This story is sponsored by Dental Clinic of Marshfield
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STRATFORD – Despite coming into the playoffs with three losses, including its last game, and a quarterback that has just two varsity starts under his belt, the Stratford football team is feeling confident that it can make a strong run in the postseason.
The Tigers (6-3) earned a No. 4 seed and will host Grantsburg (4-5) in a WIAA Division 5 Level 1 game at 2 p.m. Saturday at Tiger Stadium.
Stratford lost two of its last three games – 41-6 to Edgar on Sept. 30 and 35-20 last week against Rib Lake/Prentice – but veteran coach Cal Tackes said he likes where the Tigers are at.
“The playoffs are always a new season and a new attitude,” said Tackes, who has coached Stratford to 20 straight playoffs appearances and six straight state titles from 2003-2008. “You feel refreshed after the regular season is over. You don’t have to worry about conference championships and what position you’re going to finish. You’re in the playoffs, now let’s just go play.”
Stratford was forced to put in a new quarterback when starter Nolan Bargender suffered a broken leg in the loss to Edgar. Drew Spaeth has stepped in and played well last week, Tackes said.
“The first week we limited what he had to do,” Tackes said. “I think we threw two passes and he completed both. Last week we decided to open it up and throw a little bit more. I think he was 11 for 20, so we’re going to take that. We feel pretty good where he’s at now and we just have to play to our strengths.”
The Tigers’ strength is their running game, led by Travis Urlaub and Eli Temanson.
Urlaub led the Marawood Conference in rushing this season, piling up 992 yards, a 9.5 yards per carry average and 15 touchdowns. Temanson added another 521 yards rushing and seven scores, and had 10 catches for more than 100 yards. Derek Austin led all Tigers’ receivers with 20 catches for 421 yards and six touchdowns.
Defensively, the Tigers have been inconsistent, giving up 176 points in their last six games. Urlaub, who also plays linebacker, said he expects Stratford to step up its game this week.
“We’re going to play hard and we’re confident that we’re going to go far in the playoffs,” Urlaub said. “Every week we just got to play hard and play one team at a time.
“This week in practice we’ve been clicking and I think we’re going to do well this week. They run a lot of power I sort of stuff. They’ll come at us with five blockers and we’ve just got to blow it up and get them in the backfield.”
Tackes likes the Tigers’ chances.
“There’s talent there,” he said. “We certainly played well at times during the season, but we were inconsistent. Some of it comes with youth and some of it comes from injuries. We feel we have got a good team and it’s just a matter of straightening some things out and playing some defense, which has been lacking at times this year.”