Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

The WSN Team of the Week is back again for 2021. 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.

Appleton North finally slayed the dragon, defeating Kimberly 21-10 to advance to the state semi-finals for the first time since 2017. After so many close calls against the Papermakers in both the regular season and postseason, the team found a way to get the job done. North led 14-10 at halftime, and it stayed that way for a long time until Cal Martine scored an eight-yard touchdown to put the Lightning up two scores. Quarterback Matthew Schecklman threw for 126 yards and two scores in the game to go with 46 yards on the ground.

For the second time this season, Darlington's ground game was too much for Cuba City, as the Redbirds hammered the Cubans 38-7. Nine players combined for 413 yards and five touchdowns, led by 167 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries from Easton Evenstad. The defense picked off Cuba City quarterback Beau Kopp three times. 

Mukwonago fell to Muskego back in Week 4 in a much-anticipated matchup, but in the postseason, it was a different story. While Muskego scored first, Mukwonago took a 21-7 lead into halftime. After Muskego pulled within a score into the fourth quarter, the Indians scored two late touchdowns for some breathing room in a 35-14 victory. Both Wynn Stang and Jake Adams went for over 100 yards with two touchdowns apiece and the Indians defense limited Muskego to just 3.6 yards per carry.

Newman Catholic remained undefeated and moved on to the 8-Player state title game with a 29-28 victory over Gilman on Friday. After going up 22-0 heading into the fourth quarter, it wasn't smooth sailing for the Cardinals, who saw Gilman come roaring back. The Pirates actually pulled within a point of Newman late in the fourth, but the Cardinals turned away a potential go-ahead two-point conversion to hold on for the win. Conner Krach thew for 251 yards and three touchdowns, adding 181 yards on the ground to help Newman survive.

Pewaukee's late-season run continued, as the Pirates shutout host Whitefish Bay 14-0 to post a third straight road playoff victory. It was the fourth consecutive shutout for the Pirates, who advance to take on Monroe in the state semi-finals. The win came despite Whitefish Bay out-gaining Pewaukee 295 to 139. The defense picked off the Blue Dukes twice, however, including two by Logan Schill.

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.