FOOTBALL

What We Learned in Week 8 on prep football scene

Scott A. Williams
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

 

CENTRAL WISCONSIN - More than the prestigous Ol' River Jug was on the line for the Stevens Point Area Senior High football program Friday night.

SPASH can ill-afford another loss this season. If Wisconsin Rapids dealt the Panthers a defeat in the traditional battle for the rivalry trophy, their playoff dreams would vanish.

For the third time in as many weeks, the Panthers kept their WIAA playoff hopes alive with a thrilling 21-17 come-from-behind win over Wisconsin Rapids at South Wood County Football Field 2000.

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SPASH grabbed the Ol' River Jug for the fifth time in the last six seasons.

"Gwtting the Jug back to Stevens Point is always big," SPASH coach Pete McAdams said. "It was a fun game and a great team win."

One need look no further than the defensive side of the ball for why SPASH still has a chance to sneak into the WIAA playoffs after a 1-4 start.

A week earlier, the Panthers shut out D.C. Everest 35-0, and a week before that returned three interceptions for touchdowns in a 54-20 dismantling of Wausau West on Sept. 22.

While the unit didn't put up any points against the Raiders, the performance of the defense may have been just as impressive. Rapids came into the matchup averaging 36.6 points a game.

SPASH kept its WIAA playoff hopes alive by knocking off Wisconsin Rapids 21-17 to claim the Ol' River Jug for the fifth time in the last six seasons. With their third straight win, the Panthers can qualify for the postseason with a victory over Fond du Lac in the regular season finale Oct. 13.

The Raiders were well on their way to reaching their average behind a pair of touchdown runs from Isaac Pelot in the first half to build a 17-7 lead at the break.

SPASH kept the Raiders off the scoreboard in the second half, however, to give its offense a chance to mount a comeback.

Enter Panthers running back Colton Kizewski. The senior has carried the offense for much of the season depsite being the focal point of opposing defenses and Friday was no different.

Kizewski carried the ball 40 times for 218 yards with a pair of touchdowns. His 17-yard scamper to the end zone with three minutes left in the third quarter gave SPASH its first lead and turned out to be the game-winning score.

The SPASH defense did the rest.

"The main difference during the last three games has been shifting our focus from our opponent to our team," McAdams said. "That must remain going into Game 9. We need to play smart, play hard and play together."

Now its late-season playoff push comes down to a must-win contest with Fond du Lac, ranked sixth in the Large Division of the latest Associated Press poll, at home Oct. 13.

Log Game trophy stays put

Wins have been tough to come by for Wausau West this season.

However, there is nothing like the annual rivalry battle with Wausau East in the traditional Log Game to change that for the Warriors.

West extended its winning streak in the series to five with a dominating 49-7 win at Thom Field. In each of those the Warriors held East to 10 points or less.

The Lumberjacks last gained possession of the trophy in 2012 with a thrilling 23-21 victory.

Wausau West's Mitch Michalske rushed for more than 200 yards and two touchdowns in West's 49-7 win Friday at Thom Field.

East had no answer for the Warriors ground attack this time, however.

Mitch Michalske shredded the defense for 207 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. Quarterback Chandler Fochs added 120 yards on just 10 attempts and found the end zone three times.

An early Halloween scare

Pittsville reeled off six wins in a row to open the season before suffering a heartbreaking 7-6 loss to Wild Rose last week. A missed extra point made the difference.

Still holding out hopes of earning at least a share of the Central Wisconsin Conference-Small championship, the Panthers sought to bounce back against Almond-Bancroft in Week 8.

The Eagles threw a scare into Pittsville before the CWC-Small newcomers eventually prevailed 22-14 to keep its slim co-championship chances alive.

In order to still be in that position, the Panthers needed a huge defensive stand in the closing minutes. They delivered by stopping A-B at their 1-yard line with two minutes left in regulation.

The Pittsville defense (all purple) came up big late in a 22-14 win over Almond-Bancroft on Friday night to keep their slim hopes for a Central Wisconsin Conference-Small co-championship alive..

"We had our opportunities in the game," Eagles coach Andrew Bradley said. "Four turnovers really hurt. I'm proud of they way the kids battled through the turnovers and had a chance at the end."

A-B also had trouble containing Pittsville's dangerous senior running back Riley Wayerski, who gained 281 yards on the ground and accounted for three touchdowns on 36 carries.

Sick of Stanley-Boyd

A handful of central Wisconsin area football teams have been haunted when Stanley-Boyd has shown up on their schedules this season.

The Orioles, who are ranked fourth in the Small Division of the Associated Press poll, have handed Stratford (21-14) and Spencer/Columbus Catholic (29-12) their only losses of the season.

Colby became the latest victim to fall prey to the Orioles with a 37-6 Cloverbelt Conference setback in Week 8.

Scott A. Williams can be reached at 715-345-2282, or by email at ssswilliam@stevenspoint.gannett.com. Find him on Twitter as @SPJScottWill