The Audubon Football team’s historic season came to a close in a 60-36 state semifinal loss against the Bishop Garrigan Golden Bears. Five-Wheeler turnovers were the key difference in the game with the first one occurring on Audubon’s first play from scrimmage deep in their own territory. Audubon matched Bishop Garrigan’s energy for nearly the entirety of the first half until two costly turnovers inside a minute to go in the second quarter turned a 14-14 game into a two-touchdown deficit for Audubon. The turnovers piled up for the Wheelers to a point they couldn’t recover from and were unable to slow down the dynamic Golden Bear offense down falling short to have the opportunity to play in the program’s third ever state championship game.

On Audubon’s first play from scrimmage, Sophomore Quarterback Aiden Kjergaard ran up the ball up the middle and the football was punched out by Senior Ethan Marsh. In just two plays and from three yards out, Bishop Garrigan took a 6-0 lead. Audubon settled into the game with a sustained ten play 60-yard drive which nearly took five minutes. Audubon eventually scored with a five-yard Kjergaard run up the middle. Once Audubon took their first lead of the game at 8-6, the Golden Bears answered right back with a 12-play drive of their own regaining the lead 14-6. In the second quarter, Audubon struck back with another Kjergaard touchdown run from 44 yards out to tie the game at 14. Disaster hit the Wheelers on 4th & 6 as Audubon entered the red zone by throwing an interception caught by Bishop Garrigan’s Madden Miller and returned to the Wheeler 25. Seven plays later, the Golden Bears retook the lead with a nine-yard touchdown run from Senior Quarterback Tate Foertsch. Thirty seconds later, a high snap resulted in another Wheeler turnover and set Bishop Garrigan up at the Audubon six. It took only one play to put the Golden Bears ahead 30-14 at the half.

Bishop Garrigan took their first of three different 24 point leads they would have in the game on a 38-yard touchdown pass from Foertsch to Michael Joyce but Jorgen Nawatzke retuned that kickoff to the house for a 72-yard touchdown. On the next drive, Foertsch ran in a two-yard touchdown and after three quarters it was 44-20. The Wheelers didn’t back down as Carson Wessell punched in a four-yard touchdown on the ground early in the fourth only to be followed by another Foertsch tocuhdown run inside the five for the Golden Bears to put the game at 52-28. After the score, Bishop Garrigan goes with a surprise onside kick the Wheelers were unable to control. The mistake by Auduon resulted in a Bishop Garrigan recovery. First play Foertsch finds Weston Rosenmeyer for a 33-yard touchdown pass giving the Golden Bears their largest lead 60-28. Kjergaard ended his sophomore season with a three-yard touchdown run to end the game at 60-36.

Head Coach Sean Birks says today despite the loss, his team was extremely successful this year.

The high number of turnovers was too tall of a task to come back from.

Birks was satisfied with the way his team moved the ball in the first half despite the mistakes.

The coaching staff was proud of the work ethic they’re team had all year.

Audubon graduates seven seniors and returns several members from both their offensive and defensive starting lineups.