Tigers pull plug on Falcons’ season

Moving up a division in the WIAA state football playoffs is not a problem for the Stratford Tigers.

At least not in the first two rounds.

Stratford, the defending Division 6 state champion, is two wins away from playing for a Division 5 championship after handing Amherst a 28-7 loss in a Level 2 matchup of Central Wisconsin Conference-Large teams on Nov. 1 in Marshfield.

The Tigers improved to 11-0 on the season and will host Lake Country Lutheran in a Level 3 game on Friday, Nov. 8. Amherst, which fell to the Tigers 48-20 during the regular season, ended its season at 8-3.

After Stratford turned the ball over on downs on the game’s opening drive, Amherst drove 72 yards and scored on Ayden Nerdahl’s 25-yard run. The Falcons never found the end zone again.

Stratford tied the game on the final play of the first quarter, as Jack Tubbs scored on a 59-yard quarterback keeper that tied the game at 7-7.

Both teams were in the red zone in the second quarter but came up empty.

Stratford had a first-and-goal on the Amherst 10-yard line but turned the ball over on downs. Amherst had the ball at the Stratford 9-yard line in the final minute of the first half, but Jett Schoenherr picked off Michael Glodowski’s pass, and the Tigers ran out the clock.

Stratford took the lead early in the third quarter after recovering an Amherst fumble at their 29-yard line.

Brooks Vanderhoff’s 17-yard run gave Stratford a 14-7 lead.

The Falcons had another opportunity in the third quarter after Jake Victor recovered a muffed punt return that set Amherst up at the Stratford 35-yard line. However, the Falcons turned the ball over on downs.

Facing a fourth-and-3 at its 30-yard line in the fourth quarter, Amherst tried a fake punt to keep the ball but came up one yard short. The Tigers took over at the Amherst 32-yard line and eventually took a two-score lead on Tubbs’ 11-yard run.

Stratford added its final score on the Tigers’ next drive, as Caleb Wrensch scored on a 2-yard run.

Amherst finished with over 150 yards of offense in the first half but ended up with 236 for the game.

The Tigers outgained the Falcons 243-139 on the ground and 101-98 through the air.

Glodowski completed 11 of 20 passes for 98 yards but had only 37 rushing yards. Nerdahl ran for 100 yards, while Tubbs led all rushers with 139 yards.