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The Badger football has dealt with tragedy and challenges over the last few weeks, so a little thing like battling powerhouse Waunakee in the closing minutes of the Division 2 state title game was a task the Badgers were up for.

In a championship game for the ages, Badger stopped Waunakee on a potential go-ahead two-point conversion then recovered the ensuing onside kick to secure a 34-33 victory.

Badger set a new Division 2 state finals record with 451 rushing yards, as three players went for at least 100 yards: fullback Landon Nottestad had 198 and a score, Matthew O'Grady went for 131 and a touchdown, and quarterback J.P. Doyle finished with 118 rushing yards and two scores on the ground.

Badger did not punt, scoring on five consecutive possessions to close out the game. Of course, with a ball-control offense that chewed up yards and clock, those drives occurred over the course of three quarters.

The final drive by Badger went 76 yards on ten plays, with a 10-yard touchdown run by J.P. Doyle on the option keeper and ensuing Matthew O'Grady extra point putting the Badgers up 34-27 on Waunakee.

The Warriors had more than two minutes and a full compliment of timeouts to make their final move, and did so quickly. Vance Johnson found Robert Booker II for a 24-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left pulled the Warriors within one point.

Given the age-old option of attempting an extra point to tie it or go for two, Waunakee coach Pat Rice chose the latter, but Johnson's pass was incomplete. Badger recovered the ensuing onside kick to allow the Badgers to kneel out their first state title.

It capped a challenging month for the Badgers and head coach Matt Hensler, whose mother, Mary, passed away on November 1st. Later that week, in the fourth quarter of a Level 3 game against Kettle Moraine, Coach Hensler suffered a medical emergency and was taken to the hospital, where he remained for several days.

Released from the hospital early in the week of the state semi-finals, he was able to coach, albeit from the press box as the Badgers defeated Sun Prairie East. Hensler returned to the sideline for the championship game against Waunakee.

He got a front row seat to a thrilling back-and-forth affair that saw incredible plays and performances by both offenses.

The game was scoreless at the end of the first quarter, when the action picked up considerably. Waunakee got on the board first following a Badger interception, as Sebastian Rasmussen scored from two yards out. 

Badger embarked on a seven-play, 79-yard drive that was capped by a J.P. Doyle touchdown to tie things up. The Badgers went ahead 13-7 with just 28 seconds remaining in the first half when Landon Nottestad caught a throwback pass from Doyle.

However, the excitement was short-lived, as Johnson found David Emerich down the right sideline for a 60-yard touchdown with just seven seconds left until halftime to go up 14-13.

Badger got the ball out of halftime, going on an 18-play, 80-yard drive that chewed up 9:43 on the clock, taking a 19-14 lead. Waunakee answered in less than two minutes on a Robert Booker II touchdown catch, but the conversion attempt failed, leading the Warriors in front by a score of 20-19.

There were touchdowns on every possession of the second half by both teams, including Badger marching 69 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter on a 40-yard Landon Nottestad run. The two-point conversion put the Badgers up 27-20.

Once again, Waunakee had an answer, with Emerich taking a short pass, breaking a couple tackles, and reversing field all the way across the Camp Randall turf for a 36-yard touchdown, tying the game at 27.

Badger went on another Badger-esque drive, covering 76 yards in ten plays, with Doyle keeping it on the option for a ten-yard score. O'Grady booted home another extra point, giving the Badgers a 34-27 lead and setting the stage for the final possession for Waunakee.

After Booker II's second touchdown catch, failed conversion, and the onside kick recovered by Badger, the Badgers could finally breath a sigh of relief and celebrate a Division 2 state title.

Vance Johnson finished 13-of-15 for 215 yards and four touchdowns for Waunakee, with Emerich hauling in five passes for 119 yards and two scores. Booker II added four catches for 67 yards and those two touchdowns. Ben Lindley ran for 123 yards on 21 carries.

In the game, Badger held a 471-350 advantage in total yards, with a 72-45 edge in plays run. The Badgers held the ball for 33:27 in the game compared to just 14:33 for Waunakee in a significant contrast of styles.

Badger wins its first state title in its first trip to the championship game, as Matt Hensler joins father Keith as the only father-son duo to claim WIAA football titles. The elder Hensler guided Mukwonago to the 2004 championship in Division 1.

Waunakee settles for a fifth runner-up trophy in 12 appearances at Camp Randall.

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.