Every Wednesday during the regular season we will highlight the 8-Player Football game with a spotlight article on boundwisconsin.com. We'll look back at the action and big stories from the previous week, look ahead at the coming week's big match-ups, and select a Star of the Week.
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Looking Back
In a Thursday rivalry game, North Crawford shutout Kickapoo/La Farge 38-0 in the Ridge & Valley-8. Zack Bender carried the ball four times, with three going for touchdowns.
In a top five showdown, second-ranked Assumption remained unbeaten with a 32-14 win over fifth-ranked Owen-Withee on Friday. The Royals did not attempt a pass, instead rushing the ball 63 times for 403 yards and four touchdowns. Senior Camden Martin ran for 203 yards on 29 carries, though did not find the end zone. Braxten Steinert and Wylie Cornwell each ran for a pair of scores.
In a replacement game, third-ranked Belmont welcomed in eighth-ranked Iola-Scandinavia. The host Braves scored a dominating 44-12 win, the first defeat for Iola-Scandinavia in 8-player. Wyatt Temperly couldn’t be stopped for Belmont, completing 14-of-19 passes for 152 yards and two touchdowns along with 245 yards and three scores on 28 carries. He also had a team-high 11 tackles plus an interception.
Hurley and Shell Lake played a replacement game as well, and Shell Lake remained unbeaten with a tough 34-28 win over the sixth-ranked Northstars.
Suring took control of the Marinette & Oconto Conference with an 18-12 win over Lena/St. Thomas. The Eagles are unbeaten overall and have a solid lead in the league standings heading into the final few weeks. Logan Missall had a key pick-6 for Suring.
Palmyra-Eagle rallied in the fourth quarter to score a 35-34 win over Oakfield, as the Panthers also stay undefeated. Trailing 28-20 heading into the final period, Palmyra-Eagle outscored the Oaks 15-6 in the fourth. Junior quarterback Jake Rohda threw for 291 yards and five touchdowns to help the Panthers to victory.
Alma Center Lincoln returned to the field for the first time since the tragic death of Adam Massman, after canceling the last three weeks. The Hornets scored a 28-6 win over Newman Catholic.
Looking Ahead
We got a #1 versus #2 matchup a few weeks ago when Gilman defeated Owen-Withee pretty convincingly. It is another top two battle this week as top-ranked Gilman will travel to second-ranked Assumption. The teams have attempted a total of just 24 passes this year, while running the football at a very high clip. Assumption leads the entire state with more than 400 yards per game on the ground. Gilman is no slouch either, averaging over 300 yards while averaging 9.1 yards per carry.
We get not one, but two top five matchups this week in 8-player football. In a crossover game, fourth-ranked Valley Christian is flying high after a win over Algoma and will make the trip to fifth-ranked Suring as both enter undefeated.
Shell Lake and Northwood/Solon Springs are both 4-0 in the Northwoods-West 8. They’ll meet up Friday in Minong at Northwood High School.
On Saturday at noon, Turtle Lake will take on Prairie Farm/Clayton. Both suffered losses in Week 1 but have won the last four weeks.
Star of the Week: Blake Nyhagen, Bruce
Bruce held off Washburn 54-52 in a shootout last Thursday, and sophomore quarterback Blake Nyhagen produced quite the stat line. He completed 13-of-23 passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns, and really made an impact with his legs, rushing 31 times for 301 yards and six touchdowns. He also was credited with 13 solo tackles and four tackles for loss on defense.
Travis Wilson serves as the Bound Wisconsin Manager. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisBound or reach him at [email protected].
