Division 5 champion: Amherst Falcons

Final record: 13-1

State-title game: Amherst 38, Cedar Grove-Belgium 35

Conference: 6-0 in Central Wisconsin Eight

Championship moment: After a controversial fumble call on a hook-and-ladder play set up Amherst with the ball deep in CGB territory in the final minute, Carter Zblewski kicked a game-winning 26-yard field goal with 9 seconds left. The Falcons were able to get their kicking unit on the field after a whistle to measure the previous spot. The fumble looked very much like an incomplete pass on replay.

Title-game stats: Cedar Grove-Belgium quarterback Josh Weiss shattered the record book, setting all-division records for completions (36), attempts (51), passing yards (383) and touchdowns (5). Most of those records were not even close. His two top targets were first-team All State wideout Reid Hilbelink (14 catches, 164 yards, two scores) and Ethan Brochtrup (13 catches, 155 yards). Chandler Benn, who missed a chunk of the game with injury, had two rushing touchdowns for Amherst, and Brandon Piotrowski ran for one and threw for one.

Playoff ladder: Amherst defeated Oconto (41-6), Spencer/Columbus Catholic (42-14), Winnebago Lutheran (44-27) and Stanley-Boyd (42-15).

Of note: Amherst has become a recent dynasty, making its first state appearance in 2012 but trips each of the past three seasons as well, with titles in each of those years but 2014.

Amherst came away with four turnovers in the title game, including two interceptions off trick plays run by CGB in its own territory. The other was a halfback pass that turned into an interception led to an Amherst score just before halftime.

The lone Amherst loss this season came in a 20-17 setback to St. Mary Springs, the two-time reigning Division 5 state champ that incurred its only loss of the year in a Level 4 loss to Darlington. It was the only game on the schedule decided by fewer than two touchdowns until the championship game. The Falcons averaged 40.7 points per game this season and didn’t finish south of 42 for 10 straight games prior to the final game (and scored 38 in the title game and 39 in the other bookend to that streak).

Carter Zblewski's family has been a huge part of the Amherst success, but oddly, he's the only of his three brothers to have played prominently in a state-title victory. Oldest brother Chris was sidelined with an injury in the playoffs in 2012, but Amherst not only remarkably went on to win the title, Chris hobbled onto the field to take the final snaps in that victory. In 2014, Connor Zblewski was a key offensive piece for the team that fell short in the title game. Cousin Chad Zblewski is also on the current Amherst team, and Carter's youngest brother Cyle is a freshman in the Amherst program.

Amherst coach Mark Lusic said after the game that Zblewski's field goal was the first field goal one of his players has made since he took over as coach seven years ago.

Leaders: Brandon Piotrowski threw for 2,430 yards on the season and 30 touchdowns, and he also ran for 10 scores and 681 yards. Chandler Benn was the team’s leading rusher with 956 yards and 16 touchdowns. Josh Cisnewski was the team’s leading receiver with 58 catches, 1,369 yards and 22 scores, and he also had one in the title game. Mike Singer, a first-team All State selection on both lines, had eight sacks and 13 tackles for loss.

Runner-up: Cedar Grove-Belgium (12-2) will be talking about this game for a long time after the controversial circumstances that led to the loss. Weiss cleared 4,000 yards passing for the season, which landed him one of the three first-team All State spots at quarterback. CGB had been to state one other time, a runner-up finish in 2008.