Eight-player football gives high schools with low participation numbers and inexperienced players an opportunity to compete against similar programs in the same boat.
Take Menominee Nation High School, for example.
The Eagles spent several seasons competing in the Central Wisconsin Conference against established programs like Wittenberg-Birnamwood and Bonduel, and although they were matched up against schools with similar enrollments, they almost always struggled against quality teams.
Menominee Nation switched to the WIAA’s 8-player format in 2015 and are now in a CWC 8-player league that also includes Bowler/Gresham, Marion/Tigerton, Almond-Bancroft, Newman Catholic, Port Edwards and Wild Rose.
The Eagles are one of six football programs in Shawano, Oconto and Menominee counties that participate in the WIAA’s 8-player season. Instead of playing a nine-game regular season like 11-player teams, 8-player teams have an eight-game season and a 32-team playoff that culminates each year with a state championship game played in Wisconsin Rapids.
Besides Menominee Nation, other area schools that offer 8-player football are Bowler/Gresham, Marion/Tigerton, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas, Gillett and Suring.
Here’s a rundown on those six teams:
Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas Titans
Across the Bay Conference
Co-coaches Eddie Huberty and Dale Lange have helped build the Titans – consisting of students from Lena High School and St. Thomas Aquinas Academy in Marinette – into one of the state’s top 8-player programs.
The Titans’ accomplishments in 2025 included an Across the Bay Conference championship, an undefeated regular season that included five shutouts in eight games and a No. 1 seed for the playoffs. Their season ended in the state semifinal round with a 64-29 loss to McDonell Catholic from Chippewa Falls.
Lena/STAA has several graduated players to replace from last year’s 11-1 team, including Max Peterson, Sam Peterson, Cooper Demmith, Lucas Heimke, Zander Thompson, Blake Behnke and Colt Miller.
Max Peterson led the Titans with 1,538 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns on the ground, and Miller was the team’s leading receiver, averaging 19.1 yards a catch with four touchdowns.
Players expected to suit up this season include seniors Jake Farley, who added 667 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns as the team’s quarterback, as well as Carson Joyce, Luke Koslowsky and Collin Van Ark.
The Titans will open the season with a nonconference game Aug. 21 in Wabeno against Wabeno/Laona and the home opener against Pembine/Goodman is set for Aug. 27 in Lena.
Gillett Tigers
Across the Bay Conference
An 0-8 regular season that included an 0-6 mark in the Across the Bay Conference made the 2025 season one for the Tigers to put in the past.
Gillett only has to replace four players from last year: Jed Herzog, Clayton Borremans, Carson Koeller and Elias Hebert.
Last year’s roster also included current seniors Trevor Schaal, Chad Samz and Gabe Soriano; juniors Brandon Slatky, Mason Herzog and Nolan Van Donzel; and sophomores Adrian Braun, Kaiden Bailey, Lawson Klein, Brock Murphy, Mason Slatky and Cooper Habeck.
The Tigers will head to Marion on Aug. 20 for the season opener against Marion/Tigerton, and the home opener against Niagara is set for Sept. 11.
Although the Tigers’ first three games are on the road, the last three against Wausaukee, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas and Suring will be played in Gillett.
Suring Eagles
Across the Bay Conference
A promising 4-1 start to the 2025 season gave Suring football fans a chance to hope for big things for the Eagles.
Although the team lost two of its last three games, the Eagles still qualified for the playoffs and the season ended with a 40-14 loss to Sevastopol, another Across the Bay Conference team, in the opening round.
Coach Mitch Taylor only has to replace three seniors from that 5-4 team: Garret Peters, Parker Haak and Cassius Matelski.
Players expected to suit up this season include seniors Gavin Staszak, Grant Thomson, Dyllan Flynn, Steven VanDenElzen, Taylor Booth-Stoffregen, Kroix Kempka, Dayne Ermis and Karl Hischke.
The Eagles will head to Almond on Aug. 21 for the season opener against Almond-Bancroft, while the home opener is set for Aug. 27 against Niagara.
Marion/Tigerton Thundercatz
Central Wisconsin Conference
After a successful regular season that included a Central Wisconsin Conference championship, the Thundercatz’ season came crashing to the ground in the second round of the playoffs with a 50-16 loss to Sevastopol.
Marion/Tigerton’s season opened with a 34-28 loss to Rosholt, playing its first 8-player game, but the Thundercatz didn’t lose again until coming up short in the playoffs.
Besides replacing several seniors from last year’s team, the Thundercatz will also have a new coach for the first time in six seasons, as Marion High School athletic director Mark Fredy replaces Micah Schwantes.
Gone from last year’s team are Shane Blum, Kole Johnson, Logan Zietlow, Elijah Scheef, Sam Anheuser, Logan Drews, Nolan Wisnefske, Tanner Dent, Emmitt Ehlert and Nick Haring.
Seniors expected to join this year’s team include Braylon Mielke, who rushed for 2,068 yards and 26 touchdowns as a junior, as well as Izaiah Ledarhaus, James Nolan, Collin Grogan, James Brady and Christian Laatsch.
The Thundercatz will open their season in Marion with a nonconference matchup against Gillett on Aug. 20.
Menominee Nation Eagles
Central Wisconsin Conference
Imagine a season that includes two games and getting outscored 168-0.
That turned out to be the case for the Eagles last season. After opening the season with a 74-0 loss to Wabeno/Laona in Keshena, the Eagles faced Tri-County two weeks later and fell to the Penguins 94-0.
It was enough for school administrators and coaches to pull the plug on the season after three weeks. The season also included a forfeit win over Bowler/Gresham, which did not field a team last season.
The Eagles have eight games scheduled for this season, including the season opener in Oneida against Oneida Nation on Aug. 21 and the home opener against Bowler/Gresham on Aug. 28.
Because the Eagles’ home field in Keshena doesn’t have lights, all four of the team's home games are scheduled for 4 p.m.
Bowler/Gresham Panthers
Central Wisconsin Conference
The Panthers ended up cancelling their 2025 season after forfeiting games to Menominee Nation, Marion/Tigerton and Newman Catholic and have not fielded a team since 2022.
However, the WIAA website lists seven games scheduled for the Panthers this season, including the season opener Aug. 28 in Keshena against Menominee Nation and the home opener Sept. 11 against Rosholt.
Ted Kietlinski is listed as the team’s coach.
Marion/Tigerton’s Braylon Mielke runs over Wild Rose’s Ben Olson on Oct. 10, 2025, in the first half of a Central Wisconsin Conference-8 8-player game in Wild Rose. Mielke ran for 313 yards and three touchdowns in a 51-16 win over the Wildcats. (File | NEW Media)
Marion/Tigerton’s Anthony Pagan heads to the end zone, returning an interception 65 yards for a touchdown against Wild Rose on Oct. 10, 2025. (File | NEW Media)
