Edgar is back-to-back Division 7 champions

November 21, 2024 Vaseline blog 0

Edgar is back-to-back Division 7 champions

MADISON – The makeup of Edgar football’s 2024 championship journey may not resemble teams of its past.

But in coach Jerry Sinz’s 15th trip to Madison to compete for a state title, the Wildcats pitched their seventh shutout of the season, beating Potosi/Cassville 19-0, and he walked away with his ninth state crown in his 50th season at the helm .

It’s been a year of surprises, Sinz said.

“It’s crazy because it’s amazing that we were able to achieve this with a whole new team and a bunch of little skinny guys,” Sinz said with a joyful smile. “I’d say it would have been pretty much a long shot to win 12 games in a row.”

In Week 2, Wildcats two-way engine Jase Apfelbeck went down in a marquee loss to Stratford, and the team’s response of not dropping a game for the remainder of the year was a welcome sight for Sinz.

On Nov. 11, Apfelbeck was cleared and, last week, he returned from ankle surgery to play in Edgar’s late rally to beat Boyceville. He replaced a Wildcat linebacker who went down with an injury in the second half.

Edgar-Petosi/Cassville game preview: Edgar, Sinz set for 15th state title showing; Two-way star improbably returns from injury

The journey of Jerry Sinz: ‘We actually considered dropping football as a sport’: Edgar HC Jerry Sinz recalls journey

But on Thursday, he was back in the lineup on a snap count, causing all sorts of headaches for Potosi/Cassville’s offense.

PC suffered a nightmarish start, fumbling the snap on his first drive to set Edgar up with good field position, and Apfelbeck ended the first half with five tackles.

On the defensive end, he had yet to lose a step.

“It’s basically the first game he’s been back, and he made remove a few tackles that were very important,” Sinz said. “And, of course, he just got cleared by a doctor about 10 or 11 days ago, or whatever. So to be able to come back and do what he did today is incredible.”

After PC’s fumble at a snowy Camp Randall Stadium, Edgar responded with the first punch, rushing in Will Hackel for a 10-yard touchdown, which gave the Wildcats a six-point lead after missing their two-point conversion.

Much like things have been all year, one person alone did not dominate the game for Edgar.

Last year, running back Maverick Butt dominated the championship game, and he found the end zone again Thursday, scoring Edgar’s second touchdown. But in 2024, Edgar has done it all season by embracing strength in numbers.

No back finished with 1,000 rushing yards, but both Butt and Hackel came close, Hackel with 877 and Butt with 892 in the regular season.

No Edgar receiver broke 500 receiving yards.

Yet, with their seventh shutout, and second in the postseason, the Wildcats coasted to back-to-back Division 7 championships.

“It’s one of the biggest surprises,” Sinz said. “Because frankly, I was darn happy to get here. Especially winning that one the way we did last week.

“So yeah, it’s a lovely surprise.”

Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Reporter Alfred Smith III at [email protected]. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @AlfredS_III.