Even though the calendar indicates fall officially returns Sunday to the path around the Falls, frost was observed on a few roofs and cars on Monday morning’s commute to work. Fall is a favorite time of year for many who make their homes in the area, but an early frost and the end to the growing season is not something people look forward to.

I guess I’m gradually turning into my dad. The other day, after an exhausting day working on my deck in the 85-degree weather, I said to Marilyn, “I’m plumb tuckered out!” Now, why in the world would I say that? I haven’t heard that expression in probably 60 years. But my dad used to say it, and suddenly there it was coming out of my mouth. Dad was a hard-working guy, and by evening he was usually bushed (Wow! There’s another one!).

Gillett’s Monte Noffke had a 77-yard kickoff return for a touchdown Friday in a Marinette & Oconto Conference game against Coleman in Coleman. That was the only good news for the Gillett Secondary School football team (1-3, 0-2 M&O), which went on to lose the game 62-6. Noffke was held in check for the rest of the game, rushing 13 times for -4 yards. Alex Zeitler completed eight passes for 113 yards and an interception.

The Oconto Falls High School football team lost to Marinette 14-7 Friday in Marinette. Marinette’s Caylubb Maske ran for 207 yards and a touchdown on 15 carries and caught another touchdown from quarterback Marcus Maguire to put the Marines (2-2, 2-2 Bay) up 14-0 by the fourth quarter. The Panthers (0-3, 0-3 Bay) got on the board on a 19-yard touchdown throw from Samuel Konitzer in the fourth, but couldn’t close the rest of the gap.

Lena/STAA shut out by Peshtigo The Lena/STAA football team was shut out 59-0 by Peshtigo on Friday in Lena. Lena/STAA fell behind 28-0 in the first quarter on a pair of Dakota Keller touchdown passes, a 52-yard Jake Venees punt return and a 8-yard Levi Samborn run.

The Oconto Falls High School volleyball team was a perfect 6-0 at the Shawano volleyball tournament Saturday in Shawano. The Panthers and host Shawano both were 5-0, having beaten Clintonville, Valders, Oconto, Kewaunee and Peshtigo, heading into the championship game. Oconto Falls won the first game 25-16 and then took the second game 25-11. Seniors McKenna Larsen and Carly Lemke led most of the stats on the day.

Mike Friedman led the way with a second-place finish and the Oconto Falls High School cross-country team took third at the Shawano Hawk Invitational on Saturday in Shawano. Friedman finished with a time of 16 minutes, 15 seconds in the race, finishing behind only Green Bay Preble’s Daniel LaLuzerne, who crossed the finish line in 16:11. Oconto Falls had a team score of 159. Preble (40) won the event, followed by Green Bay East (139).

For many Oconto Falls area residents, high school football has been as much a part of fall as back-to-school shopping and the smell of burning leaves. Football field lights have shined as beacons across the Friday night sky, as the Panthers, Tigers, Hawks, Bears, et al.

At noon Sept. 2, a chain-reaction accident took place on state Highway 32 north of Section Four Lane, town of Mountain, as a man from Milwaukee stopped for a vehicle ahead of him. To avoid the accident, a Menominee, Mich., man entered a ditch, but a pickup truck driven by an Oshkosh man and a pickup truck operated by a Suamico man were damaged when they were unable to avoid the crash. No injuries were reported. At 1:08 a.m. Sept.