With three games remaining in the regular season, the Oconto Falls Panthers are in the hunt for another Northwoods Conference football championship.
The Panthers took a big step toward their first conference title since 2023 on Sept. 26 with a 24-8 win over Coleman while improving to 5-1 overall and 4-0 in Northwoods play.
Oconto Falls 24, Coleman 8
Coleman’s only touchdown came on Kolton Peters’ 88-yard kickoff return in the first quarter.
Oconto Falls had opened the scoring with Nathaniel White’s 74-yard pass to Elijah White.
Peters’ kickoff return after the touchdown and a two-point conversion gave the Cougars an 8-6 lead, but the Panthers took the lead for good on Nathaniel White’s 1-yard quarterback keeper in the second quarter.
Oconto Falls led 12-8 at halftime, and neither team scored again until the Panthers found the end zone twice in the fourth quarter.
Isaiah Radart scored on a 9-yard run, and Ethan Hill wrapped up the scoring with a 3-yard run.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood 19, Loyal/Greenwood 16
The Chargers snapped a two-game Central Wisconsin Conference-Large losing streak with a homecoming win over Loyal/Greenwood.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood trailed 16-6 late in the third quarter but came up with touchdowns on consecutive drives.
The Chargers opened the scoring with Kaden Yaeger’s 43-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter.
Loyal/Greenwood took an 8-6 lead with 28 seconds remaining in the quarter as Jake Lindner found Cain Toufar in the end zone for a 7-yard pass and Rory Hanson added the two-point conversion run.
Neither team scored again until Lindner’s 36-yard touchdown pass to Reed Stieglitz and a successful two-point conversion gave Loyal/Greenwood a 16-6 lead with 3:12 remaining in the third quarter. The touchdown came one play after a Wittenberg-Birnamwood fumble.
A 51-yard run from quarterback Bo Davis set up the Chargers’ second touchdown. Alberto Sanchez scored from two yards out two plays later and the Chargers trailed 16-12 with seven seconds left in the third quarter.
Wittenberg-Birnamwood scored again the next time the Chargers had the ball, as Sanchez scored from a yard out with 7:59 to go in the game.
Pulaski 42, Ashwaubenon 7
The Red Raiders headed to Ashwaubenon and returned home with a Fox River Classic Conference-North win over the Jaguars.
Pulaski opened the scoring midway through the first quarter on Anthony Ficarri’s 10-yard run.
Bohdan Schmidt gave the Red Raiders a two-score lead in the opening minute of the second quarter with a 44-yard run and added a 14-yard touchdown pass to Kammron Mckeefry in the final minute of the half that gave Pulaski a 21-0 lead at the break.
Ashwaubenon cut into the Red Raiders’ lead with a 6-yard touchdown pass in the third quarter, but Pulaski answered with Brock Weideman’s 2-yard run on its next drive.
Schmidt’s second rushing touchdown – this one from 41 yards out – gave Pulaski a 35-7 lead early in the fourth quarter, and Bruno Gajewski connected with Gavin Sikorski for a 29-yard pass for Pulaski’s final score.
Schmidt finished with 152 of his team’s 339 rushing yards.
Bonduel 34, Mishicot 6
The Bears built a 21-6 halftime lead before outscoring Mishicot 13-8 in the second half.
Bonduel improved to 4-2 on the season and 3-1 in Packerland Conference play.
Marion/Tigerton 56, Port Edwards 20
The Thundercatz outscored the Blackhawks 34-0 in the second quarter and cruised to a Central Wisconsin Conference 8-player win in Port Edwards.
Marion/Tigerton led 16-6 after one quarter, 50-6 at halftime and 50-14 after three quarters before each team added a touchdown in the fourth quarter.
Braylon Mielke scored three touchdowns on the ground, caught a scoring pass from Shane Blum and finished with 137 rushing yards on 10 carries.
Gibraltar 52, Gillett 14
Gillett led 8-7 in the first quarter but ended up falling to the Vikings in an Across the Bay Conference 8-player matchup in Fish Creek.
After Gibraltar built a 33-8 halftime lead, the Tigers scored a touchdown in the third quarter that cut the lead to 33-14. The Vikings ended the game with 19 unanswered points.
Upcoming games
Oct. 2: Bonduel at Peshtigo, 7 p.m.
Oct. 3 (all games 7 p.m.): Shiocton at Oconto Falls; Appleton West at Pulaski; Shawano at Xavier; Wittenberg-Birnamwood at Colby; Marion/Tigerton vs. Tri-County at Marion; Gibraltar at Suring; Algoma at Gillett; Lena/STAA at Wausaukee.
