Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

Join the Buckle Up Phone Down movement! WisDOT challenges Wisconsin to put safety first by taking the two most important actions to prevent or survive a crash. Accept the Buckle Up Phone Down challenge. Use your seat belt every trip and put down the phone when driving. Take the Buckle Up Phone Down pledge!

After winning back-to-back state titles in Division 6, Stratford moved up to Division 5 this season, but the success did not change. The Tigers never trailed en route to a methodical 21-6 victory over Wrighstown on the Camp Randall turf Thursday afternoon. 

Stratford becomes the first team to be elevated by the Tournament Performance Factor points to win a championship in the higher division. The Tigers also re-claim their spot as the program with the most WIAA state titles with ten. 

Big performances from senior quarterback Jack Tubbs and junior running back Brooks Vanderhoof helped the team to victory. Tubbs, a WFCA Small School All-State selection, completed all five of his passes for 31 yards and a touchdown, adding 94 yards and a score on the ground as well. Vanderhoof went for a game-high 137 yards on the ground, scoring one touchdown among his 24 carries.

Stratford controlled the flow of the game, not only out-gaining Wrightstown 286-208, but holding a 30:25 to 17:35 time of possession advantage, helped by a pair of fourth down conversions. While they did not score points off them, Stratford also intercepted Wrightstown twice and stopped the Tigers on downs twice, both in Stratford territory.

It was a bit feast or famine offensively for Stratford, who gained 222 yards on their three scoring drives but just 64 yards on their other six possessions.

Wrightstown had the ball just three times in the second half, but a pair of drives that totaled 112 yards resulted in zero points, and they'd throw an interception on the first play of their final possession.

Quarterback Trevor Vande Hey led Wrightstown with 83 yards on 15 carries, including the team's only touchdown on a 61-yard scoring gallop. He also completed five-of-11 passes for 80 yards, but threw a pair of interceptions.

Stratford captures its tenth state title in 12 appearances, as the Tigers also won it all in 1986, 2003-2008, 2022, and 2023.

It is the second straight runner-up finish in Division 5 for Wrightstown, who fell to Aquinas last season. The Tigers also have three state championships.

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.