This story is sponsored by: Chili Implement
By Steve Pilz
For MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STRATFORD – The Stratford Tigers wasted little time in starting defense of their Division 6 state championship, dispatching Weyauwega-Fremont 49-0 in a WIAA Level 1 football playoff game Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
Stratford (9-1) extended its winning streak to eight and advances to a Level 2 game next Friday at 7 p.m. back at Tiger Stadium. Their opponent will be a familiar one.
With No. 3 seed Mondovi beating No. 6 Bonduel 33-29 on Friday night, it set up a rematch of the 2022 D-6 state championship final between Stratford and Mondovi, which is also 9-1 this season.
The Tigers had beaten Weyauwega-Fremont 56-0 on Oct. 6, so the outcome this time around was not entirely surprising.
In fact, Stratford ran out to a 21-0 lead after a quarter.
Gavin Leonhardt ran it in from the 1 with 8:52 left in the first quarter, Koehler Kilty scored from 16 yards away with 4:58 left in the opening frame and Jake Tubbs hit Payton Glenn with a 13-yard scoring strike at the 2:02 mark to make it 21-0.
It seems ludicrous to think the Warhawks won the second quarter, but they ran off a 15-play drive, gaining five first downs to Stratford’s two, and beat them in yardage 97-73.
Alas, Kilty ran one in from 51 yards out with 1:32 left in the half and Gavin Leonhardt picked off freshman quarterback Carter Birdyshaw and returned it 46 yards for a TD with 19 seconds left in the half to make it 35-0.
So much for momentum, and so much for the Warhawks on this night.
“Seniors always play harder in their last game,” Stratford coach Jason Tubbs said. “We were expected to win. We were dialed in. I was real happy with the offense, except for one play. On defense, they had the ball and with penalties, they were able to get some first downs. They are doing fake punts and passing a lot because they have nothing to lose. I was real happy with our team. Our goal is to keep improving,”
With the clock running on a 35-point lead, both teams continued as they had. The Warhawks kept battling, but were over-matched. Tubbs hit Alex Chapel with a dart from 15 yards out with 11:14 left in the game to push the Tigers’ lead to 41-0.
Tubbs’ replacement Brady Berg threw a 26-yard pitch and catch to Coltan Breit for a 26-yard touchdown. Brooks Vanderhoof ran in the PAT and picked off a Birdyshaw pass on the last play of the game.
“Tonight, our offensive line was really good,” Tubbs said. “We moved the ball at will at times. We haven’t used all our weapons yet. We had seven new guys starting on offense. We had 10 guys in different spots on defense. We’re starting to see improvements. Some great athletes week in and week out. I’m real proud of them.”
Click here to view the statewide Level 1 football scoreboard
Tigers 49, Warhawks 0
Weyauwega-Fremont 0 0 0 0 – 0
Stratford 21 14 0 14 – 49
First Quarter
S – Gavin Leonhardt 1 run (Laurenz Plattner kick), 8:52.
S – Koehler Kilty 16 run (Plattner kick), 4:58.
S – Payton Glenn 13 from Jake Tubbs (Plattner kick), 2:02.
Second Quarter
S – Kilty 51 run (Plattner kick), 1:32.
S – Leonhardt 46 interception return (Plattner kick), 0:19.
Fourth Quarter
S – Alec Chapel 15 from Tubbs (kick missed), 11:14.
S – Coltan Breit 26 from Brady Berg (Brooks Vanderhoof run), 0:54.
Team Statistics
Frist downs: WF 11; S 16.
Rushing (att-yards): WF 25-57; S 23-292.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): WF 13-29-110-3; S 5-9-74-1.
Total yards: WF 167; S 366.
Fumbles (total-lost): WF 0-0; S 0-0.
Penalties (no.-yards): WF 6-50; S 3-35.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: WF, Dawson Lind 13-25, Carter Birdyshaw 7-24, Chris Gunst 4-4. S, Kilty 15-177, Jett Schoenherr 2-58, Leonhardt 2-30.
Passing: WF, Birdyshaw 11-27-55-3, Charles Mueller 2-2-40-0. S, Tubbs 3-6-41-1, Berg 2-3-33-0.
Receiving: WF, Broc Billington 3-48, Hunter Meisenhelder 3-38, Gunst 3-19, Lind 3-9. S, Breit 1-26, Chapel 1-25, Leonhardt 1-9, Payton Glenn 1-7, John Mews 1-7.
Records: Weyauwega-Fremont 6-4; Stratford 9-1.