Playoff possibilities open for Tri-County Area football teams
For the first time since 2019, the word "playoffs" can be mentioned in the context of the Osseo-Fairchild High School football program.
That's because the Thunder (3-3 overall and 2-2 in the Dunn-St. Croix Conference) have won two ballgames in a row and most important, two league games in a row, If they can win this Friday, Oct. 2 at Elmwood against Elmwood/Plum City, they will have three Dunn-St. Croix Conference wins and probably do no worse than a 4-5 overall record (O-F's final two games are against No. 2 ranked Glenwood City and Spring Valley). Given the fact the WIAA has found itself in recent years short of teams with winning records to fill the entire playoff field, O-F would have an excellent chance of getting in even just below .500.
The Thunder find themselves in this position after last week's solid 20-8 win over Chippewa Falls McDonell at Ward Field in Osseo last week Friday, Sept. 25. O-F put down over 200 yards rushing led by Drew Hanson's three touchdown runs . He finished with 73 yards rushing on 16 carries and Daegan Swett rushed for a season-best 110 yards on 18 carries. Both Breckin Quirk and Brooks Koxlien led the Thunder in tackles with six each and five other players had at least four tackles each.
Fall Creek (4-2 overall and 2-2 in the Cloverbelt) has playoff hopes too but they are touch and go as far as discussion goes because of the Crickets' brutal schedule which concludes with back-to-back weeks of ranked opponents (at No. 4 Durand-Arkansaw and No. 8 Stevens Point Pacelli). A big game in this regard is this Friday's contest at home vs. Elk Mound, who entertains simil.ar playoff thoughts and needs a win badly too to get them. Another rock hard-candy loss to Eau Claire Regis, last week Friday, Sept. 25 15-8 at Carson Park in Eau Claire, put FC in this predicament. The Crickets scored first in the first quarter but held out of the endzone for the duration of the game as Regis broke an 8-8 halftime time with an early score in the third quarter, or "early" after a 15-play, 80-yard drive. Ethan Westrate had Fall Creek's lone score as he rushed for 103 yards on 23 carries. The 211 collective rushing yards among several backs for the No. 6 ranked Ramblers proved decisive as Noah Laber and Mason McCoy both scored for Regis. Bryce Elkins had 19 tackles to lead FC and Westrate had 10. Trey Winsand snagged an INT for the Crickets.
Augusta needs to get at least three Dairyland Conference wins to even hope to sneak in the playoff field as a 3-6 squad. The Beavers could get that third win over Blair-Taylor in the season finale but before they do they have to survive a gauntlet of Whitehall in its Homecoming game this Friday, Oct. 2 at Centennial Field and then at No. 4 ranked Alma/Pepin the following week. The Beavers, 2-4 overall and 2-2 in the DC) hoped to snag a win last week at Melrose-Mindoro but it was not to be as they fell behind 28-6 at halftime and lost 49-14 to the Mustangs. Owen Lee had both of the Beavers' TDs against Mel-Min. a 52-yard reception to the endzone and a 49-yard run for a score. He also led the team in tackles with 19. Rylee Mickelson rushed for 79 yards on 18 carries. The Mustangs (5-1 overall and 3-1 in the DC) rushed for nearly 400 yards led by Isaiah Kleinsmith's 127 yards on 12 carries and two TDs.
Eleva-Strum held its Homecoming game last week, Sept. 25 against the state's top-ranked team in Division 7, Cochrane-Fountain City. The Cardinals proved gracious hosts as they spotted the Pirates a 35-0 lead at halftime and with running clock in the second half C-FC tacked on 20 more points for a 55-8 win. The Pirates' senior quarterback Parker Kujak threw for 111 yards and a TD to wide receiver Ethan Holzer and had two rushing touchdowns as well. C-FC senior running back Aiden Lisowski scored twice as he rushed for 119 yards on just seven carries. The Cardinals (1-5 overall, 1-3 in the DC) did find the end zone in the fourth quarter as junior QB Graeden Zwiefelhofer completed a touchdown pass to senior Bo Windjue. The Cards got the two-point conversion as well. E-S faces the No. 4 ranked team in the state in D-7, Alma/Pepin, this Friday at Central.
