Dodgeville’s run in the post season ended early but not without a fight.
The Dodgers were outscored by Darlington, the top seed in the bracket, unbeaten and forced up a division with competitive equity. The Redbirds scored early and often the first half and took down the Dodgers 35-14. But the Dodgers did not make it easy for their opponent. They would not back down and ended up with a pair of late scores when their offense found some footing.
Sophomore quarterbackKarter McGraw and senior Griffin Busch teamed up for a 25 yard score through the air. Freshman Finley Olson ran in from 10 yards away. Olson led the running game that totaled 103 yards with 56 of those on 12 carries.
Busch caught three passes for 40 yards to led the aerial game. McGraw hit on seven of 14 passes for 97 yards.
Briggz Hutson led the defense with six tackles, three for losses. Jaxon Jabs also had six stops and Busch tackled five, three solos and all five for loss. Conner Burke registered six tackles, three solo and one for loss.
The Dodgers had 14 tackles for loss.
Blake Stodola rounded out the scoring with a two point conversion. He also recovered a fumble. Darlington’s talented QB ran for three touchdowns and passed for another to Dante Glendenning.
Calum Crist also ran for a Redbird score. Yasser Andino-Andino kicked all five extra points.
The Dodgers were without senior Braxton Staver and junior Harper Olson as both were injured.
Dodgeville coach Matt Staver felt the Dodgers kept competing as the Redbirds took the lead. He knows the Dodgers had to play their best against the best.
“Against a team of that caliber, it magnifies the execution of every assignment and every opportunity.,” Staver said. “What I’m proud of is that our kids kept competing. We put a couple of scores on the board and continued working even when the game wasn’t going our way. We can take pride in the fight we showed while recognizing the level of execution and consistency it takes to compete with the best.”
“Darlington is a very experienced and talented football team,” Staver continued. “Those matchups challenge you to prepare well, trust your assignments, execute and play together. I’m proud that our kids kept taking on those challenges and battling until the final whistle.”
Looking over the season Staver saw some bright spots for the future.
“This season gave our players something tangible to build on,” Staver said. “Four conference wins and earning a playoff spot showed them what is possible. Now the challenge is to build on that progress. We want playoff football to become an expectation we work toward every year, not just a highlight of one season.”
Staver said seeing the season end for his seniors is emotional.
“The hardest part of the last game is knowing you won’t have this same group together again,” Staver said. “These seniors will always be a part of a season that included some important wins and a playoff berth. That’s something they can take pride in. I want to thank them for the time they gave to this team and for being a key part of moving the program forward. They were a group of relentless workers who stepped up every time their number was called.”
Staver offers this advice for the returnees.
“Our message is to be proud of what we accomplished, but don’t be satisfied with it,” Staver said. “We’ve seen what it takes to reach the playoffs, and we’ve seen the standard set by some of the best teams we faced. Use both experiences. Keep developing as athletes, stay involved in other sports, be consistent in your preparation and bring your teammates along with you. We won’t start next season where we finished this one automatically. We must earn that progress again.”
Staver knows there were many pieces that helped with this year’s success.
“I want to thank our players, our coaching staff, and their families, the school staff, our boosters, and everyone who supports the program,” said Staver. “There is a lot that goes into giving kids the opportunity to play football, and much of that work happens away from Friday nights. Thank you to everyone who helped make this season possible and to the fans who showed up for our kids. I’m proud of the progress this team made, grateful to our seniors and excited for the players who have the opportunity to build on it.”
