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MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STRATFORD – The Stratford football team clinched a WIAA postseason berth with a 21-20 victory over Auburndale on Friday night at Tiger Stadium.
The Tigers improve to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the Marawood Conference, and qualify for the playoffs for the 23rd straight season.
Auburndale falls to 5-2 and 4-2 in the conference. The Apaches already qualified for the playoffs, making it for the third year in a row.
Stratford finishes its regular season next Friday, Oct. 17, at Pittsville, while Auburndale will host Marathon. Both games start at 7 p.m. The WIAA playoffs begin Oct. 24-25.
Taylor Krall had 82 yards and two touchdowns to help Stratford build a 21-6 lead early in the third quarter.
Auburndale’s Wyatt Weiler hit Tyler Weber with a 41-yard touchdown and then connected with Matt Nikolay for a two-point conversion late in the third quarter to bring the Apaches to within a touchodwn at 21-14.
The Apaches scored again with 5:29 to go when Weiler threw to Nikolay for a 22-yard touchdown. Auburndale decided to go for two and the lead, but Weiler was stopped just short.
Auburndale got down to the Stratford 35 in the closing seconds but turned the ball over on downs.
Weiler finished with 180 yards passing and 80 yards rushing to lead the Apaches. Nikolay caught 12 of Weiler’s 15 completions for 114 yards.
Jake Reif had four catches for 90 yards for Stratford.
Tigers 21, Apaches 20
Auburndale 0 6 8 6 – 20
Stratford 7 7 7 0 – 21
First Quarter
S – Taylor Krall 34 run (Jake Zuelke kick).
Second Quarter
S – Krall 1 run (Zuelke kick).
A – Wyatt Weiler 13 run (kick failed).
Third Quarter
S – Kam Bornbach 3 run (Zuelke kick).
A – Tyler Weber 41 pass from Weiler (Nikolay pass from Weiler).
Fourth Quarter
A – Nikolay 22 pass from Weiler (run failed).
Team Statistics
First downs: Auburndale 9; Stratford 11.
Rushing (att-yards): Auburndale 32-97; Stratford 40-116.
Passing (comp-att-yards-int): Auburndale 15-22-180-1; Stratford 8-12-110-0.
Fumbles (total-lost): Auburndale 0-0; Stratford 1-0.
Penalties (no.-yards): Auburndale 1-5; Stratford 1-10.
Individual Leaders
Passing: A, Wyatt Weiler 15-22-180-1. S, Michael Bargender 8-12-110-0.
Rushing: A, Weiler 27-80, Jake Lewis 3-10, Paul Willfahrt 2-7. S, Taylor Krall 13-82, Kam Bornbach 10-34, Jake Reif 8-14, Jake Zuelke 4-4, Kyle Martin 1-1, Bargender 4-minus 21.
Receiving: A, Nikolay 12-114, Tyler Weber 1-41, Willfahrt 2-25. S, Jake Reif 4-90, Jeremiah Hubing 2-14, Hunter Kauffmann 1-4.
Records: Auburndale 5-2, 4-2 Marawood Conference; Stratford 5-3, 4-2 Marawood Conference.