GRAFTON — The Grafton Black Hawks returned home as state champions Friday, marking the school's first state title since the early 1980s with a perfect season.
Graysen Bollech kicked a 35-yard field goal to secure the state championship for the Black Hawks, bringing home the gold ball from Camp Randall Stadium. The team was greeted by cheering fans and proud community members as they arrived back in Grafton.
"When your son's the kicker, all eyes are on one individual out there. I just had to bury my head and pray to God that He was with him. And it worked out," Graysen's mother and a Grafton football parent, Ashley Bollech, said.
"Everybody is so extremely proud of them," Bollech said.
Graysen proudly carried the gold ball off the team bus as cheers filled the air from the crowd.
Ken Michaud, a Grafton resident, was among the many community members who welcomed the team home.
"A young man made a kick of his lifetime, that he will never forget," Michaud said.
"They don't give up, you could see it the way they played, the way they protected each other, the way they made a play when they had to make it," Michaud said.
Watch: Grafton celebrate as Black Hawks bring home first state title in over 40 years
The championship victory was particularly meaningful for the community, as Grafton hadn't won a state title in over 40 years.
"It's just special to see all the support from the community and everybody around us," Grafton's quarterback, Nick Schiller said.
Schiller and his teammates are savoring their incredible accomplishment and the memories from their undefeated season.
"It's just an amazing feeling to win state your senior year and go 14-0," Schiller said.
Friday's victory marks the third state title in program history for the Black Hawks, who play in black and orange.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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