Mayville gets past Northwestern to win WIAA Division 5 state football championship
Under the bright lights of Camp Randall Stadium, the Mayville Cardinals didn't just win a football game; they exorcised three decades of championship ghosts with a gritty, ground-and-pound 42-32 victory over Northwestern to claim the WIAA Division 5 state title. This wasn't merely a victory; it was a program-defining moment, a culmination of years of near-misses and heartbreak, finally vanquished by a rushing attack that would make any old-school football purist grin.The Cardinals, finishing a perfect 14-0 season, racked up a staggering 321 yards on the ground, a statistic that tells the story of a team that imposed its will when it mattered most. The heroics came from an unexpected source, as Joe Promersberger, the team's third-leading rusher, exploded for a game-changing 134 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries, including a breathtaking 58-yard sprint that showcased breakaway speed reminiscent of a young Barry Sanders.His backfield partner, Landen Baker, was the workhorse, grinding out 120 yards on 29 punishing carries, also crossing the goal line twice. The game’s pivotal moment arrived just before halftime, knotted at 14-14, when Promersberger broke loose for a 36-yard score with 1:07 on the clock, a play that shifted the momentum irrevocably in Mayville's favor for the remainder of the contest.This victory was profoundly symbolic for head coach Scott Hilber, who secured the program's first state championship since his father, Alex, led the team to glory back in 1994—a passing of the torch that adds a layer of deep, personal narrative to the triumph. While Mayville's offense was methodically dominant, the defense made critical, momentum-swinging plays, none bigger than Owen Steger's first-quarter punt block, which Weston Teeters scooped and returned 15 yards for the game's opening score.Steger and Promersberger would later lead the team with five tackles apiece, a testament to their two-way impact. For Northwestern, the dynamic Tysen Teal put on a spectacular individual performance, accounting for all four of his team's touchdowns—three on the ground and one through the air, amassing 167 total yards in a valiant effort.The Tigers also displayed special teams fireworks, with Anthony Calore immediately answering Mayville's early score by taking the ensuing kickoff 85 yards to the house, a play that saw him go completely untouched. This championship run was a long time coming for a Mayville program that had become all too familiar with the agony of defeat on this stage, having finished as runners-up in Division 4 in 1991, 1992, and 2006, and then again in Division 5 in both 2021 and 2022.This victory, therefore, wasn't just about capping an undefeated season; it was about finally climbing the mountain after so many stumbles near the summit, transforming a history of 'almost' into a legacy of 'finally'. For Northwestern, making its first finals appearance in 32 years, the loss was a bitter end to a stellar 13-1 season, a reminder of how fine the margins are at the pinnacle of high school football.
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#Mayville Cardinals
#WIAA Division 5
#state championship
#high school football
#undefeated season
#Camp Randall Stadium
