Eleva-Strum, Fall Creek in WIAA football playoffs again

For the second season in a row both Eleva-Strum and Fall Creek have made the WIAA High School Football Playoffs and they hope their Level 1 match-ups this Friday, Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. go better than they did a year ago.

Both teams were knocked out of the playoffs right away, E-S to Alma/Pepin in a walkover and Fall Creek in a near upset of No. 1 seed Eau Claire Regis. This year both teams are No. 5 seeds on the road, FC at Chetek-Weyerhaeuser and Central at Blair-Taylor.

The Cardinals downed B-T during the regular season 59-34 and will have to use that fact to overcome any emotions of outrage being forced to play on the road against a higher seed they beat during the regular season. To win again over the Wildcats, also 6-3 overall, Eleva-Strum will need the same kind of ground game that had 378 yards rushing from backs Luis Kinser, Elliott Walsh and Brock Stendahl and the kinds of efficient passing attack from senior quarterback Reede Brown, few passes but enough completions for over 100 yards and some TDs/ He has over 700 yards passing and 323 yards rushing this season with seven scores. The Cards top receiver this season is junior Bo Windjue with 260 yards with six TDs. Senior lineman Dan Segerstom leads the team in tackles with 70, five for loss.

Brown threw for 145 yards and two touchdowns and had three rushing scores as well vs. B-T in their first meeting this season at Eleva-Strum. Kinser rushed for 145 yards and a score and Windjue had over 100 yards receiving and a TD. E-S matched score for score with B-T until pulling away late in the second half.

Blair-Taylor likes to throw the ball as senior quarterback Kole Trapp has over 1,700 yards in the air and 22 passes for touchdowns. His top receiver is senior C.J. Dummer with 750 yards in receptions and nine TD. The 'Cats top running back is Collin Johnson with 839 yards on the ground and four TDs. Senior Payton Kelly leads B-T in tackles with 59.

It says something for the depth of good teams in Division 6 that Chetek-Weyerhaeuser is a No. 4 seed 8-1, their only loss to No. 3 ranked Granstburg 39-12 while it also says something for the depth of the Cloverbelt Conference that 6-3 Fall Creek is a No. 5 seed.

Senior quarterback Aiden Becker has been a one-man wrecking machine for the Bulldogs' opponents this season. He's thrown for just over a thousand yards and 14 touchdowns and rushed for over 900 yards and nine touchdowns. Senior wide out Ethan Brown has 400 yards receiving and seven touchdown receptions. Senior Adam Foss is C-W's leading tackler with 74 this season, two for loss, with two interceptions and a fumble recovery.

With the injury to Ethan Westrate, senior Cullen Kramer has the bulk of the rushing yards for FC this season, over 1,500 with 15 touchdowns. Sophomore quarterback Bryson Elkins has picked up the slack through the air with 804 yards and 13 touchdowns. Senior wide receiver Braylen Prorok has 425 receiving yards and six touchdowns and the Crickets' leading tackler is senior Lincoln Burr with 60 this season.

Level 2 games are next Friday, Oct. 31. E-S will take on either undefeated and No. 6 ranked Oshkosh Lourdes or the No. 8 seed Shiocton and in Division 6, For FC, another rematch with No. 2 Regis looms as they are the No. 1 seed in their bracket taking on No. 8 Unity this Friday.

Division 6 bracket: https://halftime.wiaawi.org/CustomApps/Tournaments/Brackets/HTML/2025_Fo...

Division 7 bracket: https://halftime.wiaawi.org/CustomApps/Tournaments/Brackets/HTML/2025_Fo...