TODAY'S PREP FOOTBALL PLAYOFF GAME
NORTHWESTERN (5-4) AT DURAND (7-2)
What: Wisconsin Division 4 first-round game
WHEN: 2 P.M.
OUTLOOK: THE TIGERS SQUEEZED INTO THE PLAYOFF FIELD BY THRASHING LADYSMITH 54-16 TO EARN WINNING OVERALL AND CONFERENCE RECORDS, A REQUIREMENT IN WISCONSIN. NORTHWESTERN WAS A FORCE THE PREVIOUS TWO PLAYOFFS, POSTING AN 11-1 RECORD AND REACHING THE THIRD ROUND IN 2010 AND GOING 12-1 AND QUALIFYING FOR THE SEMIFINALS IN 2009. THIS YEAR HAS BEEN MORE OF A STRUGGLE, PARTLY DUE TO INJURIES TO KEY PERSONNEL, AS THE TIGERS' 19-GAME REGULAR-SEASON AND 13-GAME HOME WIN STREAKS CAME TO AN END. SENIOR RUNNING BACK JUSTIN ALEXSON (153 CARRIES, 1,319 YARDS, 14 TOUCHDOWNS) HAS BEEN A WORKHORSE LATELY, RUSHING FOR 311 YARDS AND SIX TDS AGAINST LADYSMITH AND GAINING 283 YARDS THE WEEK BEFORE VS. HAYWARD. RB MARK POOLER (159-766, 11 TDS) TOOK OVER WHEN ZAK ANTTILA (11.5 YARDS PER CARRY) WAS INJURED. THE DEFENSE HAS SHORED UP EARLY SEASON PROBLEMS, ALLOWING LESS THAN 12 POINTS A GAME DURING ITS CURRENT THREE-GAME WIN STREAK. ... THE PANTHERS WERE RUNNERS-UP TO SOMERSET IN THE MIDDLE BORDER CONFERENCE, FINISHING THE REGULAR SEASON WITH A 37-7 WIN OVER ELLSWORTH. JAKE WEBER AND RYAN WEISENBECK COMBINED FOR 221 YARDS RUSHING AND FIVE TDS. WEBER (167-984, 13 TDS) AND WEISENBECK (91-544, 9 TDS) EACH AVERAGE SIX YARDS PER RUSH AND HAVE SHARED QUARTERBACK DUTIES, TOSSING SIX TDS AND FOUR INTERCEPTIONS.
RADIO: WNXR-FM 107.3
INTERNET: WWW.IFAN.TV
RICK WEEGMAN, NEWS TRIBUNE
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