What we learned on prep football scene in Week 3

Scott A. Williams
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Don't look now, but one football team from the central Wisconsin area is opening eyes through three weeks of the season.

Pacelli is off to its best start since 2010 after the Cardinals destroyed Manawa 42-6 on Friday night to improve to 3-0 on the season.

Dodgeland and Aquinas also have been victimized by the Cardinals, who are coming off back-to-back two-win seasons.

Pacelli junior quarterback Zach Zimmerman threw for 153 yards and a touchdown to help the Cardinals roll to a 42-6 victory over Manawa on Friday night to improve to 3-0 for first time since 2010.

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"All the credit goes to the kids," third-year Pacelli coach Drew Nelson said. "Our kids have played well. They are busting their tails and pushing themselves every day."

Manawa had no answer for the balanced attack the Cardinals demonstrated in the Central Wisconsin Conference-Large opener for both teams.

It should come as no surprise the running game was instrumental in putting 42 points on the scoreboard.

Xander Schmitz usually is the driving force behind the running game. Daniel Mitch took his turn against the Wolves with 153 yards and a TD.

Schmitz gained 65 yards and found the end zone twice for the Cardinals, who churned out 207 yards on the ground against the Wolves.

Even more encouraging, however, was the ability of quarterback Zach Zimmerman to hurt Manawa in the passing game. He completed nine of 13 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown.

"I told the players to embrace the moment and enjoy it, but come Monday it's all business and our focus turns to Wittenberg," Nelson said. "There are no easy weeks in our conference. But for right now I want the kids to enjoy it."

Pacelli will look to remain unbeaten when it meets Wittenberg-Birnamwood in a CWC-Large matchup next week.

Another win also would move the Cardinals closer to reaching the WIAA playoffs for the first time since 2012.

Marathon's Nate Stoffel pulls in a 27-yard touchdown pass from Donavon Free in the first quarter of the Raiders win over Abbotsford Friday.

Bouncing back

Several area teams rebounded from losses the previous week in impressive fashion. Marathon, Wisconsin Rapids and Amherst all returned to the win column in Week 3.

Wisconsin Rapids shook off a loss to state juggernaut Kimberly by crushing Oshkosh North 48-7 in Valley Football Association crossover action.

Not only did the Raiders continue to show they can find the end zone — they are averaging 39.3 points a game through three weeks — but Rapids limited North to 126 yards of total offense.

Wisconsin Rapids running back Isaac Pelot carries an Oshkosh North defender for extra yards in the Raiders' 48-7 win on Friday night.

Meanwhile, Marathon was licking its wounds after a 54-34 nonconference setback at the hands of Iola-Scandinavia last week.

That loss turned out to be bad news for previously unbeaten Abbotsford.

The Red Raiders took out their anger on the Falcons in a 50-21 nonconference blowout behind quarterback Donovan Free who accounted for six touchdowns.

He rushed for 205 yards and scored on runs of 50, 4, 41 and 14 yards. Free also added touchdown passes to Nate Stoffel and Carter Hanke.

"That was huge and it's good to see our kids not hang their heads and respond like that," Marathon coach Todd Stoffel said. "Our guys responded and went out and did their jobs. I think that goes to having seniors that keep people up all the time."

Another bounce-back performance was turned in by two-time defending Division 5 state champion Amherst, whic dropped a tough 14-13 outcome to Saint Mary's Springs a week earlier.

The Falcons took a large step toward a CWC-Large championship with a 36-0 victory over previously unbeaten Shiocton on the road to open league play.

Defense was the name of the game for the Falcons, who limited Shiocton to just 76 yards of total offense.

Making it look easy

No one has been able to hang with Iola-Scandinavia and Edgar to this point.

Three games into the 2017 campaign and some might begin to wonder if anyone will score on defending Division 7 Edgar this season.

Tomahawk was the latest foe unable to find the end against the Wildcats, who remained perfect with a 44-0 thrashing of the Hatchets.in the Marawood Conference. 

Edgar's dominance with a third of the regular season in the books is reflected in having outscored its opponents 94-0.

Iola-Scandinavia continues to mow down foes with ease. Previously unbeaten W-B was the latest victim in a 49-14 triumph for the Thunderbirds, who have scored at least 41 points in each game.

Junior running back Bryce Huettner continued his big season with 205 yards rushing snd three touchdowns. The performance comes on the heels of a 326-yard effort against Marathon.

Odds and end

SPASH put up a heck of a fight in its VFA contest with top-ranked Kimberly, but the Papermakers ultimately did what it does best and found a way to win.

Kimberly extended its winning streak to 59 game with a 28-18 win over the Panthers, who dropped to 1-2 and 0-2 in the VFA-North.

Another team quietly off to a perfect start is Pittsville. The Panthers improved to 3-0 with a 43-7 win over Rosholt in their first game in the Central Wisconsin Conference-Small.

Pittsville is averaging 31.3 points a game through three weeks.

Newman Catholic, in its first year as an 8-man program, improved to 3-0 as well with a 21-18 win over Sevastopol, the No. 4 team in the Wisconsin Football Coaches Association state poll. The Cardinals, ranked No. 7 in the latest poll, host Gillett on Friday.