Marathon beats Edgar 21-9

MARATHON -The Raiders had the ball for just four plays in the third quarter Friday and were seemingly on the verge of allowing Edgar to steal win late in a game in which Marathon had dominated to that point.

Marathon rebounded however and made the plays they needed in the fourth quarter to to preserve a 21-9 win over the Wildcats in a key Marawood Conference showdown

Riley Rhyner had two of Marathon’s three interceptions in the fourth quarter, including one in the Raiders’ end zone with 46 seconds left , which sealed the victory.

“We studied (Edgar) all week and basically knew their routes,” Rhyner said. “We just tried to take advantage of some mistakes.”

It also capped a dominant performance for Marathon’s defense as Edgar had the ball in the Raiders’ territory just four times.

“Sure we let up some mistakes here and there and some penalties saved us (on defense) but we played a great game,” Rhyner said. “Very sound football.”

Marathon improved to 5-1 overall and 4-1 in the Marawood. Edgar fell to 4-2 overal and in conference play. It was the second straight year that Marathon has beat Edgar in the regular season.

The Raiders’ Mitchell Putnam rushed for two short touchdowns in the first half, which ended with the Raiders holding a 14-3 lead. Nathan Stoffel caught an 18-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter for Marathon as well.

“We didn’t make spectacular huge plays, we just made the plays that we wanted out guys to make,” Marathon coach Todd Stoffel said. “You have to make (those plays) in order to beat teams like )Edgar) tonight. We had guys step up on offense and defense and made plays when they needed to.”

Marathon quarter Donavon Free connected with Stoffel for five passes, including three complettions for 45 yards in the fourth quarter. The two juniors have developed a chemistry in the Raiders passing game. The two even share the same birthday — May 11.

Free, who passed for roughly 160 yards, said he has confidence that Stoffel will come down with the ball more often than not.

“I’ll throw it up to him,” Free said. “He’s 6-(foot)-5. He is going to go up and grab it.”

Edgar lost senior running back/linebacker Alec Hafferman early in the first quarter. Hafferman was injured at the end of a 33-yard punt return and was helped to the Wildcats sideline and eventually an ambulance.

Hafferman did return to the field at the end of the game and joined the Wildcats postgame huddle with his left arm in a sling.

Hafferman, Edgar’s leading rusher this season, said he suffered a dislocated elbow and will be out for two to four weeks.

Edgar’s longest run of the night was 14 yards and the Wildcats had less than 20 yards on the ground in the first half.

“(The loss of Hafferman) is big for them and I hope he is allright,” Coach Stoffel said. “That takes the big-play (threat) out of their arsenal and that allowed us to do a little more where we could probably risk a little more against the run.”

Putnam scored on a 1-yard run in the first quarter and on a 2-yard run with 26 seconds left in the half.

Hafferman’s punt return set up a 28-yard field goal for Joshua Burish with roughly three and a half minutes left in the first quarter.

Marathon responded immediately as a 53-yard completion by Donovan Free set Marathon up at the Edgar 15. Free then hit Nathan Stoffel for 12 yards two plays later to put the Raiders at the Edgar 1.

Marathon made it 14-3 with an eight-play drive in the final 90 seconds of the first half.

Edgar went 58 yards on 15 plays to open the second half and Will Raatz scored from the 3 to make it 14-9.

The Wildcats drove to midfield on their next drive but quarterback Karson Butt was hit as he threw on the first play of the fourth quarter and Richie Seubert got the interception.

Marathon then drove down the field and Free hit Stoffel for an 18-yard score on a third-and-4 play.

The next two Edgar possessions ended with interceptions by Rhyner.

“Our guys went out and responded on defense tonight, just like we asked all week,” Coach Stoffel said.

Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter@timmyjo11

First quarter

E-Joshua Burish 28 FG, 3:27

M-Mitchell Putnam 1 run (Jordan Schneeberger), 1:47.

Second quarter

M-Putnam 2 run (Schneeberger kick), 0:26.

Third quarter

E-Will Raatz 3 run (pass fail), 4:04.

Fourth quarter

M-Nathan Stoffel 18 pass from Donavon Free (Schneeberger kick), 8:39.