MIDDLETON - Darlington senior Tanner Wiegel wasn't going to be denied a chance to play for a gold ball.
Wiegel rushed for 154 yards on 13 carries and scored one touchdown to lead the Redbirds to a 28-13 win over Fond du Lac St. Mary's Springs in a WIAA Division 6 state semifinal Saturday, Nov. 16 at Breitenbach Stadium in Middleton.
"It means a lot to me because my whole life I have loved playing football," Wiegel said. "I have been dreaming about where my high school football career would end."
With the win, Darlington (12-1) snapped two-time state champion St. Mary's Springs' 39-game winning streak and five consecutive state championship appearances. The win will also give Darlington its first state title game since 1997. Darlington will play Shiocton in a state championship game at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
"It's exciting to be able to win and break their 39-game win streak," Darlington senior linebacker Tyler Leahy said.
The Redbirds' three-pronged rushing attack did most of the damage. Darlington senior Myles Leahy put the Redbirds on the board, rumbling for a 34-yard TD run early in the first quarter. The first scoring drive was set up by Darlington senior Carson Carpenter's fumble recovery. Wiegel then bolted for a 60-yard TD run early in the second quarter highlighted by a second effort breaking a tackle to give the Redbirds a 13-6 lead.
"We expected they would load the box and have everyone inside," Wiegel said of the Ledgers' plan to shut down Leahy. "I saw the corner and he was running across the field and I knew he wasn't going to be able to break down and stop his feet in time. I just cut back and he slipped down."
After a kickoff that was shorter than expected, the Redbirds recovered what proved to be an unintentional onsides kick. Darlington junior Jason Singer raced for a 48-yard TD run and Wiegel ran in the two-point conversion to give the Redbirds a 21-6 lead at the half.
"Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good," Darlington coach Scott Zywicki said.
Zywicki was excited to earn the school's ninth state appearance.
"It's an amazing feeling," he said. "The high is there. This ranks right up there behind getting married and having children."
Zywicki made a gutsy gamble to start the third quarter with the Redbirds facing fourth-and inches from their own 24-yard line. Leahy rammed his way for 1-yard and that fourth-down conversion kept a seven-play, 85-yard drive alive. The drive culminated in Cole McDonald's 46-yard TD pass to Singer to give the Redbirds an insurmountable 28-6 lead.
Zywicki showed confidence in his fourth down play call going into the wind, but he put it on an offensive line that has paved the way for just the sixth time in state history to produce three 1,000 yard running backs in the same season.
"We came here to win," Zywicki said. "I asked coach (Todd Bastian if we could get it on fourth down and he said yes. If we don't convert that one I would have taken a heck of a lot of flack for that one."
The Redbirds rushed for 333 total yards. Myles Leahy rushed for 101 yards and Singer added 78 rushing yards on eight carries and he scored two touchdowns.
St. Mary's Springs senior Ike Floyd, who entered the game with more than 2,100 rushing yards, was bottled up by the Redbirds gaining just 70 yards on 17 carries He scored one touchdown.
The Redbirds scored 15 points off three turnovers.
"We knew we had to shut him (Floyd) down or it was going to be a long day," Tyler Leahy said. "We scouted them all week. The front four did a good job of keeping the line off of me. All the credit goes to them up front."
Darlington senior Aric Geissbuhler sealed the win with an interception to end the game in the fourth quarter - a fitting way for the Redbirds, who have won 12 straight games, to cap the win.
Wiegel rushed for 154 yards on 13 carries and scored one touchdown to lead the Redbirds to a 28-13 win over Fond du Lac St. Mary's Springs in a WIAA Division 6 state semifinal Saturday, Nov. 16 at Breitenbach Stadium in Middleton.
"It means a lot to me because my whole life I have loved playing football," Wiegel said. "I have been dreaming about where my high school football career would end."
With the win, Darlington (12-1) snapped two-time state champion St. Mary's Springs' 39-game winning streak and five consecutive state championship appearances. The win will also give Darlington its first state title game since 1997. Darlington will play Shiocton in a state championship game at 1 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 21 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
"It's exciting to be able to win and break their 39-game win streak," Darlington senior linebacker Tyler Leahy said.
The Redbirds' three-pronged rushing attack did most of the damage. Darlington senior Myles Leahy put the Redbirds on the board, rumbling for a 34-yard TD run early in the first quarter. The first scoring drive was set up by Darlington senior Carson Carpenter's fumble recovery. Wiegel then bolted for a 60-yard TD run early in the second quarter highlighted by a second effort breaking a tackle to give the Redbirds a 13-6 lead.
"We expected they would load the box and have everyone inside," Wiegel said of the Ledgers' plan to shut down Leahy. "I saw the corner and he was running across the field and I knew he wasn't going to be able to break down and stop his feet in time. I just cut back and he slipped down."
After a kickoff that was shorter than expected, the Redbirds recovered what proved to be an unintentional onsides kick. Darlington junior Jason Singer raced for a 48-yard TD run and Wiegel ran in the two-point conversion to give the Redbirds a 21-6 lead at the half.
"Sometimes it's better to be lucky than good," Darlington coach Scott Zywicki said.
Zywicki was excited to earn the school's ninth state appearance.
"It's an amazing feeling," he said. "The high is there. This ranks right up there behind getting married and having children."
Zywicki made a gutsy gamble to start the third quarter with the Redbirds facing fourth-and inches from their own 24-yard line. Leahy rammed his way for 1-yard and that fourth-down conversion kept a seven-play, 85-yard drive alive. The drive culminated in Cole McDonald's 46-yard TD pass to Singer to give the Redbirds an insurmountable 28-6 lead.
Zywicki showed confidence in his fourth down play call going into the wind, but he put it on an offensive line that has paved the way for just the sixth time in state history to produce three 1,000 yard running backs in the same season.
"We came here to win," Zywicki said. "I asked coach (Todd Bastian if we could get it on fourth down and he said yes. If we don't convert that one I would have taken a heck of a lot of flack for that one."
The Redbirds rushed for 333 total yards. Myles Leahy rushed for 101 yards and Singer added 78 rushing yards on eight carries and he scored two touchdowns.
St. Mary's Springs senior Ike Floyd, who entered the game with more than 2,100 rushing yards, was bottled up by the Redbirds gaining just 70 yards on 17 carries He scored one touchdown.
The Redbirds scored 15 points off three turnovers.
"We knew we had to shut him (Floyd) down or it was going to be a long day," Tyler Leahy said. "We scouted them all week. The front four did a good job of keeping the line off of me. All the credit goes to them up front."
Darlington senior Aric Geissbuhler sealed the win with an interception to end the game in the fourth quarter - a fitting way for the Redbirds, who have won 12 straight games, to cap the win.
