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The WSN Team of the Week is back again for 2019. Voting is featured at the bottom of the article. Voting is open until Thursday at 4 p.m., so be sure to vote for who you feel is most deserving and spread the word (hint:  Social Media is a great way to do so). Users may vote once per day.

The defending Division 3 state champion Catholic Memorial Crusaders squared off with two-time D2 runner-up Brookfield Central on Friday in the WisSports.net Game of the Week. While Brookfield Central got on the board first, Catholic Memorial would respond quickly with three, first quarter scores and never trail again en route to a 41-21 victory. Quarterback Luke Fox was outstanding, completing 10-of-20 passes for 340 yards three touchdowns. Many of the big plays went to senior receiver Joe Sikma, who hauled in four passes for 169 yards and two touchdowns. In addition to two long touchdown catches, Sikma returned a punt 71-yards for a score.

Darlington went to four consecutive Division 6 state title games from 2013 to 2016, but despite a playoff victory last season, the Redbirds have not been their usual selves the last couple years. It appears they are back, and in a big way. On the road against D5 #2 Lake Country Lutheran, who was fresh off a win over Saint Mary's Springs, the Redbirds battled throughout and would claim a 27-26 overtime victory. Knotted at 20 apiece after regulation, Lake Country Lutheran scored first on an 18-yard Zander Mueller touchdown. However, the extra point was no good. On Darlington's possession, Cayden Rankin went in from four yards out. Cole Crist booted home the extra point to give Darlington the dramatic win.

There have been a number of Big Rivers versus Mississippi Valley non-conference crossovers in the early part of the 2019 season, and one of the best games so far featured Onalaska making the trip to River Falls, a team they'll see as a conference opponent beginning next year. It was a back-and-forth affair all night, with River Falls getting on the board first on a 15-yard Seth Kohel touchdown run. The teams would trade scores the rest of the way, with the margin never getting above one touchdown either way. The last score ended up being the deciding one, and it went to Onalaska on an Austin Larson to Conner Haggerty touchdown with 5:37 left in the fourth quarter. The lead would hold, as Onalaska went home with a 28-21 victory. Larson finished with 202 yards and four touchdowns on 12-of-17 passing, as Landon Peterson hauled in three of the scores.

Sheboygan South has struggled for many years, with just three playoff appearances in school history and none since the 2010 season. The team has won just one game each of the past four seasons. A game against perennial powerhouse Notre Dame last Thursday didn't seem like a good matchup for the Redwings, but it proved to be a night for the program. South shutout Notre Dame 14-0, scoring just the third victory over the Tritons in program history. Erik Gonzalez-Serna found Colin Brennan for a second quarter touchdown, and Dylan Foth scored on an 11-yard run in the fourth quarter to help put the game away, as the defense stifled the Notre Dame offense for the shutout.

Middleton is a very good team in the Big Eight Conference and will almost certainly finish with yet another playoff appearance. However, the Cardinals were no match for a Verona team that features an embarrassment of riches on offense and put it all on display Friday night in a 61-35 victory. Verona racked up 588 yards on the ground and 735 yards of total offense in the dominating victory. Junior Wisconsin Badger commit Jackson Acker led the way with 243 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries. Graham Stier went for 180 yards and two scores on eight attempts. Haakon Anderson chipped in with 153 yards and two touchdowns on just seven carries. Not to be outdone, quarterback Adam Bekx completed six-of-11 passes for 129 yards and two scores, both going to Aubrey Dawkins. The Wildcats had six touchdowns of at least 40 yards, scoring from 87, 86, 70, 65, 54, and 41 yards out in the game. The five longest scores were all running plays.

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