ABBOTSFORD FOOTBALL SEES HISTORIC RUN END IN WIAA DIVISION 6 SEMIFINALS TO EAU CLAIRE REGIS
Zaleski Sports
CHIPPEWA FALLS – Abbotsford’s run toward a first state finals appearance fell short on Friday night as the Falcons lost a WIAA Division 6 football semifinal to Eau Claire Regis 36-6 in a battle of unbeaten teams at Dorais Field.
Abbotsford finishes its season with a 12-1 record.
Regis (13-0) moves on to the state finals for the sixth time in program history. The Ramblers will play defending Division 5 state champion Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs (11-2) in the Division 6 state final at 1 p.m. Thursday at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
Regis is searching for its third state title, having won the Division 7 championship in 2003 and the Division 6 final in 2016. St. Mary’s Springs is in the state finals for the 12th time, all since 2002, and holds the state record with eight state championships, including Division 6 titles in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and 2017, and last year’s Division 5 championship.
Regis ran out to a 15-0 lead in the first 5½ minutes and never looked back.
Mason Wellman scored on a 2-yard run with 10 seconds to go in the first quarter for Abbotsford, cutting Regis’ lead to 15-7, but the Falcons couldn’t do much after that.
Tristan Root, who had a 20-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, added a 2-yard TD run in the second quarter and the Ramblers led 22-6 at halftime.
Regis quarterback Bennett Seelen completed his only two passes of the game in the second half, both for touchdowns. He had a 15-yard TD pass to Aaron Haselwander in the third quarter and a 28-yarder to Root in the fourth.
Hayden Reinders ran for 148 yards on just 12 carries and Root added 97 yards on the ground for the Ramblers, who piled up 367 rushing yards on 44 carries.
Abbotsford quarterback Dalton Feddick had 117 yards rushing, finishing his stellar season senior with 2,126 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. His rushing total ranked fifth in the state this year.
Ramblers 36, Falcons 6
Regis 15 7 7 7 - 36
Abbotsford 6 0 0 0 0 - 6
First Quarter
R – Gus Theisen 1 run (Tristan Root run), 8:31.
R – Root 20 run (Root kick), 6:33.
A – Mason Wellman 2 run (pass failed), 0:10.
Second Quarter
R – Root 2 run (Root kick), 8:05.
Third Quarter
R – Aaron Haselwander 15 pass from Bennett Seelen (Root kick), 7:05.
Fourth Quarter
R – Root 28 pass from Seelen (Root kick), 7:53.
Individual Statistics
Rushing: R, Hayden Renders 12-1248, Tristan Root 12-97, Aaron Haselwander 7-75, Gus Theisen 4-22, Peyton Mayer 2-18, Ben Rooney 3-17, Brooks Wahl 1-0, Kendon Krogman 2-minus 2, Bennett Seelen 1-minus 8. A, Dalton Feddick 24-117, Ty Faltesiek 10-53, Cade Faber 8-31, Mason Wellman 2-3.
Passing: R, Seelen 2-3-43-0. A, not reported.
Receiving: R, Root 1-28, Haselwander 1-15. A, not reported.
Interceptions (defense): R, Rooney, Root.