page 9
really happy for him.”
Edgar’s offense only mustered 119 total yards compared to 158 for Potosi/ Cassville in the state championship yet the Wildcats still won the game by scoring 13 of their 19 points off turnovers.
Wildcats senior running back and linebacker Jase Apfelbeck broke his ankle in Edgar’s second game this season against Stratford. Sinz said Apfelbeck was initially supposed to miss the rest of the football season but his doctor cleared him to play football again 10 days before Thursday’s state championship. He played a few defensive snaps in Edgar’s 21-20 win against Boyceville in the state semifinal and then was able to play nearly every defensive snap in Thursday’s state championship.
“It’s one of the best moments of my whole life to just be back out there with my brothers and be part of my team again,” Apfelbeck said while tearing up after the state championship win. “It was one of the best days of my life. I can’t believe this all would have happened.”
Apfelbeck recovered Potosi/Cassville’s fumble at the 25-yard line early in the game to help set up Edgar’s first touchdown. It only took the Wildcats 16 seconds to score. Edgar junior quarterback Tucker Streit kept the ball for a 15-yard run and then senior Will Hackel ran for a 10-yard touchdown. Hackel’s two-point run failed.
Edgar junior Maverick Butt scored a 12yard rushing touchdown with seven seconds left in the first quarter. Butt’s twopoint conversion pass was incomplete. There was no scoring in the second quarter but Edgar held a 12-0 halftime lead against Potosi/Cassville.
There was also no scoring in the third quarter. Butt caught an eight-yard touchdown pass from Streit with two minutes, 40 seconds left in the fourth quarter to seal the state championship victory. German exchange student Jarvis Kofent kicked the successful extra point.
Butt led Edgar’s rushing attack with 16 carries for 45 yards and a touchdown. He was elated to help the Wildcats football team win back-to-back WIAA Division 7 state titles this season.
“We started grinding the day after the season finished last year,” Butt said. “We just took advantage of every single moment we had with one another, and it truly meant the world to just be with one another.”
Edgar senior inside linebacker Ty Schnelle led the team with eight tackles, including a tackle for loss, in the state championship win. Junior defensive end Lucas Stahnke added seven tackles, including a tackle for loss. Streit, who plays defensive back, also had seven tackles. Apfelbeck added six tackles along with his fumble recovery. Senior defensive tackle Corey Koeppl and Hackel, who plays linebacker, each had half a quarterback sack.
Apfelbeck is thankful to experience playing in a snowy state championship game.
“It was awesome,” he said. “This is what I dreamed of as a little kid. All week we were wanting snow. We’d been wishing for the snow and this is one of the best ways to go out in the last game. It was one of the best feelings ever.”
TOUCHDOWN CELEBRATION IN THE SNOW - Edgar junior Maverick Butt is greeted by his teammates after scoring a 12-yard rushing touchdown with seven seconds left in the first quarter of Thursday’s 19-0 win against Potosi/Cassville in the WIAA Division 7 state championship. STAFF PHOTO/CASEY KRAUTKRAMER
