WIAA D-1: Stewart, Kimberly rumble past Sun Prairie for 5th straight title

Published Nov. 17, 2017 8:57 p.m. ET

Make it 70 in a row.

The Kimberly Papermakers won their fifth straight state title Friday, topping Sun Prairie 27-7 in the WIAA Division I championship game and extending the country's longest winning streak to 70 games.

The Papermakers haven't lost since 2012.

Running back DJ Stewart led the way for Kimberly, rushing for 189 yards and two touchdowns. "It was definitely spectacular," Stewart said. "It was the entire state of Wisconsin vs. Kimberly all year, and that's how it is every year."

In the first half, at least, it looked like the streak would end at 69 wins and four titles.

Sun Prairie jumped out to a quick lead on an early Kimberly fumble, but the Papermakers bounced back in the second half, scoring four straight touchdowns. The Cardinals capitalized just two plays after the fumble, when quarterback Jack Zander found receiver Cooper Nelson in the end zone for an 18-yard touchdown pass.

Kimberly responded late in the second half, marching 83 yards in 59 seconds to tie the game, as John Nett spun out of a tackle at the line, rushing 25 yards to tie the game at 7-7.

The Papermakers began to pull away in the third, bookending the quarter with a pair of touchdowns. Rosner scored on a 50-yard touchdown run to make it 14-7 midway through the third, before Stewart scored on a 25-yard run at the end of the quarter to make it 21-7. Drew Lechnir kicked off Kimberly's final drive with 5:56 to play, intercepting Sun Prairie quarterback Jack Zander on the Papermakers' 39-yard line.

The drive ended with another touchdown for Stewart, who motored into the end zone from three yards out to make it 27-7 following a missed extra point.