You can read up on Thursday's Big Eight action by going here, as well as listen to our Verona at Madison Memorial broadcast.
Big Eight (All games played Thursday in observance of Eid al-Adha)
Verona 35, Madison Memorial 6: Verona's stifling defense gave up only 11 yards through the air, and most of the 106 yards on the ground during running clock.
Sun Prairie 41, Janesville Craig 7: Over a half-dozen turnovers resulted in most of the Cardinals' points in their big win over the Cougars.
Janesville Parker 28, Madison East 3: The Vikings notched a win with a strong defensive effort.
Middleton 36, Madison West 0: Middleton got back into the hunt for a Big 8 title with a strong second-half effort, scoring 26 after halftime.
Madison La Follette 36, Beloit Memorial 34: A wild ride in the second half saw the Purple Knights rally from a 28-8 deficit at the break to nearly steal a win and snap their long losing streak against the undefeated Lancers.
La Follette 3-0
Sun Prairie 3-0
Verona 3-0
Middleton 2-1
Madison West 2-1
Janesville Craig 1-2
Janesville Parker 1-2
Beloit Memorial 0-3
Madison East 0-3
Madison Memorial 0-3
Week 4:
Madison West (2-1) at Verona (3-0): After getting shut out by the Middleton Cardinals, the Regents will now face the stout defense of the Verona Wildcats, whose starting defense has yet to yield a score.
Sun Prairie (3-0) at Janesville Parker (1-2): Parker got into the win column thanks to a solid defensive effort, but will now have to try and slow down an increasingly dynamic Sun Prairie Cardinals offense.
Madison La Follette (3-0) at Madison Memorial (0-3): Last year, these teams entered week four with the same records, and the Spartans surprised the Lancers with a 7-6 victory. After surviving a scare from Beloit Memorial last week, the Lancers won't be overlooking anyone going forward.
Janesville Craig (1-2) at Middleton (2-1): Craig turned the ball over frequently against the Sun Prairie Cardinals, leading to a big loss. Middleton is another opportunistic defense that will make the Cougars pay if they have the same issues in the turnover department.
Beloit Memorial (0-3) at Madison East (0-3): This will be the best chance for either team to get a win. After Beloit was shut out by West and nearly shut out by Verona, they rallied against La Follette only to lose by two. East, meanwhile, played its closest game under new coach Jeremy Thornton. Can Beloit snap the streak or will East earn their first-year head coach his first win?
Badger North
Waunakee 42, Mount Horeb/Barneveld 20: Javian Dayne carried 38 times for over 190 yards and a pair of touchdowns to help the Warriors get what may end up being their biggest win of the regular season, taking down the projected top challenger to Waunakee with relative ease. The Vikings figure to be an impressive team in the Division 3 field should they make the playoffs.
DeForest 28, Reedsburg 13: Logan Hackl's two second-half touchdown runs salted away the game for the Norskies, who get a crucial victory over a 2016 playoff squad. For Reedsburg, the Beavers have started 0-3.
Beaver Dam 14, Baraboo 13: Beaver Dam earned a victory in its first-ever conference game as a member of the Badger North, rallying from down 13 to score just before halftime and again late in the game. Kyle Gabel kicked the game-winning extra point.
Portage 34, Sauk Prairie 18: The Warriors raced out to a 28-0 lead and held on for a conference season-opening win.
Waunakee 1-0 (3-0)
DeForest 1-0 (2-1)
Beaver Dam 1-0 (1-2)
Portage 1-0 (1-2)
Mount Horeb/Barneveld 0-1 (2-1)
Sauk Prairie 0-1 (1-2)
Baraboo 0-1 (0-3)
Reedsburg 0-1 (0-3)
Week 4
Waunakee (3-0, 1-0) at DeForest (2-1, 1-0): The winner of this game will be halfway to the playoffs. Waunakee's path to the playoffs takes them on the road against their toughest challengers for the conference title, and this week it's rival DeForest. For the Norskies, they have the opportunity to upset Waunakee on their home field.
Beaver Dam (1-2, 1-0) at Mount Horeb/Barneveld (2-1, 0-1): How will the Vikings respond after an emotional letdown against Waunakee? If last year was any indication, they should be fine, but the task is greater this year for Badger Conference teams, as now four wins are needed to make the playoffs.
Baraboo (0-3, 0-1) at Portage (1-2, 1-0): Portage raced out to a big lead against Sauk Prairie last week, and while they are only 1-2, they faced two of the Badger South's better teams in the crossover games. Baraboo, meanwhile, is coming off of a tough loss in the final minutes to Beaver Dam.
Reedsburg (0-3, 0-1) at Sauk Prairie (1-2, 0-1): An important game as the winner will get back to a .500 conference record, but the losing team will have a very narrow margin for error the rest of the way, only able to lose one of their remaining five games in order to make the playoffs.
Badger South
Milton 12, Monroe 7: The Red Hawks held the Cheesemakers to just 38 yards in the second half, scoring 11 seconds into the third quarter to take the lead and held it through the finish.
Monona Grove 49, Oregon 13: Oregon's early leads didn't hold as the Silver Eagles poured it on in the second half. Alec Ogden threw for 365 yards and Jackson Thomsen ran for 275 yards and four touchdowns for Monona Grove.
Stoughton 37, Edgewood 0: Brady Schipper's four touchdowns and a stout Vikings defense that allowed only 102 total yards gave Stoughton a big conference-opening win.
Watertown 59, Fort Atkinson 43: The teams combined for over 1,000 yards, with Dylan Fagerland throwing for 573 yards and a state-record-tying eight touchdowns for the Goslings in a wild win.
Milton 1-0 (3-0)
Monona Grove 1-0 (3-0)
Stoughton 1-0 (3-0)
Watertown 1-0 (2-1)
Fort Atkinson 0-1 (1-2)
Monroe 0-1 (1-2)
Oregon 0-1 (1-2)
Edgewood 0-1 (0-3)
Week 4
Milton (3-0, 1-0) at Stoughton (3-0, 1-0): A battle of unbeaten teams, and potentially one that could help decide a conference title. Both teams have been very impressive in the early going. Stoughton has won relatively easily through its first three games, while Milton has been in some big battles already. The winner of this game has a big leg up on the conference title race, and is halfway to the playoffs.
Edgewood (0-3, 0-1) at Monona Grove (3-0, 1-0): Our Madison Taxi Game of the Week has the Edgewood Crusaders visiting the Silver Eagles. It's a homecoming for our own Mike Stassi! In terms of experience, these teams are opposite: Monona Grove's quarterback and skill position players have seen plenty of work, but their lines are learning on the job. Edgewood's lines feature returning veterans, but the Crusaders are still working on the skill positions.
Monroe (1-2, 0-1) at Watertown (2-1, 1-0): The defending Badger South champs fell to Milton last week, after losing by 20 to Reedsburg the week prior. Watertown rebounded from a blowout loss to Waunakee, picking up a high-scoring victory against Fort Atkinson. Can Monroe find its offense in a critical game against the Goslings?
Oregon (1-2, 0-1) at Fort Atkinson (1-2, 0-1): Oregon has had an interesting schedule so far, and hung with Monona Grove last week for most of the first half before the Silver Eagles took over. Fort Atkinson seems unable to shake the cardiac game bug, playing another exciting, high-scoring game a week ago. This is an important game for both--a loss means the losing team can only afford one more loss the rest of the way if they hope to make the playoffs.
Capitol North and Capitol South (non-conference and crossover games)
Lake Mills 48, Mauston 28 (Thursday): The L-Cats pulled away late to seal the non-conference victory.
Lakeside Lutheran 27, New Glarus/Monticello 17: In the one Capitol crossover game this week, the North again came away with the victory and improved to 3-0 in crossover games.
Lodi 56, Nekoosa 6: The Blue Devils pounded Nekoosa after allowing a long touchdown in the first quarter, led by Jacob Heyroth's three touchdowns.
Poynette 47, Southwestern 7: The Pumas scored on a fumble, kickoff, and interception return in earning their second victory of the season.
St. Mary's Springs 33, Luther Prep 0: A shutout ends Luther Prep's short undefeated run to start the season, although there's no shame in losing to the Ledgers, one of the best programs in the entire state.
Marian Catholic Central (IL) 55, Columbus 0: While the final margin might be a bit eye-popping, it's worth considering that the Hurricanes took down Division 1 Oak Creek last week. Columbus is D5.
Belleville 28, Wisconsin Dells 19 (Thursday): Winning isn't always easy, but Belleville got "an ugly win" according to their Twitter account and moved to 3-0.
Wautoma 50, Waterloo 13: This one got out of reach after halftime, as Wautoma put up four scores in the third quarter.
Marshall 31, Adams/Friendship 13: The Cardinals were able to hold off a late rally by Adams/Friendship, getting three touchdown passes from Josh Wehking.
Horicon/Hustisford 35, Cambridge 27: A late rally was stymied, and Cambridge lost for the first time in 2017.
Capitol North
Lake Mills 3-0
Lodi 3-0
Lakeside Lutheran 2-1
Luther Prep 2-1
Poynette 2-1
Columbus 0-3
Capitol South
Belleville 3-0
Cambridge 2-1
Marshall 2-1
Waterloo 2-1
New Glarus/Monticello 1-2
Week 4 (Non-conference and crossover games; conference play begins next week, with Capitol South teams playing one more non-conference game each)
Belleville (3-0) at Lake Mills (3-0): Belleville hasn't faced the sort of schedule that Lake Mills has, but this remains an interesting game because it matches up a pair of undefeated squads. The L-Cats have a dynamic passing attack led by Ben Dunkleberger, who will match up against the defense of the Wildcats, which has done well to start the year.
Lodi (3-0) at Marshall (2-1): A pair of playoff teams a year ago, this represents a big test for the Marshall Cardinals, who have played a difficult schedule already. Lodi might be the best team the Cardinals see this year. For Lodi, they'll be playing a tested, playoff-caliber team, albeit in a smaller division. The Blue Devils' stellar defense will need to be ready for the talents of Josh Wehking and Kelvin Opaku.
Waterloo (2-1) at Luther Prep (2-1): Both squads suffered their first losses last week, blowouts to boot. Which team can rebound after an off week?
Mauston (1-2) at New Glarus/Monticello (1-2): Lake Mills whipped Mauston on Thursday, while New Glarus/Monticello suffered a setback against Lakeside Lutheran. Both teams look to get to .500 in advance of conference play.
Cambridge (2-1) at Wisconsin Dells (1-2): Another Capitol vs South Central match-up, Wisconsin Dells battled Belleville close last week. Cambridge looks to be on the rise after a down year last year. This looks to be an interesting area contest.
Lakeside Lutheran (2-1) at Wautoma (2-1): Both teams are coming off of wins, Wautoma in dominant fashion over Capitol South member Waterloo and Lakeside Lutheran over defending Capitol South champion New Glarus/Monticello. Another intriguing non-conference match-up in our third South Central-Capitol contest of the week.
Winnebago Lutheran (2-1) at Poynette (2-1): Both teams needed a replacement game after their respective week four opponents cancelled their seasons. It ends up being a pretty solid contest on paper, with both teams coming off of wins.
Adams/Friendship (0-3) at Columbus (0-3): Life comes at you fast. Both teams rolled to undefeated regular seasons a year ago and won their conferences. Now, each team seeks to end four-game losing streaks dating to last year before they begin their conference title defenses.
Rock Valley
Clinton 48, Big Foot 12: Zach Krause rumbled for 287 yards and the Cougars rushed for over 500 total in their dominating win over Big Foot, leading 40-0 at halftime. Clinton appears to be the clear favorite in the Rock Valley.
Jefferson 21, Brodhead/Juda 12: Jefferson is one of four undefeated teams left in the Rock Valley, getting an important win on the road against a perennial playoff squad. The Eagles' defense is one of the best in the area and put it on display against a dangerous Cardinals offense.
Turner 20, Evansville/Albany 14 (Overtime): Turner's rise coincides with Evansville/Albany's fall, as the Blue Devils, conference co-champions a season ago, have now started 0-3. Turner, it should be noted, was projected to be much-improved coming in, and rallied from down 14-0 to take a huge step towards contending in the conference.
East Troy 64, Edgerton 52: With one of the most dominating offensive lines in the conference, East Troy has piled up the points in three weeks, scoring 47, 48, and now 64 in its first three contests. Edgerton hung tough, never trailing by more than two scores, and was within four points in the fourth quarter.
McFarland 33, Whitewater 13: McFarland is off to a good start, sitting at 2-1 entering one of the biggest games they've hosted in recent years. After a bit of a slow start, McFarland turned it on in the second quarter, and pulled away from winless Whitewater late.
Clinton 3-0
East Troy 3-0
Jefferson 3-0
Turner 3-0
McFarland 2-1
Big Foot 1-2
Brodhead/Juda 0-3
Edgerton 0-3
Evansville/Albany 0-3
Whitewater 0-3
Week 4
Clinton (3-0) at East Troy (3-0): There's great potential for another high-scoring game here, although Clinton's defense will be stronger than the ones the Trojans have faced so far. Both teams own talented front lines and both coaches will probably indicate that the battle in the trenches will dictate who wins this one.
Big Foot (1-2) at Jefferson (3-0): How will the Chiefs respond after the shellacking they took last week? Jefferson's defense is regarded to be roughly as good as Clinton's. Unlike the Clinton-East Troy game, this one actually has potential to be a lower-scoring contest.
Brodhead/Juda (0-3) at Turner (3-0): It's crossroads time for several Rock Valley teams. 3-0 squads like Turner can get a fourth win, putting them on the bubble for a playoff spot already less than halfway through the season. 0-3 squads like the Cardinals, however, will need to win out if they lose this week in order to clinch a playoff spot, which is not an easy task in the Rock Valley.
Evansville/Albany (0-3) at McFarland (2-1): This might be the biggest game McFarland has hosted in some time, since they're getting to host last year's conference co-champs with a chance at taking a huge step towards the playoffs with a win. That being said, the Blue Devils have faced arguably three of the toughest teams in the conference so far--each currently 3-0--and have lost by a total of 25 points in three games. It won't be easy. Evansville/Albany desperately needs a win after coming up just short in their first three games.
Whitewater (0-3) at Edgerton (0-3): The winner of this game will keep some hope for a playoff run alive, while the losing team will need to win out to clinch a playoff spot.
Other Games
Trailways-Large: Parkview (0-3, 0-1) at Montello/Princeton/Green Lake (0-3, 0-1): Each team looks for its first win. Parkview had played in some close games to start the year, but lost to Pardeeville last week 36-14.
Trailways-Small: Fall River (2-1, 1-0) at Wayland Academy (0-1, 0-1): Wayland Academy's full-time return to 11-player football met with defeat in their first game back, but only a 14-point setback. Fall River will present a challenge this week, as they took down Lourdes Academy 24-20 last week.
Trailways-Small: Johnson Creek (3-0, 1-0) at Cambria-Friesland (1-2, 1-0): Johnson Creek is being rated in state polls and demolished Deerfield a week ago. After getting its first win of the season last week, Cambria-Friesland will have a tall order this time out to double their win total.
Great 8: Oakfield (3-0) at Elkhart Lake/Glenbeulah (0-3): A game that should be closer than the records indicate, Oakfield is, at least early on, establishing itself as one of the top 8-player football programs in the state a year ahead of the playoffs.
Great 8: Abundant Life/St. Ambrose (3-0) at Wisconsin Heights (1-1) (Saturday): This could be one of the more interesting games this week, with the Challengers playing opponents much closer than they did a year ago, eking out a two-point win over Elkhart Lake/Glenbeulah a week ago.