This story is sponsored by Total Electric
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STRATFORD – The Stratford football never seems to have an off night.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood was hoping for one on Friday as it visited Tiger Stadium, but the Tigers were not about to oblige.
The Tigers scored on their first two drives, held Wittenberg-Birnamwood to just 43 yards in the first half, and cruised to a 33-6 victory.
Stratford is now 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Central Wisconsin Conference while extending its winning streak to 16 dating back to a Week 2 loss last season.
Quarterback Jack Tubbs rushed for 97 yards and a touchdown, threw for 88 yards and another score, and Brooks Vanderhoof added two rushing touchdowns on the ground for Stratford, which outgained W-B (2-2, 1-1 CWC Large) 385-186 overall.
“Our offense was firing right away, I love seeing that,” Stratford coach Jason Tubbs said. “I love seeing our bend but don’t break mentality, get the ball back, and score again. A lot of guys play both ways and take pride in what they do. That was a big team, but our guys were physical, fast and I like to think pretty strong too.”
Stratford went 58 yards on nine-straight rushing plays on its opening possession with Reid Miller taking it into the end zone from 1-yard out. Mason Miller kicked the extra point and the Tigers were off and running, up 7-0.
After the Chargers’ second-straight three-and-out, the Tigers needed just four plays to go 55 yards for another score as Tubbs took a keeper to the left and raced 21 yards for a touchdown. A missed extra point kick left Stratford up 13-0 with 1½ minutes to go in the opening quarter.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood put together a good drive, reaching the Stratford 16, but the Tigers stiffened and turned the Chargers away.
Stratford then looked poised to put the game away early, going from its own 18 down the Chargers’ 5. However, the Chargers’ defense dug in and turned Stratford away.
W-B was unable to get a first down and the change in field position resulted in another score for Stratford.
A 27-yard punt return by Jett Schoenherr set up Stratford at the 13 and three plays later, Tubbs hit Caleb Wrensch for a 5-yard touchdown with just 19 seconds to go and the Tigers took a 19-0 lead into halftime.
“We have guys that are fast, that can get to the ball,” Coach Tubbs said of the defensive effort in the first half as the Tigers held the Chargers to just two first downs. “Our defensive staff, Marshall Lehman, really gets those guys to execute what his game plan is.”
Stratford received the opening kickoff following intermission and promptly went 64 yards in just five plays for another score. A 34-yard pass from Tubbs to Alec Chapel set up the Tigers inside the red zone and Vanderhoof pushed it in from the 1, making it 26-0.
Stratford tacked on another score midway through the fourth as a 13-play drive chewed up the first 6:48 of the quarter and ended with Vanderhoof’s second TD, a 5-yard run, to up the lead to 33-0.
The Chargers scored on their next drive on a 1-yard run by Boone Schaier, but it was too late to matter.
“We circled this one, we knew Wittenberg was going to be good, and they are young, they’ll have a lot of guys back next year,” Coach Tubbs said. “Now we have Weyauwega-Fremont, who lost to Wittenberg last week, but every week you don’t know. Colby got some guys back, Amherst is on the horizon. In our conference, very week you have to be prepared.”
Stratford will be back at home next Friday, Sept. 20, to take on Weyauwega-Fremont for its annual Homecoming game.
Click here to view the Central Wisconsin Conference Large Division football standings & scoreboard
Tigers 33, Chargers 6
Wittenberg-Birnamwood 0 0 0 6 – 6
Stratford 13 6 7 7 – 33
First Quarter
S – Reid Miller 1 run (Mason Miller kick), 5:09.
S – Jack Tubbs 21 run (kick missed), 1:31.
Second Quarter
S – Caleb Wrensch 5 pass from Tubbs (pass failed), 0:19.
Third Quarter
S – Brooks Vanderhoof 1 run (M. Miller kick), 10:17.
Fourth Quarter
S – Vanderhoof 5 run (M. Miller kick), 5:12.
WB – Boone Schairer 1 run (kick blocked), 2:05.
Team Statistics
First downs: WB 10; S 19.
Rushing (att-yards): WB 28-112; S 44-270.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): WB 4-11-74-0; S 10-12-115-0.
Total yards: WB 186; S 385.
Fumbles (total-lost): WB 1-0; S 1-0.
Punting (no.-avg.): WB 4-35.5; S 1-43.0.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: WB, Bryson Schmid 15-42, Michael Gunter 3-38, Kaden Yaeger 3-17, Owen Dickman 4-13, Boone Schairer 2-2, Jett Rogowski 1-0. S, Jack Tubbs 12-97, Caleb Wrensch 6-60, Brooks Vanderhoof 9-55, Reid Miller 12-46, Jett Schoenherr 3-7, Aaron Knetter 1-3, Lucas Forrest 1-2.
Passing: WB, Schmid 4-11-74-0. S, Tubbs 8-10-88-0, Brady Berg 2-2-27-0.
Receiving: WB, Rogowski 2-62, Schairer 2-12. S, Wrensch 3-36, Coltan Breit 2-12, Alec Chapel 1-34, Mason Miller 1-15, Xander Curtice 1-12, Schoenherr 1-5, R. Miller 1-1.
Records: Wittenberg-Birnamwood 2-2, 1-1 Central Wisconsin Conference Large Division; Stratford 4-0, 2-0 Central Wisconsin Conference Large Division.