WAUSAU, Wis (WXCO) – Chad Holmes takes a look and dives into details for some of the biggest match ups in football ahead this weekend.
Months and years of work on the line in week 9 of the high school football regular season. Those teams that earn playoff berths at the end of the night will then wait until Saturday to find out their playoff bracket and first round opponents.
Wisconsin Valley/BRC-East:
D.C. Everest (6-2, 5-0 WVC/BRC-East) @ EC Memorial (1-7, 1-5) (Thursday)
After last week’s heart-stopping double OT win vs. SPASH in a first place league showdown, D.C. Everest looks to wrap up a solo conference title with a win at Carson Park. The Evergreens continue to show impressive balance on offense. Last week senior RB Blake Bangston ran an amazing 45 times for 249 yards and 2 TD. Bangston also caught five passes for 112 yards and a TD. The Old Abes have struggled this season, especially on defense, where they are giving more than 41 points per game this season. Don’t expect that number to go down vs. the league’s top offense.
Marshfield (4-4, 4-1) @ SPASH (5-3, 4-1)
Assuming D.C. Everest takes care of business at Eau Claire Memorial on Thursday, this game will determine 2nd place in the conference. Marshfield got off to a horrid start with three straight losses to start the season but have used a stout defense and solid running game to win four of their last five games to secure a playoff berth. SPASH will need to bounce back after that emotional loss at D.C. Everest last week that appears to have squashed hopes of a second straight conference title.
River Falls (3-5, 2-4 in BRC) @ Wausau West (4-4, 3-3)
In a game that will be broadcast live on 98.9 WXCO, bullfallsradio.com and on the Civic Media app, a massive game with playoff implications for both teams. The Warriors clinch a playoff spot with a win but are still in contention with a loss. To avoid hoping to win a tiebreaker to return to the postseason, West needs to beat the Wildcats. River Falls looked to be all but done last week, trailing at Menomonie 13-0 at halftime knowing they needed two wins to have any chance of the playoffs. They responded with a 29 point explosion in the second half to snap a four game losing streak. A win pushes River Falls to 3 league wins and a likely spot in the postseason. Note: This is a crossover game between the WVC/BRC-East and the Big Rivers Conference that counts towards the conference win total that qualifies for the playoffs. Each team in both conferences play one crossover between week 3 and 9 that counts towards playoff qualification.
Also in the WVC/BRC-East:
EC North (2-6, 1-4) @ Wisconsin Rapids (0-8, 0-6)
Great Northern Conference:
Medford (7-1, 6-0) @ Mosinee (6-2, 5-1)
It’s a battle of the top two teams in the GNC to wrap up the season. Medford claims the conference title with a win. Mosinee shares the league title with Medford with a win. Mosinee will face one of the top running backs in the state in the Raiders’ Paxton Rothmeier. Rothmeier comes off a 311 yard rushing effort last week and has run for 1785 yards this season. Mosinee is led by two-way standout Treve Stoffel. Mosinee’s offense is paced by the arm and legs of their QB who is also the leading tackler on defense.
Wausau East (5-3, 4-2) @ Antigo (4-4, 2-4)
The Lumberjacks already know they are playoff bound for the first time in 12 years while the Red Robins need a win to have a chance at the postseason. Wausau East is led on offense by the combination of QB Davis Winter and WR Jesse Napgezek. The pair connected three times for 115 yards last week. Antigo will need a spectacular effort from QB Colton Thomae to get the win that would place them at 3-4 in the conference and a waiting game to see if that gets them into the playoffs.
Merrill (4-4, 2-4) @ Rhinelander (3-5, 1-5)
Back-to-back narrow losses puts Merrill in a must-win situation for their playoff hopes. 16-14 and 17-11 losses the last two weeks shows the Bluejays’ defense continues to excel but the offense will need to find more production on the road this week. Rhinelander is eliminated from playoff contention with similar issues on offense this season. Sets up to be a low-scoring, tight affair.
Lakeland (4-4, 2-4) @ Tomahawk (3-5, 2-4)
The winner has a chance to be in the playoff field while the loser sees their season end for sure. The Hatchets came up big with a 17-11 road win over Merrill last week and feature a solid running game with Brayden Larson. Lakeland is fighting injuries as they look for the win that likely earns them a postseason spot.
CWC-Large:
Stratford (8-0, 6-0) @ Loyal/Greenwood (1-7, 0-6)
Stratford earned at least a share of the conference championship last week with their win over previously unbeaten Amherst. Jack Tubbs continues to pass at an unbelievably high level. He hit on 14 of 16 passes for 216 yards and 3 TD’s vs. Amherst. Tubbs should be able to add to his offensive totals vs. a Loyal/Greenwood team that gave up 60 points last week vs. Weyauwega-Fremont.
Witt-Birn (6-2, 5-1) @ Amherst (7-1, 5-1)
In a rivalry that has picked up a lot of steam in recent years, 2nd place and potential playoff seeding on the line. A year ago W-B eliminated Amherst in the playoffs. Witt-Birn has improved throughout the season and is led by QB Bryson Schmid and RB Jett Rogowski, who both com off of 100 yard efforts last week. Amherst fell for the first time last week at Stratford but have still put themselves in position for a very good playoff seeding if they can beat the Chargers.
Marathon (2-6, 1-5) @ Spencer/Columbus (2-6, 1-5)
In a game that will be heard live on the Sports 2 Stream of the Civic Media app and bullfallsradio.com, both teams will try to finish their seasons with a win. Marathon has gone through an injury-plagued season but did welcome the return of two-way starter True Thurs last week.
Also in the CWC-Large:
Colby (3-5, 3-3) @ Weyauwega-Fremont (4-4, 3-3)
Marawood/CWC-Small:
Edgar (7-1, 6-0) @ Abbotsford (7-1, 5-1)
Edgar looks to finish up a perfect conference season while Abbotsford will try to pull into a share of the conference title with a win. Both teams will look to run the football. Abby will need a huge night from Christian Fuentes while Edgar has multiple big play runners led by Will Hackel and Maverick Butt. Abbotsford will also need to avoid giving up big plays to the Edgar special teams unit. Edgar returned a pair of punts for touchdowns in the first quarter last week.
Iola-Scandinavia (6-2, 4-2) @ Auburndale (7-1, 5-1)
Should Abbotsford beat Edgar then Auburndale would have a chance to make it a three-way tie for the conference championship. However, it won’t be easy against a very good I-S squad. Auburndale has been dominant during a five game win streak since suffering their only loss to Edgar in week 3. I-S has been tough in every game this season, with their two losses on the road at Edgar and Abbotsford. Both teams have shown the ability to put up big points with the T-Birds led by the multi-threat QB Jensen Rice and the Eagles able to move the ball through the air with QB Blake Raab and RB Colton Weiler.
Also in the Marawood/CWC-Small:
Pacelli @ Pittsville
Rosholt @ Assumption (Thursday)
8-Player:
Newman Catholic (6-1) @ Wild Rose (3-5)
A game that will air live on the Sports 3 Stream of the Civic Media app and bullfallsradio.com. It’s been quite a ride for the Cardinals, who are closing in on another trip to the playoffs. Newman has never missed the 8-Player postseason since the WIAA started sponsoring an 8-Player championship in 2018. Newman has used an experienced line to open holes for their runners, including 413 yards on the ground last week. Wild Rose will not be going to the playoffs but could serve as a spoiler to Newman.
Other games in 8-Player Football:
Marion-Tigerton (3-4) @ Almond-Bancroft (6-1)
Port Edwards (5-2) @ Tri County (5-2)
Gilman (6-1) @ Owen-Withee (7-0)
Rib Lake (5-2) @ Hurley (6-1)
Prentice (1-6) @ Athens (0-7)
