Tigers prove who is No. 1 seed
By Casey Krautkramer
See TIGERS PLAYOFF FOOTBALL/ page 14
Straford’s varsity football team showed on Friday why it should’ve been awarded the No. 1 seed instead of Auburndale in the WIAA Division 6 playoffs. The No. 2 seeded Tigers found success utilizing the shovel pass to easily beat the Eagles, 40-7, in a road Level 3 playoff game.
Tigers senior halfback Gavin Leonhardt had a stellar night against the Eagles with four receptions for 133 yards and four touchdowns.
“Auburndale thought they would’ve beaten us in the playoffs last year but you can’t beat us if you don’t play us.”
Gavin Leonhardt Stratford senior
He also had a 1-yard rushing touchdown to begin the team’s scoring against Auburndale. There was extra motivation for Leonhardt to play well against the Eagles on Friday night.
“Auburndale wanted to play us last year in the playoffs but then they got beat by Mondovi,” Leonhardt said. “Auburndale thought they would’ve beaten us in the playoffs last year but you can’t beat us if you don’t play us.”
Auburndale finally got its chance to play Stratford in the playoffs this season and it couldn’t be happy with the result. Tigers junior quarterback Jack Tubbs completed nine of 11 passes for 186 yards and four touchdowns against Auburndale. Senior running back Koehler Kilty had 29 carries for 194 rushing yards.
Stratford stuck it to Auburndale right away with an 83-yard opening touchdown drive that took nine minutes, 56 seconds off the clock. Leonhardt capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown with just over two minutes left in the first quarter. Senior Laurenz Plattner kicked the extra point.
Leonhardt caught a shovel pass from Tubbs behind the line of scrimmage and ran for a 76-yard touchdown on the second play of Stratford’s second possession of the game. This time Plattner missed the extra point. Leonhardt caught another shovel pass from Tubbs for a 12yard touchdown run with four minutes, 25 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Plattner made the extra point to give the Tigers a 20-0 halftime advantage against the Eagles.
Auburndale finally got on the scoreboard during its first possession of the second half when senior quarterback Kaden Anderson faked the ball to senior running back Evan Scholl and he kept the ball himself running down the middle for a 65-yard touchdown. Senior Aden Cherney kicked the extra point as the Eagles cut into the Tigers’ lead. Stratford’s defense didn’t allow Auburndale to score any more points.
Stratford executed a perfect play-action pass in the third quarter when Tubbs faked the handoff to Kilty and found a wide open Leonhardt for a 17-yard touchdown pass. The Tigers attempted to fake the extra point, kick and pitch the football, but the holder was tackled right away. Stratford still led, 26-7, against Auburndale.
PHOTO BY HOLLY
Late in the third quarter, Kilty picked up a big first down to Auburndale’s seven- yard line on a short fourth down play. He then ran for five more yards to the two-yard line. Stratford junior wide receiver Jett Schoenherr caught a shovel pass from Tubbs and ran for a two-yard touchdown with 50 seconds remaining in the third quarter. Kilty ran in the twopoint conversion to give the Tigers a 34-7 advantage.
Stratford junior wide receiver Caleb
BRUISING BACK- Stratford senior running back Koehler Kilty hits the hole so hard he knocks over defenders, for example, Auburndale senior defensive back Aden Cherney who is lying on the Eagles’ football field on Friday night during the Tigers 40-7 WIAA Level 3 road playoff win.
DEHLINGER PHOTO BY HOLLY DEHLINGER
Continued from page 10
Wrensch ran for a four-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter but Tubb’s twopoint conversion pass was incomplete. The Tigers won, 40-7.
Tigers head coach Jason Tubbs was happy to leave Auburndale with a big playoff win.
“I am real proud of our guys grinding out plays and we did what we do best which is run the football,” he said.
Stratford improves its record to 11-1 while Auburndale concludes this season with an 11-2 record. Stratford now plays against undefeated Grantsburg at 7 p.m. this Friday, Nov. 10, in a WIAA Division 6 Level 4 playoff game in Chippewa Falls. Grantsburg beat Cameron, 61-20, in Friday’s home Level 3 playoff game.
Coach Tubbs explains how the Tigers can beat the Pirates for a chance to return to Madison to defend the Division 6 state championship they won last season.
“Grantsburg has a lot of playmakers so we need to try to slow them down and have our offense continue to move the football and get first downs that turn into touchdowns,” he said.
The winner of Friday’s Stratford against Grantsburg Level 4 playoff game will play in the Division 6 state championship at 1 p.m. next Thursday, Nov. 16, against the winner of Friday’s other Level 4 playoff game between undefeated Kewaunee and Darlington, 11-1, in DeForest.
TOUCHDOWN CELEBRATION- Stratford senior offensive lineman Walker Weis holds up junior wide receiver Caleb Wrensch after his four-yard rushing touchdown on Friday in the fourth quarter of the team’s 40-7 road WIAA Division 6 Level 3 playoff victory against Auburndale.
PLAYMAKER- Stratford junior starting quarterback Jack Tubbs keeps the football for a big gain on Friday night against Auburndale in the Tigers’ 52-26 WIAA Division 6 Level 3 road playoff victory.
PHOTO BY HOLLY DEHLINGER
