For a fourth straight year, the Bangor Cardinals will kick off the football season by battling the Melrose-Mindoro Mustangs.
Bangor hits the road on the opening night of the 2024 high school football season in Wisconsin to face the Mustangs on Thursday, August 22 at 7 p.m. in Melrose. In the last three meetings between these two teams, the Cardinals have won in blowout fashion: 30-7 in Bangor in 2021, 56-0 in Melrose in 2022 and 31-0 in Bangor in 2023.
Melrose-Mindoro went 5-5 overall last season and tied for second in the Dairyland standings with a 5-2 mark, allowing the Mustangs to return to the postseason after seeing their streak of 14 consecutive playoff appearances end in 2022. In Level 1 of the Division 7 playoffs, they lost 42-7 to Dairyland champion Pepin/Alma, who in turn lost 28-13 to Bangor the following week in Level 2.
Quarterback Braydon Lockington and running back Jackson Blaken were Melrose-Mindoro’s top rushers in 2023 — and also the team’s top two tacklers on defense — and how they fill that production void is the biggest question mark facing the Mustangs.
Melrose-Mindoro senior Isaiah Erickson and junior Eric Herzberg each return after being named to the All-Dairyland second team as offensive linemen a year ago. Herzberg was also a second-team all-conference pick as a defensive end.
Cochrane-Fountain City at Brookwood
The Brookwood Falcons will officially unveil the new Adam Luing Field when they get the 2024 season underway by hosting Cochrane-Fountain City on Friday, August 23 at 7 p.m. in Ontario.
This is the fourth straight year these teams have faced each other to start the season. Brookwood won 34-14 on the road in 2021, with the Pirates winning 14-6 in Ontario in 2022 and 40-20 in Fountain City in 2023.
Cochrane-Fountain City ultimately went 7-4 overall and 5-2 in conference play last season, finishing in a tie for second in the Dairyland standings and reaching the playoffs for the 12th time in the last 15 years.
The Pirates bring back their entire starting offensive line, including senior Sam Schmitt, who was a first-team all-conference pick in the trenches on both sides of the ball.
Black River Falls at Sparta
An emphatic win over the Black River Falls Tigers kickstarted a strong start to the season for Sparta last year. They hope to replicate that recipe in 2024.
The Spartans welcome in Black River Falls for a non-conference clash to open the season on Friday, August 23 at 7 p.m. at Memorial Field in Sparta. In Week 1 of the 2023 campaign, Sparta went on the road and thumped the Tigers 40-14 on the way to winning four of its first five games.
Black River Falls finished the 2023 season 2-7 overall and 2-5 in Coulee Conference play. Since making the playoffs 21 times in 24 years from 1992 to 2015, the Tigers have qualified for the postseason once (2019) since then.
However, they will try to reverse their fortunes with an experienced group that features 10 returning starters on offense and seven on defense. Junior offensive lineman Roman Madvig (all-conference honorable mention) and senior Aidan Gunderson (the team’s leading tackler) are among the headline returnees.
Richland Center at Tomah
The Tomah Timberwolves begin the 2024 season at home when they welcome in the Richland Center Hornets on Friday, August 23 at 7 p.m. in Tomah.
Despite winning three of its final four games to close out the regular season, Richland Center narrowly missed out on the playoffs a year ago after finishing 3-6 overall and 3-4 in the SWC standings.
The Hornets bring back an experienced group that features eight returning starters on both sides of the ball as they pursue their first playoff berth since 2021. Richland Center senior quarterback/linebacker Wes Bosworth finished as the team’s leading rusher and was second in tackles in 2023, and he’s back to lead the way on both offense and defense.
Cashton at Wauzeka-Steuben/Seneca
Cashton kicks the 2024 campaign off on the road in non-conference action against Wauzeka-Steuben/Seneca on Friday, August 23 at 7 p.m. in Wauzeka.
Wauzeka-Steuben/Seneca has made it to the playoffs seven straight times dating back to 2016 (they played the spring alternate season in 2021 where there was no postseason) and earned its first playoff win as a co-op back in 2017 with a 16-0 victory over De Soto.
Wauzeka-Steuben/Seneca makes the move from the Ridge & Valley Conference to the Six Rivers Conference this fall in the latest round of football-only realignment. Senior Owen Oppriecht is one of the notable returning starters for the team, though he will make the move from quarterback to running back this season.
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