Important week of games for Area prep football teams
It's an important point of the prep football season for Tri-County Area teams.
If said teams wish to compete for conference titles, clinch playoff berths or if nothing else just win a contest, they must do this Friday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m.
The latter circumstance is especially true for Augusta. Their best chance for a win comes tonight at Independence/Gilmanton. In fact for both teams it may well be their only shot at victory this season. The Beavers, who only have one touchdown this season so far, need to be able to move the ball affectively to the endzone tonight and have defense prevent big plays by the Indee Panthers two best players, quarterback Chase Back and back Grant Klimek, on both sides of the ball and special teams. Klimek had a big kick return in I/G's game with Whitehall last week and Back threw for 113 yards as the Indee Panthers have been a primarily passing team on offense.
Osseo-Fairchild has a good shot of getting its first Cloverbelt Conference win since 2020 playing winless Stanley-Boyd this evening at home. The Thunder won their first contest of the season shutting out Necedah 50-0 but have been skunked since although they did have a score vs. Elk Mound last week in a 35-8 loss.
For the two Homecoming teams in the Area this week, big things are at stake in their respective games.
Eleva-Strum can nail down a playoff berth if they can get their first win over Blair-Taylor in a decade tonight at Central. The Wildcats come into the contest taking batterings from the Dairyland's and the state's top teams Alma/Pepin and Cochrane-Fountain City. The Wildcats, 3-2 overall and 1-2 in the DC, are led in rushing by senior Collin Johnston with 371 yards on 62 carries and two TDs but it's passing the ball that B-T has been proficient as senior QB Kole Tapp has already thrown for over a thousand yards and 13 TDs. His favorite receivers are senior C.J. Dummer with 18 catches for 356 yards and four TDs and fellow senior Payton Kelly with 27 catches for 426 yards and four TDs. E-S senior quarterback is having a successful year throwing the ball so far with 468 yards on 17-of-28 passing and seven TD but the Cards ground game four backs over 100 yards led by junior Brock Stendahl with 321 yards and two TDs while senior Luis Kinser had 292 yards and four TDs. Sophomore Elliott Walsh is also becoming a part of the run game as well and senior Bo Windjue leads the team in receptions with five for 129 yards. In fact all the Cardinal backs are ready pass catchers as well. Senior Dan Segerstrom is the Cards' leading tackler with 39, four for TFL.
Fall Creek has the perfect Homecoming set-up in facing unbeaten and No. 2 ranked Eau Claire Regis tonight at Schultz Field. The Crickets nearly upset the Ramblers in the first round of the playoffs last year in Eau Claire and hope to complete the task at 3-2 overall, 2-1 in the Cloverbelt Conference. A win is a must to have any shot at the conference title. Regis primarly gains yards on the ground with at least five backs over 150 yards so far led by senior Austin Rideout with 234 and four TDs along with the Tarbox brothers Brody and Braxton. Their leading receiver is sophore Griffin Boda with three catches for 114 yards and a TD from junior QB Joey Brantner. FC has its own formidable ground attack led by senior Cullen Kramer who has 830 rushing yards on 92 carries and nine TDs. Junior Ethan Westrate has rushed for over 300 yards and three scores. Sophomore QB Bryson Elkins has 351 yards passing and six TDs with senior Brady Prorok led the team in receptions with 10 for 132 yards and two TDs. Having the balanced offense along with a stout defense against the run and big plays will be crucial to the Crickets' chances.
