Division 7 champion: Edgar Wildcats

Final record: 11-3

State-title game: Edgar 36, Shullsburg 6

Conference: 5-3 in Marawood Conference (fourth place)

Championship moment: Edgar was boosted by four turnovers in the title game against Shullsburg, including an interception returned for a 47-yard touchdown by Karson Butt on the first Shullsburg offensive possession of the game. Edgar had already scored on its first drive, so it suddenly had a 15-0 lead with 8:49 left in the first quarter, and the lead grew to 22-0 before Shullsburg scored in the final moments of the opening quarter. It was Edgar’s seventh state title.

Title-game stats: Alec Haffernan ran for three touchdowns and ran for 136 yards on 21 carries. The Wildcats’ 36 points in the first half represented a new Division 7 record for points in a half. Glenwood City had 34 in 2012.

Playoff ladder: Edgar defeated Assumption (34-7), Wild Rose (50-7), Loyal (33-7) and defending state champion Bangor (29-6).

Of note: It was an advantageous playoff layout for Edgar, which benefited from the “dropdown effect” as the largest school in Division 7 (tied), enrollment-wise, after playing a regular-season schedule against larger teams. Losses this year came to Stratford (7-6), Marathon (21-9) and Rib Lake/Prentice (24-18), all close calls against playoff teams in larger-school divisions. Stratford and Marathon both reached Level 2. It was still rare to see Edgar outside the state rankings after a run in which it won or shared the league title every year from 2008 to 2014, but the Wildcats showed they were ready for the biggest games of the year. Division 6 was loaded this year, so it's not a surprise that a three-loss Edgar team was on the outside looking in, but it wound up defeating two undefeated teams (Wild Rose, Bangor) in the playoffs, and Loyal had just one loss.

The Edgar defense allowed seven points or fewer in a staggering 12 of 14 games this season, including every single playoff game.

Leaders: Hafferman cleared 1,000 yards for the year in the title game; he was limited to 10 games this season. Tyler Matysik led the team in tackles (99, and Hafferman also had four interceptions and four fumble recoveries. The team had no first-team All State choices as bestowed by the state coaches association, though Hafferman was honorable mention at outside linebacker.

Runner-up: Shullsburg finished 10-3 and reached the state final for the first time in program history. It had only once before been to Level 4, in 1996.