The Winfield-Mount Union Wolves had one of the best football seasons in school history come to a close with a 34-20 defeat at the hands of Algona Bishop Garrigan yesterday morning in the 8-player state semifinals at the UNI-Dome in Cedar Falls. Undefeated WMU started the game strong, coming up with an interception as a part of three straight defensive stops to begin the game.

After a fourth-down stop, junior quarterback Jake Edwards found senior Carter Loyd for a 37-yard pass that set up first and goal, and two plays later senior Cam Buffington rumbled into the end zone. Buffington scored a second rushing touchdown to build the lead to 12-0, and even after Bishop Garrigan scored their first TD of the game, Jake Edwards connected with senior tight end Abram Edwards for a 30-yard scoring strike on the next drive.

A goal-line stand at the end of the second quarter sent the Wolves into halftime leading 20-6. Unfortunately, the game completely changed in the second half. Behind an unstoppable run game and senior tailback Caden Roetheler, the Golden Bears scored on four straight drives, all of them ending in Roethler touchdown runs, to go from down two TDs to up by two scores.

In addition to Roethler racking up 181 yards on 32 carries, Winfield-Mount Union allowed 270 total yards on the ground to Bishop Garrigan. Two second-half turnovers and a bevy of injuries kept WMU from every putting up enough offense to come back.

The Wolves did get 212 yards passing from Jake Edwards, while Abram Edwards had a game-high five receptions for 81 yards. Buffington had a team-high 12-and-half tackles on defense, while senior defensive back Cole Milks came up with both a forced fumble and the early-game pick.

Winfield-Mount Union finishes its winningest season in 20 years with a record of 11-1 and their first trip to the Dome since 1999. The Wolves were the number-one ranked team in the state by the Iowa High School Athletics Association most of the season, thanks largely to the senior class of Buffington, Milks, Loyd, Abram Edwards, Eli Miller, Kael Johnson and Jarit Tapia that ends their careers at WMU.