The Mayville Cardinals are Madison-bound after a hard-fought 27–15 victory over Lake Country Lutheran (LCL) Friday night in the WIAA Division 5 Level 3 playoffs. The win at Slinger High School kept Mayville perfect at 13–0 and secured their spot in the state championship game.
The neutral-site atmosphere felt anything but neutral. Slinger’s facility was a standout stage for postseason football, and Mayville fans made it feel like a home game, packing the stands at more than double the LCL crowd. The football moms arrived decked out in full red cardinal costumes, the student section embraced the theme “Skiing our way to Camp Randall,” and the music playlist kept energy high from kickoff to final horn.
Mayville’s defense immediately set the tone. Owen Steger fired up the Cardinals’ sideline with a tackle and sack on LCL’s opening drive, helping force an early stop and setting the tone with one of several plays that kept the Lightning out of rhythm. From there, the Cardinals leaned on a disciplined defensive strategy designed to limit LCL’s explosive pass attack.
With Mayville facing one of the most dynamic aerial offenses they had seen all season, Head Coach Scott Hilber explained the thinking behind the defensive approach, “The game plan going in was to rely on our defensive line to get pressure on their QB without much help. LCL provides so many matchup problems for our defensive backs that we had to keep as many people as possible in coverage. We challenged our defensive backs to be athletic and run with them, which they did, and our defensive line was able to contain their QB for the most part with only four guys, which is no easy task.”
The strategy worked. The Cardinals broke up multiple deep shots and kept the Lightning’s big-play receivers in check, limiting the Lightning’s offense to mostly underneath throws.
A fumbled exchange late in the second quarter briefly swung momentum, giving LCL the ball and a scoring opportunity they capitalized on to tighten the game. But Mayville regrouped after halftime and responded with trademark physicality. Tate Drinkwine set the tone early in the third with a sack for a loss of 12 yards, forcing another LCL punt.
Offensively, the Cardinals leaned on their punishing ground game, finishing with 331 rushing yards. Landen Baker (211 yards, 1 TD), Emerson Mittelstadt (57 yards, 2 TDs), and Joe Promersberger (48 yards, 1 TD) all found the end zone.
Hilber credited his offensive line for its patience and resolve during the back-and-forth battle, “Our line had to be really patient tonight. LCL was doing a lot of different things defensively to confuse us, so at times we stalled, but ultimately the boys picked up their communication and were able to get the job done. A time-consuming offense is a great defense when playing a team like Lake Country. That 95-yard drive to seal the win is one drive I'll never forget. Hats off to our boys.”
That defining 95-yard march came in the fourth quarter and broke the game open. Mayville’s defense then delivered two massive plays in the final minutes—Steger batting down a crucial third-down pass on 3-10, followed by Mittelstadt intercepting a deep ball with 49 seconds remaining. The Cardinals kneeled out the clock as the stands erupted.
With the program’s third state championship appearance in five years now set, Hilber said the team’s consistency is what has carried them this far—and what must continue in Madison.
“What's great about this team is their consistency. Every day, they bring a consistent attitude and effort. These boys never seem to get too high or low; they just get the job done, so keeping them focused is the easy part. Our key to winning a title is to be us first and foremost. We can't forget what got us here and start changing now. Northwestern plays football a lot like we do, so one can expect it to be a great battle. If we can limit big plays from them, and turnovers from us, I think we will have a chance.”
Both undefeated, the No.1 Mayville Cardinals will face No. 2 Northwestern in the WIAA Division 5 State Championship on Thursday, November 20, at 4:00 p.m. at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
It’s a stage the program knows well. Mayville’s proud postseason history includes a 1994 Division 4 State Championship, along with state runner-up finishes in 1991, 1992, 2006, 2021, and 2022. Now, with a perfect season on the line, the Cardinals look to add a new chapter to one of the most decorated eras in school football history.
Mayville, 27 vs. LCL, 15
Friday, November 14, 2025
MAY 0-14-0-13-27
LCL 0-7-8-0-15
Team Statistics (MAY/LCL)
First Downs: 18/12; Rushes-yards: 54-331/15-25; Passing yards: 13/188; Fumbles-lost: 2-2/1-1; Penalties-yards: 2-15/2-13
Mayville
Individual Statistics
RUSHING: Baker 33-211 1TD; Mittelstadt 6-57 2 TD; Promersberger 4-48 1 TD; Schneider 8-15
PASSING: Mittelstadt 2-3-0
RECEIVING: Zitlow 1-7; Schneider 1-6
PUNTING: Wendorff 1-29
RETURNS: Schneider 2-33; Wendorff 1-5
KICK OFF: Mlsna 5-213
SACKS: Steger 1-8; Drinkwine 1-12
INT: Mittelstadt 1-0
Scoring summary: Q2 10:42, MAY, Baker 6-yard run, PAT good Mlsna (7-0); 5:01, MAY, Mittelstadt 9-yard run, PAT good Mlsna (14-0); 0:08, LCL, Lubbers pass to Hans 13-yards, PAT good Uttech (14-7); Q3 9:35, LCL, Lubbers pass to Baranyk 46-yards, 2 PT pass Lubbers to Baranyk good (14-15); Q4 9:36, MAY, Promersberger 24-yard run, 2 PT failed (20-15); 1:20, MAY, Mittelstadt 1-yard run, PTA good Mlsna (27-15)
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