Leader Staff
Undefeated Bonduel faces two-time defending WIAA Division 5 state champion Amherst at home Friday.
Bonduel (4-0) and Amherst (3-1) are tied atop the Central Wisconsin Conference-Large at 2-0.
Amherst, which has not lost a CWC football game since 2013, is seeking its fourth consecutive conference title. The Falcons ranked fifth in the latest Associated Press state football poll in the medium schools division.
“We know they’re the team to beat,” Bonduel head coach James Westrich said. “They’ve dominated this conference, so we’re going to have to go in playing hard.”
The last time these two teams saw each other was Sept. 16, 2016, at Amherst. The Falcons won, 42-22.
“We’re excited about how much we’ve improved as a team, and we’re just keeping our focus each week on getting better as a unit,” Westrich said. “We expect this to be a good, tough football game.”
Bonduel has compiled 1,520 rushing yards this season, nearly double that of Amherst (809). The Bears also recorded 453 passing yards over four games to Amherst’s 357.
The Falcons’ only loss this season was a 14-13 road trip at St. Mary’s Springs, which is 4-0 and the top-ranked small school in the state. Amherst outscored its opponents in its other games, 135-6. Bonduel has outscored its opponents, 199-67.
Both teams have defeated Weyauwega-Fremont this season. Bonduel won, 65-13, and Amherst posted a 56-0 victory.