Braxton Staver makes a big hit on this stop. Photo by Heather Olson.
By John Dalton
Dodgeville’s rushing attack averaged 5.7 yards per carry, totaling 257 yards on 45 attempts, as the Dodgers clinched a WIAA playoff berth with a 32-19 win at Richland Center on Friday night. They will travel to Darlington this Friday to face the defending WIAA Division 6 state champions.
“It means a great deal to everyone who has invested in this program, our players, coaches, families, school and community. In a short time, we have seen the standards rise, the belief grow and the players become more connected,” said Dodgeville Head Coach Matt Staver. “This is an important step, but it is not the finish line. We want to keep building a program that competes with consistency and represents Dodgeville the right way”.
Richland Center opened the scoring with a Bronson Perkins touchdown run, but Dodgeville answered with 18 straight points to take an 18-6 halftime lead. On the Dodgers’ first possession, Sawyer Miller-who led the team with 86 rushing yards and added a secondhalf touchdown-broke into Hornet territory. A few plays later, quarterback Karter McGraw completed his only pass of the game, an 11-yard touchdown to Jaxson Jabs that tied the score.
Griffin Busch and Finley Olson powered the rushing attack in the second quarter, each scoring a touchdown. Both two-point conversion attempts failed, leaving the Dodgers ahead 18-6 at halftime. Olson finished with 77 yards on 21 carries, while Busch added 58 yards and two touchdowns on 11 carries.
After a strong punt return in the third quarter, Perkins scored on another run to cut the Hornets’ deficit to 18-12. Dodgeville responded again: Miller broke another long run on the final play of the quarter, then scored on firstand-goal to open the fourth. Both teams added late touchdowns, producing the 32-19 final.
“It was not a perfect performance, and there are several things we need to clean up, but I could not be more proud of our effort and resilience,” said Staver. “Our kids stayed composed. We responded by playing more physical, executing better, and creating momentum in all three phases. That stretch showed the growth of this team: we did not panic or point fingers; we simply went back to work.”
Defensively, the Dodgers’ Blake Stodola led the way with eight tackles while Jabs had seven. The Dodgers now face an undefeated Redbird team who is trying to win back-to-back state championships. The Redbirds defeated Edgar for the title in 2025, 42-18, and finished 15-0 on the season.
“Our message is the same one we have emphasized all season: prepare with purpose, play disciplined football and do not beat ourselves. We need to protect the football, limit penalties, finish drives and take advantage of scoring opportunities. Most importantly, we need to play confidently and together for four quarters,” said Staver on the upcoming game with Darlington.
“We will prepare by respecting what Darlington does well without losing sight of who we are. They are physical, disciplined, and experienced, and they have consistently put opponents under pressure. We need a great week of film study and practice,” he said. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Friday at Wadzy Martens football field in Darlington.
