Record 14th state appearance

By Casey Krautkramer

It was only a matter of time before Edgar’s football team outlasted Bangor in Friday’s WIAA Division 6 Level 4 playoff game at Durand-Arkansaw High School.

After a scoreless first half, the Wildcats endured a long offensive drive resulting in senior quarterback Teegan Streit’s sixyard touchdown pass to junior receiver Leyton Schuett. Edgar senior running back Karter Butt ran in the two-point conversion to give the Wildcats an 8-0 lead and they never looked back. Edgar downed Bangor, 21-3, to advance to the state championship for the first time since 2019.

This will be Edgar’s state record 14th state title game appearance. Hartland Arrowhead, Darlington and St. Mary’s Springs have 13 state championship game appearances and Waunakee is next with 12. Lancaster and Stratford have 11 state title game appearances and Kimberly has 10.

Edgar, 12-1, will play at 10 a.m. this Thursday, Nov. 16 against a familiar state championship opponent in Black Hawk/ Warren, Ill., 12-1. Edgar lost to Black Hawk, 22-15, in the 2018 WIAA Division 7 state championship. The next season, Black Hawk formed a cooperative football program with Warren, Ill., and beat Edgar, 6-0, in the Division 7 state title game. Black Hawk/Warren, Ill., defeated previously unbeaten Reedsville, 36-7, in Friday’s other Division 7 Level 4 game.

Edgar moved the football well in the first half of Friday’s Level 4 win against Bangor, but the Wildcats couldn’t score any points. Edgar’s defense held Bangor

See ‘CATS GOING TO STATE/ page 16

WILDCATS ADVANCE TO STATE!- Edgar senior football players on Friday night rush the crowd after the team’s 21-3 WIAA Level 4 win against Bangor at Durand-Arkansaw High School. Players pictured, from left to right, are Marcus Huehnerfuss (55), Teegan Streit (11), Harrison Graveen (74), Brett Baumgartner holding the Level 4 championship plaque and Karter Butt (21).

PHOTO BY JEREMY SCHREIBER ‘Cats going to state

Continued from page 10

to a three and out during the Cardinals’ opening possession of the game. The Wildcats strung together a long drive on their first offensive possession of the game, however on fourth down Butt only ran for three yards which was one yard short of the first down. Bangor took over on downs at its own seven-yard line. The Cardinals ended up punting the football back to the Wildcats.

The Wildcats didn’t gain much traction on their next offensive possession. Head coach Jerry Sinz decided it was best to play the field position battle by having junior Brock Mauer punt the football on fourth down and two at Edgar’s own 47yard line.

Edgar’s defense continued to limit Bangor during the Cardinals’ next offensive possession. Butt, while playing linebacker, tackled Bangor junior Eli Tucker short of the first down on a counter run play. The Cardinals were forced to punt on fourth down and 10.

The Wildcats’ offense was moving the football again until a mistake derailed the offensive drive. Senior quarterback Teegan Streit completed a screen pass to senior running back Kohlbe Weisenberger for an 11-yard first down. Junior Jase Apfelbeck ran 15 yards for a first down to Bangor’s 39-yard line. Weisenberger ran the football for a short gain. Teegan Streit’s pass was under thrown and thus it was intercepted by Bangor senior defensive back Garrett Brezany at the 10-yard line.

Edgar’s stout defense held Bangor again to give the football back to the offense. Teegan Streit threw another interception, but this time it was more of a desperation throw on fourth down at Bangor’s 17-yard line. Cardinals senior Landon Phillips intercepted the football in the end zone.

After halftime, the Wildcats took the opening kickoff of the second half and they were determined to put points on the scoreboard. Edgar put together a long 13-play scoring drive that took nearly seven-and-a-half minutes off the clock. Butt and Weisenberger had some big runs during the possession. Weisenberger ran to the edge of Bangor’s defense and he spun away from a defender for a 12-yard run to the Cardinals’ 22-yard line. Butt ran for four yards to the 18-yard line before Weisenberger rushed nine yards for a first down to Bangor’s nine-yard line. Butt ran the football to the six-yard line and then he was stopped for no gain. Streit then rolled out and threw a six-yard touchdown pass to Schuett in the end zone. Butt ran for the two-point conversion to give Edgar an 8-0 lead.

On Bangor’s first possession of the second half, senior quarterback Nolan Michek was scrambling to get a first down when Edgar senior linebacker Preston Dahlke knocked the football out of Michek’s hands and sophomore Tucker Streit recovered the fumble on the Wildcats’ 40-yard line. Edgar’s offense stalled at the end of the third quarter. Coach Sinz continued to play the field position game by having Brock Mauer punt the football on fourth down and three at the 48-yard line early in the fourth quarter.

It turned out to be a great coaching decision by Sinz because Edgar’s defense stopped Bangor to force a punt. Edgar’s offense began its next possession with great field position when Butt fair caught the ball at Bangor’s 45-yard line. Weisenberger immediately busted off a 32-yard run to Bangor’s 22-yard line. Butt then ran the ball for six and five yards to Bangor’s five-yard line. Apfelbeck ran the ball for three yards before he got the call again for a two-yard rushing touchdown with seven minutes, 31 seconds left in the game. Senior Harrison Graveen kicked the extra point to give Edgar a 15-0 advantage.

Bangor’s offensive drive ended when Teegan Streit intercepted Michek’s under thrown pass into double coverage at the Cardinals’ 10-yard line. Butt ran the football to the 22-yard line and a 15-yard face mask penalty against Bangor was added to the end of the run. Weisenberger rushed for an eight-yard gain to Edgar’s 46-yard line. Apfelbeck was then stopped for no gain. Edgar was faced with third down and two yards at its own 46-yard line. Butt broke loose down the sideline and he gave his teammate Weisenberger a high five at the nine-yard line on his way to the end zone for a 54-yard touchdown run. Graveen missed the extra point kick but the Wildcats were still ahead, 21-0, against the Cardinals.

Dahlke had a big sack during Bangor’s next offensive possession but the Cardinals were still able to move the football against the Wildcats. Michek’s pass went right through an Edgar defender’s hands and right into Phillips’ hands for a long pass reception to Edgar’s 40-yard line. Edgar senior defensive end Brett Baumgartner hit Michek as he released the ball for an incomplete pass on third down. On fourth down and 15 yards, Phillips caught a pass from Michek for a first down to Edgar’s 25-yard line. Bangor would only get as far as Edgar’s 19-yard line. On fourth down and four yards to go with only 18 seconds left, Bangor senior Sam Crenshaw made a 36-yard field goal to get Bangor on the scoreboard before the game ended.

Edgar held a considerable advantage, 337-104, yards rushing the football against Bangor. Butt ran the football 24 times for 187 yards and a touchdown while Weisenberger ran the ball 14 times for 113 yards and Apfelbeck ran the ball five times for 36 yards and a touchdown. Senior Chase Horstman led Bangor with 17 rushes for 55 yards.

Baumgartner paced Edgar’s defense with 10 tackles while Butt and Dahlke added eight tackles each in the victory against Bangor. Apfelbeck contributed six tackles and Maverick Butt had five. Brock Mauer and Teegan Streit had four tackles apiece.

BLOCKER OUT IN FRONT- Edgar junior receiver Austin Schreiber (25) looks to make a block for senior running back Karter Butt (21) on one of his many runs against Bangor

during Friday’s 21-3 Level 4 playoff win. PHOTO BY JEREMY SCHREIBER