MADISON - The Bangor football team may want to revise and steal the U.S. Olympic motto, "Faster, Stronger, Higher" to bigger, stronger and faster after the Cardinals rolled to a 37-14 win over Black Hawk in a WIAA Division 7 state championship game Thursday at Camp Randall Stadium.
"This one stings because they are competitors," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "We always talk about being resilient. They are young enough that they will bounce back. In about hour, they will remember how good of a season they have had."
Bangor (14-0) mauled the Warriors in the second half, producing three straight touchdown drives and gashed the Warriors for 423 rushing yards, which was the second most in a Div. 7 state championship game. They were just off the record of 465 set by Glenwood City in 2012.
But the Warriors had their own accomplishments in the state match against undefeted Bangor.
Black Hawk senior Brody Milz became the first running back to eclipse 100 rushing yards against Bangor's defense this year, which came into the state title game with six shutouts. Brody Milz rushed for 117 yards on 15 carries and had a touchdown.
"We worked really hard for this goal," Brody Milz said. "We fought hard together. We gave it all we had. I'm just really proud of my team."
The senior was a Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State linebacker and running back who tied a state record with 20 tackles in the championship.
The personal success for Brody Milz doesn't lessen the sting of falling short in bringing home the school's second gold ball in the past five years and the finality of his prep career. It marks the final game for Milz, who played with his younger brother Cayden Milz. He was also playing for his father and coach Cory Milz.
"It's just a gift and a very special moment," Brody Milz said.
The Cardinals scored 16 points off three turnovers by the Warriors and Black Hawk had no answers for slowing down the Cardinals'
double-wing rushing attack.
Bangor senior Luke Reader rushed for 185 yards on 26 carries and scored two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Carter Horstman rushed for 144 yards on 11 carries and had three touchdowns. It marks Bangor's second state title in the past three years. The Cardinals won the state championship in 2015 when they knocked off Pepin-Alma 20-14.
With the loss, Black Hawk finished the season 13-1 and brought the silver trophy home to South Wayne.
Bangor led 16-8 at the half and just 16-14 midway through the third quarter, but broke the game open with 21 unanswered points. The Cardinals running game snowballed downhill and the faster they sprinted, the bigger the avalanche became for the Warriors' defense.
"They are just an elite football team with great size and speed," Cory Milz said. "We have faced that style of offense before, against mediocre teams, and have struggled to defend it. With their great size, I don't know how you stop it. They throw all of humanity at you. They have really tight splits and you can't blitz because they bring two lead blockers through the hole who are 260 and 280 pounds and you get lost. You have to try to get a hat on a hat, but it's tough."
It was an inauspicious start for Black Hawk. Reader, who entered the state title game with more than 1,600 rushing yards this year, bolted for a 57-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. Horstman ran in the two-point conversion to give the Cardinals an 8-0 lead.
An interception by Bangor senior Adam Tallman on a halfback pass by Brody Milz on the next drive dampened the Warriors' spirits, and five plays later, Horstman scampered for a 52-yard TD run. Reader ran in the two-point conversion to make it 16-0 with nearly nine minutes left in the first quarter.
The Warriors answered with a six-play, 64-yard drive, culminating in senior quarterback Michael Flanagan's 1-yard TD run. On another halfback pass, Milz tossed a pass to Jett Rufenacht for a two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 16-8 midway through the first quarter.
On a drive late in the second quarter, Black Hawk converted three fourth downs, but the Cardinals thwarted the drive when senior Caleb Miedema intercepted Flanagan's pass in the end zone and tip-toed the line before falling out-of-bounds with 40 seconds to go in the half.
The Warriors were not turned away in an eight-play, 67-yard drive to open the third quarter, which was capped when Brody Milz rammed in for a 1-yard score to slice the Cardinals' lead to 16-14 with 8:58 left in the third. That's as close as Black Hawk would get.
Bangor responded with a nine-play, 61-yard drive, punctuated by Horstman's 16-yard TD run that extended the advantage to 23-14. On the Warriors' next possession, Flanagan looked like he would connect with a long touchdown pass to junior Rece Shelton, but the pass was tipped and went through Shelton's hands.
Black Hawk had 287 total yards including 178 rushing yards, but had several missed opportunities that haunted them. Flanagan completed 11 of 20 passes for 104 yards and threw two interceptions.
Flanagan looked to rally the Warriors late, tossing a 34-yard TD pass to Jett Rufenacht, who made an acrobatic catch before falling into the end zone, but the play was wiped out by a holding penalty.
"When you are playing a great team like that you have to almost play a perfect game with no penalties or turnovers," Cory Milz said of the showdown with the Cardinals.
Flanagan understood the Warriors played their hardest, but was disappointed they left a couple of scoring opportunities on the field.
"I didn't step up when I needed to and I threw a couple of interceptions," he said. "They are a very good team. We knew going in they don't give up many rushing yards and we may have to take more shots."
The Cardinals answered with a clock-chewing 13-play, 68-yard drive, that culminated in Horstman's 15-yard TD run to give Bangor a 29-14 lead with 10:39 left in the fourth quarter. Reader added a 9-yard score about midway through the fourth quarter.
Shelton had three receptions for 27 yards and Brody Milz had three catches for 23 yards. Rufenacht had three receptions for 20 yards. On defense, Shelton had 12 tackles and Nick Whitcomb had seven tackles.
"To do it and play one final game with my best friends for the state title was great," Flanagan said. "We had a heck of a season. I will just remember all of it."
"This one stings because they are competitors," Black Hawk coach Cory Milz said. "We always talk about being resilient. They are young enough that they will bounce back. In about hour, they will remember how good of a season they have had."
Bangor (14-0) mauled the Warriors in the second half, producing three straight touchdown drives and gashed the Warriors for 423 rushing yards, which was the second most in a Div. 7 state championship game. They were just off the record of 465 set by Glenwood City in 2012.
But the Warriors had their own accomplishments in the state match against undefeted Bangor.
Black Hawk senior Brody Milz became the first running back to eclipse 100 rushing yards against Bangor's defense this year, which came into the state title game with six shutouts. Brody Milz rushed for 117 yards on 15 carries and had a touchdown.
"We worked really hard for this goal," Brody Milz said. "We fought hard together. We gave it all we had. I'm just really proud of my team."
The senior was a Wisconsin Football Coaches Association All-State linebacker and running back who tied a state record with 20 tackles in the championship.
The personal success for Brody Milz doesn't lessen the sting of falling short in bringing home the school's second gold ball in the past five years and the finality of his prep career. It marks the final game for Milz, who played with his younger brother Cayden Milz. He was also playing for his father and coach Cory Milz.
"It's just a gift and a very special moment," Brody Milz said.
The Cardinals scored 16 points off three turnovers by the Warriors and Black Hawk had no answers for slowing down the Cardinals'
double-wing rushing attack.
Bangor senior Luke Reader rushed for 185 yards on 26 carries and scored two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Carter Horstman rushed for 144 yards on 11 carries and had three touchdowns. It marks Bangor's second state title in the past three years. The Cardinals won the state championship in 2015 when they knocked off Pepin-Alma 20-14.
With the loss, Black Hawk finished the season 13-1 and brought the silver trophy home to South Wayne.
Bangor led 16-8 at the half and just 16-14 midway through the third quarter, but broke the game open with 21 unanswered points. The Cardinals running game snowballed downhill and the faster they sprinted, the bigger the avalanche became for the Warriors' defense.
"They are just an elite football team with great size and speed," Cory Milz said. "We have faced that style of offense before, against mediocre teams, and have struggled to defend it. With their great size, I don't know how you stop it. They throw all of humanity at you. They have really tight splits and you can't blitz because they bring two lead blockers through the hole who are 260 and 280 pounds and you get lost. You have to try to get a hat on a hat, but it's tough."
It was an inauspicious start for Black Hawk. Reader, who entered the state title game with more than 1,600 rushing yards this year, bolted for a 57-yard touchdown run on the second play of the game. Horstman ran in the two-point conversion to give the Cardinals an 8-0 lead.
An interception by Bangor senior Adam Tallman on a halfback pass by Brody Milz on the next drive dampened the Warriors' spirits, and five plays later, Horstman scampered for a 52-yard TD run. Reader ran in the two-point conversion to make it 16-0 with nearly nine minutes left in the first quarter.
The Warriors answered with a six-play, 64-yard drive, culminating in senior quarterback Michael Flanagan's 1-yard TD run. On another halfback pass, Milz tossed a pass to Jett Rufenacht for a two-point conversion to cut the deficit to 16-8 midway through the first quarter.
On a drive late in the second quarter, Black Hawk converted three fourth downs, but the Cardinals thwarted the drive when senior Caleb Miedema intercepted Flanagan's pass in the end zone and tip-toed the line before falling out-of-bounds with 40 seconds to go in the half.
The Warriors were not turned away in an eight-play, 67-yard drive to open the third quarter, which was capped when Brody Milz rammed in for a 1-yard score to slice the Cardinals' lead to 16-14 with 8:58 left in the third. That's as close as Black Hawk would get.
Bangor responded with a nine-play, 61-yard drive, punctuated by Horstman's 16-yard TD run that extended the advantage to 23-14. On the Warriors' next possession, Flanagan looked like he would connect with a long touchdown pass to junior Rece Shelton, but the pass was tipped and went through Shelton's hands.
Black Hawk had 287 total yards including 178 rushing yards, but had several missed opportunities that haunted them. Flanagan completed 11 of 20 passes for 104 yards and threw two interceptions.
Flanagan looked to rally the Warriors late, tossing a 34-yard TD pass to Jett Rufenacht, who made an acrobatic catch before falling into the end zone, but the play was wiped out by a holding penalty.
"When you are playing a great team like that you have to almost play a perfect game with no penalties or turnovers," Cory Milz said of the showdown with the Cardinals.
Flanagan understood the Warriors played their hardest, but was disappointed they left a couple of scoring opportunities on the field.
"I didn't step up when I needed to and I threw a couple of interceptions," he said. "They are a very good team. We knew going in they don't give up many rushing yards and we may have to take more shots."
The Cardinals answered with a clock-chewing 13-play, 68-yard drive, that culminated in Horstman's 15-yard TD run to give Bangor a 29-14 lead with 10:39 left in the fourth quarter. Reader added a 9-yard score about midway through the fourth quarter.
Shelton had three receptions for 27 yards and Brody Milz had three catches for 23 yards. Rufenacht had three receptions for 20 yards. On defense, Shelton had 12 tackles and Nick Whitcomb had seven tackles.
"To do it and play one final game with my best friends for the state title was great," Flanagan said. "We had a heck of a season. I will just remember all of it."
