This story is sponsored by: Chips Hamburgers of Marshfield and Wisconsin Rapids
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
The 2022 WIAA football playoffs will continue with Level 4 state semifinals in seven divisions across Wisconsin on Friday, Nov. 11.
Two games in each division will be played with the winners moving on to the 2022 WIAA State Football Championships at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Nov. 17-18.
A pair of No. 2 seeds, Stratford and Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs, will battle for one spot in the D-6 finals, on Friday night at Waupaca.
Click here for the entire WIAA Level 4 playoff matchups
Here is a look at the D-6 matchup:
Division 6
No. 2 Stratford Tigers (9-2-1) vs. No. 2 Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs Ledgers (11-1)
When and where: Friday, Nov. 11, 7 p.m., at Waupaca High School
About the Tigers: Stratford is looking for its third trip to the state finals in the past four seasons that they have been held…The Tigers were runner-ups in Division 5 in 2018 and 2019, which were their first state appearances since winning six-straight titles between 2003-08…The Tigers reached Level 4 with a dominating 27-7 win at Grantsburg on Nov. 4. Junior running back Koehler Kilty ran 39 times for 236 yards and a touchdown in the win. Quarterback Braeden Schueller added a touchdown run and a touchdown pass to Gavin Leonhardt, who also returned an interception for a score.
About the Ledgers: St. Mary’s Springs, under legendary head coach Bob Hyland, has reached the state finals 13 times in the past 20 seasons, including the four, winning Division 6 titles in 2017 and 2019, the D-5 championship in 2018 over Stratford, and a runner-up finish last year as it dropped the D-6 final to Colby…Running back J.T. Koenigs rand for 87 yards and three touchdowns in the Ledgers’ narrow 21-20 win over Coleman in a Level 3 game on Nov. 4…Levi Huempfner has run for 1,074 yards and 20 touchdowns, with Koenigs contributing 613 rushing yards and 13 scores…Quarterback Cullen King has thrown for 1,113 yards and seven scores, with Lucas Rameker leading the way in the passing game with 30 catches for 586 yards and five TDs.
Next up: The winner will play the winner Mondovi and Darlington, who play Friday at Wisconsin Dells, in the WIAA Division 6 state championship game at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17, at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison. In 25 playoff appearances overall, Mondovi has made the state finals just once, losing in the 1990 Division 4 championship. Darlington has been a mainstay in the state football championships, is looking for its 13th finals appearance and first since finishing as the D-6 runner-up four-straight seasons between 2013-16.