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Every Wednesday during the regular season we will highlight the 8-Player Football game with a spotlight article on WisSports.net. We'll look back at the action and big stories from the previous week, look ahead at the coming week's big match-ups, and select a Star of the Week.

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It was another impressive week for McDonell Central. After taking down Thorp, at the time the number one team, a couple weeks ago, the Macks went to fourth-ranked Owen-Withee and came away with a 27-25 victory. We'll have a little more on this one coming up later in the article.

Thorp rebounded from a Week 2 loss to McDonell Central in a big way, taking frustrations out on New Auburn in a 54-0 win. Logna Hanson ran fro 229 yards and four touchdowns, while Denzel Sutton threw for 248 yards and two scores with five rushes for 100 yards and two more touchdowns.

It was a barn-burner between Algoma and Gibraltar, with the rare overtime 8-player contest. Braden Sitte booted a 42-yard field goal in overtime to lift Gibraltar to the 53-50 victory. Both teams scored 22 points in the fourth quarter to end up deadlocked at the end of regulation. Algoma's Grant Vandervest ran for 265 yards and four touchdowns, while Wil Lecy of Gibraltar had 146 yards and a touchdown on the ground plus three receiving touchdowns.

In another close game, Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah rallied with a fourth quarter touchdown run by Brody Feldmann to defeat De Soto 20-18. Feldman finished with 121 yards and two touchdowns on the ground plus seven catches for 74 yards.

Jace Paul of Alma Center Lincoln is among the state leaders in passing this year, and had a big game as the Hornets clobbered Lake Holcombe 58-12 on Thursday. Paul threw for 236 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions in the game. Most of that went to Ben Ross, who had 13 catches for 222 yards and four scores.

Jared Kaufman of Three Lakes/Phelps had another big game, throwing for 249 yards and five touchdowns with 71 yards and two scores on the ground as the Bluejays downed Port Edwards 58-7.

Gilman hung 77 points on Cornell without any player totaling more than 100 passing or rushing yards. Nine players combined for 22 carries and 296 yards, with six of them scoring a touchdown on the ground while two more caught touchdowns. The defense held Cornell to negative-25 rushing yards on 38 carries and allowed just 54 passing yards in the dominating 77-0 win.

Siren was all over Northwood/Solon Spring 50-32 as the Dragons got 236 yards passing from Gannen Reynolds plus 236 yards rushing from Lucas D'Jock, who also had 19 tackles on defense.

Phillips ran for 525 yards and 10 touchdowns in a 74-44 win over Luck on Friday night. Levi Derr had 174 yards and three scores, Tryg Mollman had 143 yards and two touchdowns, and Ayron DeLeasky had 91 yards on the ground.

Jesse DeBauch had a big two-way game for Gillett in a 36-28 victory over Suring. He threw for 167 yards and also ran for 178 yards and four touchdowns. His teammate, Lavonzell Smith, was credited with 33 tackles in the game.

Don't look now, but Valley Christian (Oshkosh) is 3-0 in its first season as a standalone program after previously co-oping with Saint Mary Catholic. The team beat Wonewoc/Weston last Saturday, rushing for 393 yards, with 220 plus five touchdowns from Dennis Thur while Derek Wallace ran for 105 yards and a score.

It is time for most of the 8-player leagues, which generally feature six teams, to get into conference play this week. 

There are a couple of unbeaten matchups this week, including fourth-ranked Clayton traveling to Shell Lake, who was just outside the top ten.

In the Ridge & Valley-East 8, Oakfield will welcome in an upstart Valley Christian (Oshkosh) squad with both teams sitting at 3-0 overall.

Fresh off two huge wins over highly-ranked teams, McDonell Central will travel to a Bruce team that is 2-1.

Luck versus Frederic should be a nice game in the Lakeland-West 8 on Friday night.

Algoma fell in an overtime heartbreaker on Friday night but the Wolves get to come home for a game under the lights against a Gillett squad that is 3-0 and moved into the top ten of the coaches poll this week.

Going back more than 30 years, McDonell Central has been known as a home to prolific passing offenses and quarterbacks, with many Macks players still in the Wisconsin history books. They have another good one this year in Grant Smiskey, but it was the ground game that stole the show in a 27-25 win over fourth-ranked Owen-Withee last week. Sophomore running back Dawson Moulton went wild to the tune of 303 yards and three touchdowns on 33 carries.

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.