MADISON (NBC 26) – Wrightstown won the Silver Ball for the second straight year after losing to Stratford 21-6 in the WIAA Division 5 state championship game on Thursday.
Senior quarterback Trevor Vande Hey was responsible for the Tigers’ only touchdown of the game.
Vande Hey scored a 61-yard rushing touchdown in the second quarter to give Wrightstown a one-point lead.
“We knew it would be a difficult match and we gave our all,” said Vande Hey. “We did everything we could, but it didn’t work out the way we wanted.”
Vande Hey added that he is proud of his team for making it this far and will look back fondly on the memories he and his teammates shared.
“I’ve made a lot of amazing friends in soccer and it’s amazing to have them in my life,” Vande Hey said.
Head coach Steven Klister credited Stratford’s defense for stopping Wrightstown.
“They’re just really aggressive, fast kids,” Klister said. “They are really good athletes and it was hard for us to block them offensively.”
Klister added that the biggest change in momentum came when Stratford scored a touchdown overdue in the first half and then scored another early in the second half.
“It was huge,” Klister said. “That was basically the difference in the game. If we could have stopped them from scoring, maybe we would have had more momentum, but that’s the way it is.”
Despite the loss, Klister emphasized how special the subsequent trips to the state championship were.
“We talked to the seniors about making history at Wrightstown High School,” Klister said. “We never played on top of each other. We failed twice, but it will still be very memorable for them when they sit down and think about it.”
Klister said the last two seasons have been an amazing experience for the seniors and the community.
“We had a lot of great seniors,” Klister said. “All these talented guys are great players and will be missed.”
Running back Aiden Humphreys said this loss hurts even more than last year because it is his last season in football.
“Obviously it wasn’t the result we expected last year, but we had a great run,” Humphreys said. “I’m proud of everyone here. Everyone did their job and everyone gave 100 percent. There’s nothing better than playing football with your family.”
Wrightstown finished the season with a record of 12-2.
