Marshfield beat Wausau East 44-14 on Friday, Oct. 23, at Thom Field in Wausau in a WIAA Level 1 playoff game, the Tigers' first playoff victory since 2022.
Marshfield built a 22-7 halftime lead and was ahead 30-7 minutes into the second half after recovering the second-half kickoff and scoring again.
Senior running back Josh Taylor scored four rushing touchdowns. Taylor stepped in as the Tigers' top back after senior Haiden Carson, who had missed most of the season with injury, was hurt again in the first quarter of his return.
Taylor credited his offensive line and receivers for the blocking, saying he barely got touched on his scoring runs.
Head coach Dennis Goettl said Marshfield chose to take the ball to start the game because a fast start was critical, a departure from the team's usual preference to defer.
Marshfield now travels to face No. 1 seed Monona Grove in Level 2. The Tigers are seeking their deepest postseason run since 2018, when they reached Level 4 before losing 12-7 to Homestead.
