Football Recap: Wisner-Pilger Takes Down Hartington-Newcastle in a Playoff Battle

It's playoff time, and Wisner-Pilger had no trouble coming through when it counted. They came out on top against the Hartington-Newcastle Wildcats by a score of 38-28 on Thursday. The score was all tied up 14-14 at the break, but the Gators were the better team in the second half.

Wisner-Pilger didn't go easy on the quarterback and picked off two passes before the game was over. In fact, those interceptions all came courtesy of defensive juggernaut Ashton Raabe. Logan Nelson was another major factor on D, making 14 total tackles (1.0 for loss).

When it comes to explaining why Hartington-Newcastle lost, don't look at Austin Sudbeck. Despite the final result, he rushed for 113 yards and a pair of scores, and also threw for 180 yards and two touchdowns. With that strong performance, Sudbeck is now averaging an impressive 100.9 rushing yards per game.

Gators

Previous 4 Games (Home)

10/23/25 vs Hartington-Newcastle	38-28
10/10/25 vs Guardian Angels Central Catholic	28-20
09/26/25 vs Tri County Northeast	58-8
09/12/25 vs David City	60-39

Wisner-Pilger's win was their fourth straight at home, which pushed their record up to 7-2. The home victories came thanks in part to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they averaged 46.0 points over those games. As for Hartington-Newcastle, their defeat dropped their record down to 6-3.

Looking ahead, Wisner-Pilger will challenge Sandy Creek on Friday. The Gators will need to watch out since the Cougars have now posted at least 31 points in their last seven matchups. Hartington-Newcastle does not have any more games scheduled as of now.