Losses push back Tri-County Area teams' playoff hopes
If any prep football team from the Tri-County makes the playoffs this season, it will only be through the back door i.e. not enough teams with winning conference or overall records.
And losses last week won't make it any easier.
Fall Creek still has a chance, still above .500 at least at 4-3 overall. But the Crickets took their third Cloverbelt Conference loss last week Friday, Oct. 2 in brutal fashion at home to Elk Mound 35-6. FC could qualify getting at least one league win in their final two games of the regular season but will have to do so against No. 3 ranked and undefeated Durand-Arkansaw in Durand on Friday, Oct. 9 or at home the final game of the regular season against a solid Stevens Point Pacelli squad.
Meanwhile the Crickets will have to forget about their performance last week as they fell behind 21-0 at halftime and were simplys overpowered by the Mounders. EM rushed for nearly 500 yards on 57 carries with three running back gaining over 100 yards alone. Leading the way was Adam Roder with 12 carries for 128 yards and three touchdowns. The Mounders had just 35 yards passing but the didn't need the balance FC showed on offense with Fall Creek's quarterbacks throwing for 170 yards and their backs rushing for 110. Quarterback Bryson Elkins threw for 101 yards on 2-for-2 passing and scored the Crickets' lone TD on the ground, rushing for 42 yards on nine carries. He also caught three passes for 67 yards while Kale Korger had three catches for 107 yards.
Osseo-Fairchild head coach Tim Serum told his team to give eveything they had to hold the line and get the ball back from Elmwood/Plum City with :40 seconds to go on a 4th down and two play. With no time outs, O-F either had to stop EPC or the game was over.
And hold O-F did!, stopping the Wolves top back Logan Auth a yard short and getting the ball back with enough time and the receivers to get downfield.
Problem was the Thunder had to go 90 yards for the winning score and its was too far a distance as they fell 20-15, setting their playoff hopes back as they host No. 8 Glenwood City this Friday, Oct. 9 at Ward Field and closing the season at Spring Valley, which upset the Hilltoppers 28-15 last week to take the lead in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference. The loss also snapped a two-game winning streak.
Thunder quarterback Ty Skoyen passed for 142 yards and two touchdowns. Teammate Drew Hanson rushed for 56 yards on seven carries and caught a 35-yard TD pass from Skoyen. Brooks Koxlien led O-F in receiving with three catches for 77 yards and he also led them in tackles with 16, including a sack. Meanwhile, Auth was a literal one-man-gang for the Wolves as he scored all their TDs, rushed for 218 yards on 53 carries and a touchdown and threw for nearly 100 yards and two TDs.
Augusta made for an interesting if not entertaining Homecoming game vs. Whitehall last week Friday. But the Norse simply had too much firepower for the Beavers to handle and the result was a 50-24 loss. AHS led 8-0 after the first quarter and only trailed 14-8 at halftime, But Whitehall poured it on in the third quarter scoring 22 points to put the game away despite Augusta outscoring them 16-14 in the fourth quarter. Three turnovers hurt Augusta's cause.
Augusta rushed for over 200 yards led by Nate Atchinson's 111 on 19 carries and a score. Rylee Mickelson finished with 66 yards and a TD as well. Owen Lee led the Beavers in tackles with 11 while Atchinson and Lee each had eight with Atchinson getting three TFL's. The Norse's Bo Killian led all backs with 173 yards rushing and three touchdowns.
Putting aside their game at No. 3 ranked Alma/Pepin for Pepin's Homecoming this Friday, AHS has a chance to get their third league win in their regular season finale at home vs. Blair-Taylor and then hope its good enough if there's a short playoff field even if means playing the Eagles again in Level 1. Speaking of which, A/P last week made short work of Eleva-Strum at Central by a 50-8 score, the Cardinals' lone TD coming on a 70-yard run by Bo Windjue. E-S hopes to get its second win of the season this week Friday at Independence against a winless I/G squad before closing a week later at home against Melrose-Mindoro.
Cloverbelt Conference
Team Conf. Overall
Durand-Arkansaw 5-0 7-0
Mondovi 4-1 6-1
Eau Claire Regis 3-2 5-2
Elk Mound 3-2 5-2
Fall Creek 2-3 4-3
Stanley-Boyd 2-3 2-5
Neillsville/Granton 0-5 2-5
Last Week's Games
Friday, Oct. 2
Durand-Arkansaw 55, Pittsville 0
Elk Mound 35, Fall Creek 6
Mondovi 38, Eau Claire Regis 0
Stanley-Boyd 37, Neillsvile/Granton 23
This Week's Games
Thursday, Oct. 8
West Iron County, Mich. vs. Neillsville/Granton at Tomahawk
Friday, Oct. 9
Stanley-Boyd at Eau Claire Regis
Fall Creek at Durand-Arkansaw
Mondovi at Elk Mound
Dunn-St. Croix Conference
Team Conf. Overall
Spring Valley 4-1 5-2
Glenwood City 4-1 6-1
Boyceville 3-2 5-2
Chippewa Falls McDonell 2-3 3-4
Elmwood/Plum City 2-3 3-4
Osseo-Fairchild 2-3 3-4
Colfax 0-5 2-5
Last Week's Games
Thursday, Oct. 1
Chippewa Falls McDonell 38, Cameron 14
Friday, Oct. 2
Boyceville 46, Colfax 14
Elmwood/Plum City 20, Osseo-Fairchild 15
Spring Valley 28, Glenwood City 14
This Week's Games
Friday, Oct. 9
Chippewa Falls McDonell at Boyceville
Colfax at Spring Valley
Webster at Elmwood/Plum City (at Elmwood)
Glenwood City at Osseo-Fairchild
Dairyland Conference
Team Conf. Overall
Cochrane-Fountain City 5-0 7-0
Pepin/Alma 4-1 6-1
Melrose-Mindoro 4-1 6-1
Whitehall 3-2 4-3
Augusta 2-3 2-5
Eleva-Strum 1-4 1-6
Blair-Taylor 1-4 1-6
Independence/Gilmanton 0-5 0-7
Last Week's Games
Friday, Oct. 2
Whitehall 50, Augusta 24
Cochrane-Fountain City 35, Independence/Gilmanton 0
Alma/Pepin 50, Eleva-Strum 8
Melrose-Mindoro 38, Blair-Taylor 0
This Week's Games
Friday, Oct. 9
Eleva-Strum at Independence/Gilmanton
Cochrane-Fountain City at Melrose-Mindoro
Augusta at Alma/Pepin
Blair-Taylor at Whitehall
