Loyal football exceeding expectations
WAUSAU - Through five weeks of the prep football season and the question of which local team has been the most impressive so far could spark a debate. A case could be made for a handful of programs.
Which team has been the most surprising? That field is even smaller and led by Loyal.
The Greyhounds were picked to finish around the middle of the CloverWood in the preseason but have clinched a postseason berth and are tied for first in the conference standings.
Loyal improved to 5-0 with a 28-14 win over Assumption in a conference matchup on Friday. The Greyhounds outscored the Royals 21-0 in the second half and took the lead on Riley Geiger's 39-yard touchdown run with just under four minutes left in regulation.
RELATED:SPASH, Amherst move up in AP poll
RELATED:Week 5 highlights: Loyal shows grit in win over Assumption
With victory, the Greyhounds matched their victory total from the 2015 season.
Loyal is not the only developing storyline of interest heading into the sixth week of the season however. Call it five things we learned from Week 5.
1. There is more than 'Jug' at stake for Rapids and SPASH
The Wisconsin Rapids and Stevens Point Area Senior High football teams battle for the Ol' River Jug every season, a traveling trophy that dates back to 1947. The renewal of the rivarly this week in Stevens Point will also have first place in the Valley Football Association-South Division at stake as well.
SPASH, the No. 8 team in Division 1 in this week's Associated Press state football poll, enters with a 5-0 mark and 4-0 mark in conference play. Rapids is 4-1 overall and 3-1 in the VFA-South. The teams entered with the same records for a Week 6 showdown in 2006 as well. Rapids beat SPASH 21-3 for the Jug, handing the Panthers their first loss of the year.
2. CloverWood showdown looming
Abbotsford and Loyal are both 5-0 in the CloverWood and are well in control of the conference race. Every other team in the CloverWood has at least two losses.
Not to look too far ahead, but Loyal travels to Abbotsford for a Week 7 showdown that could decide the CloverWood race.
The Greyhounds dominated the second half to down Assumption 28-14 on Friday, while Abbotsford, the defending conference champions, beat Newman Catholic 49-7.
3. Medford making run in Great Northern again
The Raiders allowed a combined 87 points in a pair of nonconference losses to Rice Lake and Chippewa Falls to open the season. Medford has allowed a combined seven points the last two weeks, including a shutout of Merrill on Friday.
The Raiders forced four Bluejays turnovers in the 18-0 win and with it moved to 3-0 in the Great Northern Conference. Antigo is 2-0 in the GNC and is the only other team without a loss in conference play. Medford hosts Antigo on Oct. 14in what could be a pivotal showdown in the GNC. The two teams shared the conference title last year.
4. Bumps on and along the road in Central Wisconsin Conference
Both Almond-Bancroft and Iola-Scandinavia both hit their first bumps of the season Friday.
The two teams both dropped their first games of the season. Both losses came to undefeated opponents in road matchups
Wild Rose shut out Almond-Bancroft 25-0 in a showdown for first place in the Central Wisconsin Conference-10.
Southern Door shut out Iola-Scandinavia 31-0 in a nonconference showdown. The Thunderbirds still are perfect in the CWC-8, however. Iola-Scandinavia (2-0 CWC-8) hosts Pacelli in a conference game this week
5. Marawood Conference hitting an intriguing week
The top four teams in the Marawood Conference — Stratford, Rib Lake/Prentice, Edgar and Marathon — have a combined record of 16-4. There are a pair of games involving that quartet this week that will impact the conference race.
Stratford (4-1, 4-0 Marawood) hosts Rib Lake/Prentice (4-1, 4-1 Marawood), and Marathon (4-1, 3-1 Marawood) hosts Edgar (4-1, 4-1 Marawood).
Marathon's Mitchell Putnam returned a fumble 24 yards for a score and had a 66-yard touchdown run as the Raiders handed Rib Lake/Prentice its first loss of the season.
Putnam's touchdown run with just under four minutes left in the first half gave Marathon the lead for good and the Raiders shut out Rib Lake/Prentice in the second half.
Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter@timmyjo11