MADISON, Wis. — The Grantsburg football team stumbled after a quick start and couldn’t recover until it was too late.

The Pirates, appearing in a Wisconsin state high school football championship game for the first time, scored on their first possession but then allowed the next three scores and dropped a 26-19 decision to Lomira in the Division 6 state tournament title game Thursday afternoon.

Grantsburg, which trailed 26-10 with just over nine minutes remaining, made it a one-possession game on Alex McCormick’s 29-yard field goal with 2:15 remaining. Lomira recovered the following onside kick and was able to run out the clock.

Lomira capitalized on an interception for a touchdown in the final minute of the first half, then came out with a 73-yard scoring drive after intermission for a 20-7 lead.

“We’ve had trouble in the past, too, at the end of the second quarter, for whatever reason,” Grantsburg coach Adam Hale said. “Basically, to have them back at the 30 or 40, whatever it was, and them getting that late score, (really hurt). Coming out in the second half, we needed that stop. Then all of a sudden, you’re playing catch-up.

“It was just too much against a team like these guys,” Hale said. “You can’t spot them those three.”

Lomira’s Taylor Schaumberg, who carried 11 times for 103 yards in the first half, ripped off runs of 38 and 23 yards to open the third quarter. On fourth down from the Grantsburg 2, Jackson Goebel found Sam Schraufnagel wide open in the right flat for the scoring pass.

Grantsburg answered with a drive to the Lomira 13, but settled for a 31-yard field goal by McCormick to make it 20-10 with 3:01 left in the third quarter.

The Lions responded with an 11-play, 80-yard scoring drive. Goebel connected with Schraufnagel for another fourth-down conversion with a 16-yard completion to the Grantsburg 6. Schaumberg skirted right end on the next play to extend the Lomira lead to 26-10.

“We didn’t get the big stops when we needed it,” Hale said. “We needed a couple of stops and we missed a lot of tackles today, and obviously you can’t do that in the state championship.”

On the ensuing possession, the Pirates completed a flea-flicker on fourth-and-11 for a first down at the 3. Two plays later, Ian Burkman scored from two yards out, but the two-point conversion failed, leaving Lomira up 26-16.

“Our guys were resilient. I’m proud of them,” Hale said. “They kept coming back. They fought and fought and fought, and it came down to an onside kick … I couldn’t be more proud of our guys.”

After the opening score, the Pirates’ next three possessions ended in a turnover on downs, a fumble and an interception.

“We just turned the ball over too much on their side of the zone,” Grantsburg quarterback Brock Matheny said. “We just weren’t able to finish drives, and I think that’s a big reason why we lost.”

Matheny completed 24 of 37 passes for 283 yards. Burkman paced the ground game with 68 yards on 22 carries with two scores. The Pirates outgained Lomira 360 yards to 318.

Schaumberg, who entered with 1,933 yards rushing, finished with 216 yards on 29 carries with three touchdowns.

Lomira went in front 13-7 on Schaumberg’s 32-yard touchdown run with 52 seconds left in the first half. Schaumberg went off the left side, cut back at the 20 and then outran defenders to the right pylon.

Grantsburg opened the game with an 11-play, 56-yard scoring drive. Burkman kept the drive alive with a 2-yard plunge on a fourth-and-one gamble from the Lomira 47. Matheny hit Dane Lozier with a 16-yard pass for a first down at the 6. Burkman gained five on a pitch to the left, then scored from a yard out.

Lomira answered on the ensuing possession when Schaumberg went up the middle, then cut outside left for a 33-yard touchdown run to make it 7-7.