Wisconsin high school football conference previews: Big Rivers

2025 BIG RIVERS CONFERENCE PREVIEW

Predicted Order of Finish
1) New Richmond
2) Hudson 
3) Rice Lake
4) River Falls
5) Menomonie
6) Chippewa Falls
7) Superior

Players to Watch
Cooper Adair, QB, Hudson: Adair mans the option offense for Hudson, passing for 918 yards and 11 touchdowns with another 516 yards and five scores on the ground.

Aaron Hoffman, LB, Rice Lake: A second team All-Conference linebacker last year and also saw some time in the offensive backfield.

Tino Massa, QB, River Falls: Threw for 1,719 yards with 19 touchdowns last year to earn second team All-Conference recognition.

Payton Pingel, RB, Hudson: Pingel earned second team All-Conference recognition last year with a team-high 651 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.

Mac Riordan, OL, New Richmond: Riordan is a standout in a league featuring a number of talented offensive linemen, earning first team All-Conference recognition last year.

Sam Simpson, OL, River Falls: Simpson is a returning All-State choice.

Nick Stellrecht, QB, New Richmond: Stellrecht threw for 1,750 yards and 22 touchdowns last year as a first team All-Conference selection.

Joseph Tarasewicz, RB, River Falls: A second team All-Conference pick last year, Tarasewicz ran for 1,006 yards with 10 touchdowns.

2025 Team Previews

1. New Richmond was picked to finish sixth in our preview last year, but we noted in the very first sentence that they could easily be a conference title contender in a league that returned six playoff squads. Sure enough, the Tigers not only won an outright Big Rivers title but also went undefeated during the regular season. New Richmond would advance to Level 3 for a second straight year, going out against Rice Lake, a team they'd narrowly defeated during the regular season. Head coach Reggie Larson has a group capable of remaining in the title hunt in a league that should be very competitive once again. Quarterback Nick Stellrecht is back after earning First Team All-Conference recognition. Mac Riordan and Mathew Fouks are standouts up front, while Austyn Wittek returns after finishing second on the team in rushing last year. There are 30 letterwinners returning, though just three starters on both sides of the ball.

2. Hudson dropped the first two games of the conference season against Menomonie and New Richmond, but rebounded to win five straight to close out the conference schedule, including a 35-14 win over Rice Lake in Week 9. The Raiders received a number two seed in the playoffs, but were upset by seventh-seeded D.C. Everest in the first game. Veteran head coach Adam Kowles always has big numbers in the program, which has allowed the team to stay competitive year after year. Offensively, the team returns quarterback Cooper Adair as well as top rusher Payton Pingel this season.

3. Rice Lake had a very similar season to what we've seen in the past, posting a good record against larger competition in the Big Rivers, setting the stage for a strong playoff push. The Warriors won a Division 3 state title in 2023 and bumped up in the playoffs to Division 2 last year, but it didn't bother them. They'd down a strong contingent of opponents in the postseason, going through DeForest, Monona Grove, New Richmond, and West De Pere to make the D2 championship game. They'd come up agonizingly close, falling to Slinger 31-30. The team loses a large number of players who were key contributors to two state finalist rosters, including quarterback Jakob Kunz, plus two-way skill position stars Lucas Peters and Connor Durand, among others. Offensive lineman Cael Gago and linebacker Aaron Hoffman are among the top returners for Rice Lake.

4. River Falls had high expectations in the Big Rivers Conference last year, but the team struggled to a 3-6 overall record, missing the playoffs. "We return a large group of starters on both sides of the ball from 2024 and a very good senior class," said head coach Ryan Scherz. "Several of our seniors have started since they were sophomores, so we are excited about our returning experience. If our senior and junior classes mesh together well and we focus on doing the little things well, we can have a good season. Our overall schedule leaves very little margin for error." The Wildcats bring back eight starters on offense, including talented senior quarterback Tino Massa, Indiana offensive line commit Sam Simpson, and 1000-yard rusher Joseph Tarasewicz. The defense should be solid behind seven returning starters.

5. Menomonie started on the right track, winning five of the first six games of the season. Things unraveled a bit towards the end, as the Mustangs dropped three straight to close the regular season and fell to Monona Grove in the first playoff contest. The Mustangs lose a solid senior class, but are expected to move down to Division 3 this year, as long as they can get into the playoffs.

6. Chippewa Falls went 6-3 during the regular season and qualified for the playoffs, dropping a tight 19-14 decision to Middleton in Level 1. The Cardinals turn over a considerable amount of their roster, returning just 14 letterwinners from a year ago. That includes just two starters back on offense, though offensive linemen Noah King and Carson Parker are both Division 2 recruits. Three starters return on defense. The freshman and JV squads were both undefeated last year, and that success at the lower levels will hopefully carry over to this season, as the team certainly has the potential to challenge for a playoff spot in a league without much separation between the top six.