In a battle of undefeated teams, Mayville came out on top in the highest scoring game of the day. The Cardinals captured gold for the first time since 1994.

The first quarter started out slow with neither offense able to finish off drives, until mayhem on back-to-back plays late in the frame.

The Mayville defense forced a Northwestern punt from their own 33-yard line when Wyatt Trzynka busted through and blocked the would-be punt. Weston Teeters picked it up for the Cardinals and returned it 18 yards for the game’s first score.

Following the successful PAT, Northwestern’s Anthony Calore took the ensuing kickoff 85 yards for a touchdown to tie things up.

Following the special teams score, the offenses came alive. Over the course of the next 40 minutes, Northwestern scored on three of its four possessions. Mayville found the end zone on three of its next five possessions, with the only two not resulting in points was the end of the half and the kneel down to end it.

The Cardinals and Tigers traded touchdowns in the second quarter before Joe Promersberger took a pitch 36 yards to the end zone to give Mayville a 21-14 lead going into halftime.

An Emerson Mittelstadt quarterback keeper pushed the Mayville lead to 28-14 with 4:33 left in the third quarter. Northwestern answered in a little over two minutes on a Tysen Teal touchdown run, but a failed two-point conversion left the score 28-20 going into the final quarter.

Promersberger busted out a 58-yard score to again push Mayville’s lead to double digits, but as just as before, Teal found the end zone. The two-point conversion again was unsuccessful and Mayville led 35-26 with 7:10 left.

A Landen Baker touchdown pushed the lead back to 16.

Teal answered again, this time on a 48-yard touchdown reception from Kamden Kroll, but again the Tigers failed at the two-point try, leaving the score 42-32 with 2:45 left.

For the second time on the day, we had controversy on a late game onside kick. In this one, the Northwestern onside kick only went six yards before it appeared a Mayville player may have made contact before the Tigers recovered before the 10-yard line to get.

After the officials consulted, it was ruled the ball was never touched by the Mayville player and therefore illegal touching by Northwestern, and subsequently the Cardinals’ ball. That was reviewed and later confirmed, resulting in Mayville gaining possession and eventually running the clock out.

Baker took the bell cow role for Mayville, carrying the ball 29 times for 120 yards and two scores, including the final of the game. Promersberger was the lightning rod that hit on big plays for the Cardinals as he finished with 134 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries. Mittelstadt added the one touchdown and 23 yards on the ground.

For Northwestern, Kamden Kroll went 9 of 16 with 202 yards and a touchdown and interception. Teal had a day, hauling in five catches for 109 yards and a score and adding 58 yards and three scores on the ground.

It was the third state appearance for Northwestern in school history, and the first since 1993. The Tigers now have two silver balls and a lone gold ball from 1988.