Wausau West and Newman Catholic see their football seasons end in Level 1 road losses.

In Level 1 WIAA playoff action it was a tough night for teams we cover on 98.9 WXCO. In a game heard on 98.9 WXCO, Wausau West battled #1 seed Waunakee but fell 28-14. West jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after Marcus MacDonald intercepted a Waunakee pass on the second play from scrimmage and returned it to the Waunakee 13 yard line. Then, on 3rd and 6 from the 9, Jack Kostroski hit Bennett Matteson on a fade pass in the back right corner of the end zone for the touchdown. Waunakee responded with a pair of first quarter touchdowns, including an 11 yard interception return for a TD by Chuck Farrell that gave them a 14-7 lead. That would be the score at halftime but West would take the 2nd half kickoff and drive 87 yards for a touchdown with the drive finishing on a 1 yard QB sneak by Kostroski to tie the game at 14. Waunakee would respond on the next drive and regain the lead on a pass from Vance Johnson to Mac Johnson, who fumbled the ball into the end zone where it was recovered by a Waunakee offensive lineman. The extra point was missed and the score was 20-14. Waunakee would get some insurance on a 40 yard strike from Vance Johnson to Kaden MacKenzie that, ultimately, gave Waunakee the 28-14 win.

Wausau West was led by wide receiver Bennett Matteson, who caught 7 passes for 85 yards and a touchdown. The West defense was stellar in allowing just 172 yards to the Waunakee offense. West finishes their season at 5-5.

Newman Catholic saw their outstanding campaign come to an end in Chippewa Falls on Friday, falling to McDonell Central 52-8 in a game that was broadcast live on the Sports 2 Stream of bullfallsradio.com and the Civic Media app. McDonell took charge early with a 39-0 lead at halftime and advance to a Level 2 game at Owen-Withee next week. Newman, who has made the 8-Player playoffs every season since the WIAA started sponsoring an 8-Player tournament in 2018, finishes 7-2.