Oconto Falls’ football team snapped a two-game skid in Packerland Conference play Sept. 25 with a big night of offense in a 54-24 win over Sturgeon Bay.
The Panthers were the only area team besides Bonduel to pick up a win in Week 6, as Wittenberg-Birnamwood, Pulaski, Shawano, Suring, Marion/Tigerton and Lena/STAA lost their games.
Oconto Falls 54, Sturgeon Bay 34
The Panthers are now 3-3 overall and 2-2 in the Packerland Conference after heading to Door County and returning home with a win over the Clippers in Sturgeon Bay’s homecoming game.
The Panthers scored a season-high 54 points but also gave up more than 200 yards of offense to Sturgeon Bay’s Rayshaun Johnson.
Jeffrey Pytleski opened the scoring with a 37-yard touchdown run on the game’s opening drive and Croix Gardebrecht scored on a 2-yard run on Oconto Falls’ next drive to give the Panthers a 13-0 lead.
Sturgeon Bay answered on its next drive on Johnson’s 65-yard touchdown run, but the Panthers added to their lead on their next drive on Nathaniel White’s 1-yard quarterback keeper, and Oconto Falls took a 21-6 lead into the second quarter.
The teams combined for three more touchdowns before halftime. Pytleski’s interception set up Gardebrecht’s 6-yard scoring run, Johnson scored on a 95-yard run for the Clippers, and Gardebrecht added a third rushing touchdown that gave the Panthers a 33-12 lead at the break.
Trygg Stuth’s 77-yard touchdown pass to Johnson in the third quarter made it 33-18 before Landon Johnson added to the Panthers’ lead with a pair of rushing touchdowns.
Sturgeon Bay’s final score came on Johnson’s 79-yard run before Gardebrecht scored his fourth rushing touchdown for Oconto Falls.
The Panthers’ final points came on a sack of Jack Higgenbotham in the end zone for a safety.
Shiocton 21, Wittenberg-Birnamwood 6
Shiocton hosted the Chargers on Sept. 25 for a nonconference matchup of teams from the Northwoods Conference and Central Wisconsin Conference-Large and improved to 6-0 by beating Wittenberg-Birnamwood for the first time in eight years.
The Chargers opened the scoring in the second quarter on Bo Davis’ 8-yard pass to Braxton Olson, but it turned out to be their only points of the night.
After a scoreless opening quarter, Wittenberg-Birnamwood struck first in the second quarter.
Kaleb Voight’s 1-yard run just before halftime and the successful extra point gave the Chiefs all the scoring they needed before Shiocton added a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter.
Kyle Bergsbaken added to the Chiefs’ lead with a quarterback keeper that made it 13-6, and Voight set up Shiocton’s final score by returning an interception to the Wittenberg-Birnamwood 2-yard line. Wyatt Hess scored from 2 yards out and the Chiefs converted the 2-point conversion to complete the scoring.
Phoenix Horacek led the Chargers and all rushers with 90 yards on 18 carries as the Chargers fell to 2-4 overall.
West De Pere 35, Pulaski 10
The undefeated Phantoms held Pulaski scoreless until the fourth quarter Sept. 25 in a Fox River Classic Conference-North game in De Pere.
West De Pere took a 28-0 lead into the fourth quarter after finding the end zone three times in the first half and once more in the third quarter.
Pulaski didn’t score until Mason Borseth’s 27-yard field goal on the first play of the fourth quarter.
The Phantoms answered with a touchdown pass before Pulaski wrapped up the scoring on Bohdan Schmidt’s 14-yard pass to Andre Burnett with 13 seconds remaining in the game.
West De Pere’s defense held Pulaski’s Anthony Ficarri and Schmidt to a combined 106 rushing yards. Ficarri finished with 77 yards on 20 carries, while Schmidt added 29 yards to go along with 122 passing yards. He completed 11 of 18 passes, including eight to Trentyn Linz for 78 yards.
Fox Valley Lutheran 49, Shawano 14
The Foxes led 35-6 at halftime and went on to pick up a Bay Conference win over Shawano Sept. 26 in the Hawks’ homecoming game.
Shawano fell to 1-5 overall and 0-4 in conference play.
Valley Christian 28, Suring 22
Valley Christian handed Suring its first loss of the season Sept. 25 in a nonconference matchup of 8-player teams in Suring.
Valley Christian scored a touchdown in each of the first two quarters to take a 13-0 halftime lead.
Suring answered with a pair of touchdowns in the third quarter, but the Eagles still trailed 20-14 heading into the final period.
Each team added a touchdown and 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles were originally scheduled to host Florence on Oct. 2, but that game was canceled after the Bobcats recently called off the rest of their season. Suring will now host Phillips and is scheduled to close out the regular season Oct. 9 with a nonconference matchup with Iola-Scandinavia in Scandinavia.
Laona/Wabeno 20, Lena/STAA 14
The Titans headed to Wabeno for the second time this season Sept. 25 and dropped a nonconference 8-player game to the Rebels for the second time.
Lena/STAA also opened the season against the Rebels in August and fell 12-6.
The Titans were originally scheduled to play Florence on Sept. 25 and will host Iola-Scandinavia on Oct. 2. The Titans were scheduled to host Gillett in Lena that day, but Gillett suspended its varsity program for 2026.
Port Edwards 32, Marion/Tigerton 20
The Hornets spoiled the Thundercatz’ homecoming game Sept. 25 in a Central Wisconsin Conference-8 8-player contest in Marion.
Kelson Casey rushed for 152 yards and completed 12 of 18 passes for 140 yards and three touchdowns for Port Edwards. Ayden Schumer caught seven passes for 70 yards and two touchdowns and also led the Blackhawks with 20 tackles.
Oct. 2 schedule (all games start at 7 p.m.)
11-player: Oconto at Bonduel; Marinette at Oconto Falls; Green Bay Southwest at Pulaski; Colby at Wittenberg-Birnamwood; Shawano at Waupaca. 8-player: Iola-Scandinavia at Lena/STAA; Phillips at Suring; Marion/Tigerton at Tri-County.
