Football Game Preview: Nekoosa Papermakers vs. Wisconsin Dells Chiefs

The Nekoosa Papermakers will challenge the Wisconsin Dells Chiefs at 7:00 p.m. on Friday. Nekoosa has given up an average of 39.4 points per game this season, but Friday's game will give them a chance to turn things around.

Nekoosa came into their game on Friday off a hard-fought close win, but unfortunately suffered a serious change of fortune. They were outmatched by Ripon and fell 55-28.

Despite the loss, Nekoosa had strong showings from Jacob Bertling, who rushed for 82 yards and a pair of scores on only nine carries, and Darion Boswell, who picked up 116 receiving yards. Bertling got the majority of those rushing yards when he took off on a run that went for an incredible 54 yards.

Meanwhile, there's no place like home for Wisconsin Dells, who bounced back after a loss on the road last Friday. They breezed past Mauston to the tune of 35-8 on Friday. The result was nothing new for the Chiefs, who have now won three contests by 26 points or more so far this season.

Wisconsin Dells' win was their fourth straight at home dating back to last season, which pushed their record up to 3-4. The home victories came thanks in part to their defensive effort, having only surrendered 8.3 points on average over those games. As for Nekoosa, their defeat dropped their record down to 1-6.

Nekoosa came up short against Wisconsin Dells in their previous matchup back in October of 2024, falling 26-16. Thankfully for the Papermakers, Sam Ersland (who rushed for 195 yards and four TDs) won't be suiting up this time. Will that be enough to change the final result? There's only one way to find out.