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MarshfieldAreaSports.com
WITTENBERG – The Stratford football team found itself in a defensive slugfest with Wittenberg-Birnamwood on Friday night and used two key turnovers to turn the tide.
Stratford recovered two Wittenberg-Birnamwood fumbles, one to set up a score and the second to hold off a potential game-tying score, and held on for a 14-6 victory in a Central Wisconsin Conference Large Division matchup at Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School.
The win is the Tigers’ fourth in a row as they improve to 4-1-1 overall and a perfect 4-0 in the CWC Large. Witt-Birn drops to 4-2 and 2-2 in conference play.
After a scoreless first quarter, Jackson Ormond recovered a fumble on the Witt-Birn 11 and one play later Koehler Kilty scored to give Stratford a 7-0 lead.
The Chargers responded with a long scoring drive and Nathan Waupekenay hit David Gauderman for a 23-yard scoring pass with 23 seconds to go before halftime. Stratford blocked the extra point, however, and took a 7-6 lead into halftime.
Stratford grabbed an insurance score late in the third quarter as quarterback Braeden Schueller connected with Conner Weigel for a 40-yard touchdown with 59 seconds remaining in the period and that score held the rest of the way, but it did get interesting.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood drove down to the 20 on the ensuing drive and busted inside the 10 on a hard run up the middle, but the Tigers were able to force a fumble and land on it at the 9 with just more than 9 minutes to go.
Stratford’s offense then mounted a monumental drive that reached the Chargers’ 3 as it ran out the clock scratching out first down after first down.
Stratford will host its Homecoming game next Friday, Sept. 30, at Beell Stadium in Marshfield against Weyauwega-Fremont. The game begins at 7 p.m. and will be live-streamed at zaleskisports.com.
Click here to view the Central Wisconsin Conference Large Division football standings.
Kilty finished with 168 rushing yards to lead the Stratford offense.
Tigers 14, Chargers 6
Stratford 0 7 7 0 – 14
Wittenberg-Birnamwood 0 6 0 0 – 6
Second Quarter
S – Koehler Kilty 11 run (Evan Danielson kick).
WB – David Gauderman 23 pass from Nathan Waupekenay (kick blocked).
Third Quarter
S – Conner Weigel 40 pass from Braeden Schueller (Danielson kick).
Individual Statistics
Rushing: S, Koehler Kilty 26-168, Conner Weigel 2-19, Payton Glenn 1-0, Braeden Schueller 2-minus 1. WB, David Gauderman 17-86, Nathan Waupekenay 12-40, Marshall Fraaza 2-2, Coye Brillowski 1-0, Keegan Benbo 1-minus 2.
Passing: S, Schueller 5-13-59-1. WB, Waupekenay 10-16-165-1, Gauderman 0-1-0-1.
Receiving: S, Ashton Wrensch 2-11, Weigel 1-40, Glenn 1-5, Kilty 1-3. WB, Fraaza 3-53, Gauderman 3-22, Dylan Resch 2-16, Benbo 1-41, Casey Kielman 1-33.
Records: Stratford 4-1-1, 4-0 Central Wisconsin Conference Large Division; Wittenberg-Birnamwood 4-2, 2-2 CWC Large.