Mayville’s playoff run continued Friday night under the lights at Ray Dunn Field as the Cardinals battled conference rival Winnebago Lutheran Academy (WLA) for a 28–21 victory in the second round of the WIAA Division 5 playoffs. The win pushes Mayville to 11–0 on the season and sets up another home showdown against Amherst (10–1) on Friday, Nov. 7.
The night began with fireworks when senior Kevin Keller fielded the opening kickoff at the 17-yard line and raced 83 yards to the end zone, giving the Cardinals an immediate 7–0 lead and igniting the home crowd. WLA quickly answered, tying the game midway through the first quarter on a 12-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Gannon Schwartz to receiver Caleb Wild.
The Vikings struck again early in the second quarter when Schwartz scrambled 12 yards for another score, putting WLA up 14–7. Mayville, known for its physical, ground-heavy attack, responded late in the half with a one-yard keeper from junior quarterback Emerson Mittelstadt to even the score at 14–14 heading into the break.
After halftime, the Cardinal defense found its rhythm. Junior Tate Drinkwine burst through the line for a sack in the backfield, and moments later, Mayville capitalized on a WLA fumble after a missed handoff. That set the tone for the third quarter, where senior running back Landen Baker capped a punishing drive with a two-yard touchdown run to give Mayville its first lead since the opening kick.
WLA tied it once more early in the fourth on another Schwartz-to-Wild connection, this time from 21 yards out, but Mayville refused to back down. Sophomore running back Tanner Schneider powered through the line for a seven-yard touchdown run with 4:05 remaining, giving the Cardinals the decisive edge.
Defensively, Mayville sealed the win with relentless pressure. Drinkwine and senior Owen Steger led the charge up front, with Steger forcing a critical fumble that Joe Promersberger recovered late in the fourth quarter. Promersberger also came up with a huge interception in the third quarter, snatching a jump ball in center field to stall a WLA drive. Senior Brady Zitlow tipped a key pass that nearly resulted in another pick by Mittelstadt late in the fourth as the defense tightened down the stretch.
With just over a minute to play, Mayville needed one more first down to close it out. Baker found a small crease, barreling forward for two yards to secure the conversion and the win.
Head coach Scott Hilber praised his team’s poise and discipline in the tight matchup. “It says a lot about their trust in each other more than anything,” Hilber said. “We had a lot of conversations this week about being challenged and overcoming adversity. We knew there would be moments in this game where we wouldn't feel so great, but our goal was to stay close and make sure we had an opportunity to win it in the fourth quarter. We did that, and once we got there, I think everyone on the team believed we were going to finish the job.”
On the defense’s performance, Hilber noted how critical their takeaways were in sealing the win. “We haven't been a turnover machine this year by any means, but we knew that one thing that had to happen for us to win this game was to win the turnover battle,” he said. “We lost more of those 50/50 balls than we won tonight, but I was impressed that our guys kept competing after having been beaten a couple of times. We were fully prepared as a defense to understand that WLA was going to make some plays—with their size and speed, it's difficult to think you will always stop them—but you have to jump on your opportunities when you can, and I think we thoroughly did that.”
Hilber said the Cardinals’ trademark “Mayville football” mentality showed up when it mattered most. “When it was time to win in the fourth quarter. We didn't have a great start tonight in that regard, but we certainly had a great finish.”
Looking ahead to next week’s matchup against Amherst, Hilber said the team’s focus will stay on playing their brand of football. “First is to stay true to your identity,” he said. “It's common for some teams to flinch when preparing for really good, unfamiliar opponents. We have to continue to put together a game plan that allows our strengths to shine. Mayville football will add some wrinkles, but we won't deviate from what we do well as we prepare for Amherst. We'll bring our best, and we'll see if it's good enough.”
He also credited the home crowd for the energy and atmosphere that have carried the team through the postseason. “Our team talks a lot about how important our team is to our community, but we also discuss how important our community is to us,” Hilber said. “We are happy to be blessed with three home football games because our community support is really empowering, and we are going to give it our all for Mayville on Friday.”
After the game, senior lineman Owen Steger credited the coaching staff and the team’s trademark physicality. “We have some of the greatest offensive line and defensive line coaches,” Steger said. “We like to play smash-mouth football, and I love running people over—it’s the best.”
Sophomore Schneider added, “I love running behind my guys.” When asked about playing Friday night lights football in front of the home crowd, Schneider added, “There’s no better feeling.”
Mayville’s offense racked up 249 rushing yards on 50 carries, averaging 5.0 yards per attempt. Baker led the way with 125 yards and a touchdown on 26 carries, while Schneider added 78 yards and a score on 10 attempts. Mittelstadt contributed 16 yards and a touchdown, and Promersberger chipped in 27 yards on the ground.
The defense held WLA to 186 rushing yards and just 127 through the air. Drinkwine, Steger, and Promersberger each had key defensive plays, while the Cardinals’ front line continued to prove why Mayville football keeps driving forward.
With another statement win, the undefeated Cardinals will now prepare for a high-stakes Level 3 matchup at home against Amherst, Friday, Nov. 7, with kickoff at 7 p.m.
Mayville, 28 vs. WLA, 21
Friday, October 31, 2025
MAY 7-7-7-7-28
WLA 7-7-0-7-21
Team Statistics (MAY/WLA)
First Downs: 14/15; Rushes-yards: 50-249/33-186; Passing yards: 0/127; Fumbles-lost: 1-1/2-1; Penalties-yards: 4-32/7-60
Mayville
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Baker 26-125 1TD; Schneider 10-78 1TD; Promersberger 5-27; Mittelstadt 7-16 1TD; Keller 1-3
PASSING: Mittelstadt 0-1-0
RECEIVING: 0
RETURNS: Keller 2-92 1TD; Schneider 1-29; Decker 1-1
Scoring summary: Q1 11:48, MAY, Keller 83-yard kickoff return, PAT good Mlsna (7-0); 5:15, WLA, Schwartz pass to Wild 12-yard, PAT good Schwartz (7-7); Q2 10:00, WLA, Schwartz 12-yard run, PAT good Schwartz (7-14); 0:59, MAY, Mittelstadt 1-yard run, PAT good Mlsna (14-14); Q3 4:55, MAY, Baker 2-yard run, PAT good Mlsna (21-14); Q4 10:26, WLA, Schwartz pass to Wild 21-yard, PAT good Schwartz (21-21); 4:05, MAY, Schneider 7-yard run, PAT good Mlsna (28-21)
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