H.S. FOOTBALL PLAYOFFS: Bangor vs. Pepin-Alma in state title rematch

Wisconsin and Minnesota playoffs nearing finales

It’s become somewhat of a rivalry, the matchup between Bangor and Pepin-Alma high school football teams.

One that’s a tad anti-climatic, save for last season, when the Cardinals (11-0) took down P-A in the state championship 20-14 – recovering an onside with 2:40 remaining to all but seal it.

The year before that, the two teams met in the quarterfinals, where the Eagles (10-1) beat 42-13 on their way to the state title game – losing 17-12 to Owen-Withee.

At 7 p.m. today in Bangor, the two teams meet again, but it’s not the Division 7 Wisconsin state championship, of course. No, it’s the quarterfinals again.

“I’m just trying to keep us even keeled,” Bangor coach Rick Mullenberg said. “There’s a lot of excitement out there and everyone knows what’s at stake as we’ve played these guys the last two years.

“Having done it now for a couple years and we’ve made some good runs, the kids just feel like it’s normal. They feel like we should be playing now because of the way we’ve played before. I definitely think it helps to have that experience.”

Pepin-Alma is a tad lucky to even be in this position. It’s won the last two games 35-34, including the last one in overtime – down by 6, Caiden Haake scored on a 20-yard run, then booted the extra point, after Eleva-Strum had scored first but missed the PAT.

It could be something like that, that decides tonight’s matchup, as well.

“It’s going to come down to who doesn’t make the big mistake,” Mullenberg said.