Comets heading back to playoffs
Waupaca to face top seed West Salem
By Greg Seubert
If the Waupaca Comets are going to make some noise in the WIAA football playoffs, it will have to come against a quality team.
Waupaca fell to Winneconne 35-17 in the regular-season finale Oct. 14, but received a No. 8 seed in Division 3 for the playoffs, which begin with Level 1 games Friday, Oct. 21.
The Comets will head to West Salem to face the top-seeded Panthers, a team that wrapped up its regular season with a Coulee Conference championship and a 28-14 win over defending Division 5 state champion Aquinas.
West Salem has won eight straight games after losing its season opener to Onalaska, while Waupaca will head into the game with a 3-6 record that includes a 3-2 mark in the Bay Conference.
Waupaca is returning to the playoffs for a second straight year. The Comets opened the Division 3 playoffs last season with a win over Portage, but fell to Luxemburg-Casco in Level 2.
The Comets scored on its opening drive against Winneconne, with Parker Krcmar scoring on a 2-yard quarterback keeper.
Winneconne tied the game on Brady Immel’s 2-yard run early in the second quarter, but Waupaca went up 10-7 on Henry Mouw’s 36-yard field goal with just under six minutes to go before halftime.
The Wolves took the lead for good on their next drive on Ethan Mathe’s 23-yard touchdown run that gave Winneconne a 14-10 halftime lead.
Immel’s 71-yard run on the first play of the second half gave the Wolves a 21-10 lead.
Neither team scored again until Mathe’s 32-yard run in the opening minute of the fourth quarter.
Mathe found the end zone for the third time on an 8-yard run and Krcmar wrapped up the scoring with a 9-yard run midway through the fourth quarter.
Winneconne outgained the Comets 273-142 on the ground and 119-81 through the air.
Xzaver Pittman led Waupaca with 69 rushing yards, while Mathe and Immel finished with 137 and 114, respectively.
Winneconne also qualified for the playoffs. The Wolves are a No. 8 seed in Division 4 and will head to top-seeded Little Chute for a Level 1 matchup.