WIAA D-6: St. Mary's Springs captures seventh state title

Published Nov. 16, 2017 4:45 p.m. ET

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Led by quarterback Mitch Waechter, St. Mary's Springs rebounded from early deficits and pulled away from Iola-Scandinavia to win the WIAA Division 6 championship game, 35-12.



Iola-Scandinavia held leads of 6-0 and 12-7 in the first half, but St. Mary's Springs reeled off three straight touchdowns from the end of the second quarter through the third.

The title is the Ledgers' seventh overall in the WIAA and third in the last four years. St. Mary's Springs also won eight championships in the WISAA from 1983-99.

Waechter threw for two touchdowns -- with Chad Christensen (3 catches, 78 yards) on the receiving end of both -- ran for one and caught another. Waechter finished completing 8-of-12 passes for 142 yards and rushing for 60 yards on nine carries and make a key fourth-down stop with the Thunderbirds trying for a fourth-quarter comeback.

Clay Schueffner gained 88 yards on 14 carries with a touchdown, threw a halfback option pass to Waechter for a 38-yard fourth-quarter score to help clinch the game and also had a team-high 14 tackles and 1.5 TFL.

The Thunderbirds, who hadn't played in a title game since 2007, got 213 yards rushing and two TDs from running back Bryce Huettner. However, Iola-Scandinavia could do nothing through the air, completing just 2 of 6 passes for 33 yards, with the completions coming with under five minutes to play and the game in hand.

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