Week 4 High School football preview: Wausau West at D.C. Everest, Wausau East hosts Rhinelander, Mosinee at unbeaten Lakeland highlights the Friday action.

The High School football season is already into the the second third of the regular season with some big match-ups on the week 4 schedule.

In the Wisconsin Valley Conference, Wausau West makes the short trip across town to Stiehm Stadium to face D.C. Everest. Both the Warriors and the Evergreens opened league play with wins last week. West used a balanced offense and a special teams touchdown to beat Eau Claire North 35-21 to improve to 2-1 overall. Through three games, senior quarterback Joe Graveen is hitting on nearly 77 percent of his passes for 433 yards and 6 touchdowns. Graveen’s top target has been TE Shea Jones, who has caught 11 passes for 165 yards and 3 scores. Miles Waldvogel paces the West run game with 278 yards and 2 TD’s. D.C. Everest started their WVC campaign with a 41-6 loss to Wisconsin Rapids last week. QB Jake Staysniak has thrown for 490 yards and 5 TD’s through three weeks but was injured during last week’s win. RB Corbin Enzenroth is averaging over 110 yards per game this season with 346 yards on the ground, including 175 yards and 4 TD’s at Rapids last week. WR Xavier Edwards is the top game breaker for the Evergreens as 14 catches for 228 yards and 3 TD’s this season. Everest has won the last two meetings between the teams, including 24-14 at Thom Field last season. Friday’s Wausau West at D.C. Everest match-up can be heard live on 98.9 WXCO, online at wxco.fm, mobile devices by searching WXCO and on the Civic Media app starting with the pregame at 6:35 pm.

Other WVC games Friday include Wisconsin Rapids at Stevens Point, Eau Claire Memorial at Marshfield and Eau Claire North, in a non-conference game, hosts Superior.

A number of intriguing match-ups Friday night in the Great Northern Conference. Mosinee (2-1 overall, 1-0 in the GNC) travels to surprising Lakeland (3-0 overall and 1-0 GNC). Mosinee opened the conference campaign with a 21-14 win over Merrill last week and continues to be led on both sides of the ball by Treve Stoffel. The QB has hit on 39 of 59 passes for 394 yards and 4 TD, run for 201 yards and 4 TD and added 23 solo tackles and 3 interceptions on defense. Lakeland rallied for a 43-32 win at Rhinelander last week behind the combination of QB Deklan McQuade and receiver Evan Zoch. Zoch caught 8 McQuade passes for 123 yards and a score and also added a forced fumble, recovery and return for a touchdown in the win.

Wausau East looks to bounce back from a tough one point loss at Tomahawk last week when the Lumberjacks host Rhinelander. East fell 11-10 at Tomahawk as the Hatchets recorded not one but two safeties to earn the win. The Lumberjacks (1-2 overall, 0-1 in the GNC) have plenty of offensive weapons in QB Xander Klein, RB Iain Stahel and WR’s Kayden Meverden and Henry Maahs. On defense, the ‘Jacks will need to slow down Hodags’ WR Rowan Wiczek. Wiczek caught 7 passes last week for 101 yards and 2 TD’s and also added 8.5 tackles on defense vs. Lakeland.

Also in the Great Northern Conference on Friday Merrill (1-2 overall & 0-1 GNC) hosts Medford (1-2 overall, 1-0 GNC). The Bluejays battled on the road last week but fell 21-14 at Mosinee while the Raiders bounced back from two blowout losses in non-conference to win at Antigo 51-18. Tomahawk tries for a fourth straight win to start the season at Antigo as well on Friday. The Hatchets have beat Witt-Birn in OT and edged Wausau East in the last two weeks.

In the CWC-Large is a battle of titans with Stratford travelling to Wittenberg-Birnamwood. Both teams are 1-0 in the conference after the Tigers beat Spencer-Columbus 27-15 last week while the Chargers rolled past previously unbeaten Weyauwega-Fremont 34-7. Amherst is 3-0 overall and 1-0 in the conference as the Falcons host Marathon. Amherst has won by large margins all three weeks while Marathon (1-2 overall and 0-1 in the league) comes in after two tight losses, 14-12 to Auburndale and 26-20 to Loyal/Greenwood. The other CWC-Large match-ups on Friday include Weyauwega-Fremont at Spencer/Columbus and Colby at unbeaten Loyal/Greenwood.

The Marawood/CWC features three conference games and Edgar stepping out of the league. The Wildcats will host Marquette Academy of Illinois. Edgar has been overpowering on defense in a 3-0 start. Recording shutouts vs. Stratford and Auburndale the last two weeks and allowing just 6 points all season. The Marawood/CWC conference games this week include Pacelli (1-2 overall, 0-1 conference) at Abbotsford (2-1, 1-0), Auburndale (2-1, 0-1) at Pittsville (0-2, 0-0), and Iola-Scandinavia (1-2, 0-1) at Assumption (1-2, 1-0).

In 8-Player football, the Newman Catholic Cardinals will try to bounce back from a tight 20-13 loss at Almond-Bancroft last week with a non-conference game vs. Niagara. The game is happening because the Cardinals needed a replacement for Bowler/Gresham, who are not fielding a varsity team this season. Defense has been a staple early this season for Newman as the Cardinals have only allowed 28 points total in three games. Niagara, like Newman, enters the game with a 2-1 record. You can hear the Newman vs. Niagara game live on the Sports 2 Stream at wxco.fm and on the Civic Media app Friday starting with the pregame at 6:40 pm. The game will also air on delay on 98.9 WXCO after the Wausau West-D.C. Everest game.