2025 GREAT NORTHERN CONFERENCE PREVIEWPredicted Order of Finish
2. Medford
3. Wausau East (Wausau)
4. Lakeland (Minocqua)
5. Merrill
6. Rhinelander
7. Tomahawk
8. AntigoPlayers to WatchEvan Czarnecki, RB/DB, Medford: Czarnecki is a returning two-way starter for Medford and the top returning rusher for the Raiders.
Deklan McQuade, QB, Lakeland: McQuade is a returning starter who threw for 1,110 yards and 11 touchdowns last season for the Thunderbirds.
Kayden Meverden, WR/DB, Wausau East: Meverden had more than 500 receiving yards last season with five interceptions on defense, earning Honorable Mention All-Conference on offense to go with Second Team laurels on defense.
Rex Reilly, QB/LB, Tomahawk: Reilly is a key two-way player who ended up missing all but 3.5 games last year due to injury, but should be one of the league's top athletes.
Jerrick Seeger, WR/DB, Mosinee: Seeger is the top returning receiver for the Indians and also a starter on defense for Mosinee.
Iain Stahel, RB, Wausau East: Stahel led Wausau East in rushing last season with 574 yards, earning Honorable Mention All-Conference recognition.
Treve Stoffel, QB/DB, Mosinee: Stoffel is the only returning First Team All-Conference position player in the Great Northern, earning the distinction on both sides of the ball. He threw for 2,150 yards and ran for 683, accounting for 29 touchdowns on offense.
Evan Zoch, WR/DB, Lakeland: Zoch led the T-Birds in receiving with 32 catches for 740 yards and eight touchdowns, also starring on the defensive side of the ball.
2025 Team Previews1. Mosinee finished a couple of games off the pace in the Great Northern Conference last year, including a disappointing 58-35 loss to Medford in the final regular-season game that could have grabbed a share of the league title for the Indians. They'd follow that up with a 28-21 home loss to Ellsworth, ending the year at 6-4 overall. "Due to several injuries last year, we return a bunch of guys who got a lot of experience," said head coach Kyle Stoffel. "Offensively, we return our quarterback, running back, and two receivers, so we will move the ball if we can stay healthy. On defense, our secondary will be strong, but we have to replace a lot of guys in the front seven." Treve Stoffel is the league's top player, earning First Team All-Conference as a quarterback and defensive back last season. Mosinee brings back 20 letterwinners, including seven starters on offense and five on defense.
2. Medford put together one of the better seasons in school history, going 10-2 overall with an undefeated Great Northern Conference crown, advancing to a sectional championship before falling to La Crosse Logan 51-48 in an instant classic. "Once again, we will be replacing many, many key components to our team," explained veteran coach Ted Wilson. "Our outgoing seniors provided a ton of leadership and production. We will be young and will need to learn to play at the varsity level. How well our younger players adjust to playing varsity will determine if our team can be successful." The Radiers relied on Paxton Rothmeier more than just about any team did on offense, as he carried it 274 times for 2,696 yards and 37 touchdowns to earn WFCA All-State recognition. His graduation leaves a considerable hole in the primary ball-carrier spot, with Evan Czarneski the top returning rusher with 203 yards last season. He's one of five starters back on offense and four on defense for Medford.
3. Wausau East qualified for the postseason for the first time since 2012, just two years after a two-year hiatus as a varsity football program. It was an impressive improvement and comeback for the Lumberjacks and head coach Tyler Kramer, a 2017 graduate of the school. Wausau East fell in the first round of the playoffs against Fox Valley Lutheran in a shootout, but has nice progress to build on, with five starters back on offense and six on defense. Coach Kramer sees speed and balance on both sides of the ball as strengths this season, with concerns about the loss of some outstanding seniors and a young roster heading into 2025. Receiver Kayden Meverden and top rusher Iain Stahel are two promising building blocks on the offensive side of the ball, while Meverden teams with Coltynn Muenchow and Aiden Kilde to form a solid nucleus on defense.
4. Lakeland won the first three games of the year, but ended up barely sneaking into the playoffs after losing four of the next five, exiting to Medford in the first postseason game to cap off a 5-5 campaign. The Thunderbirds will be one of the more experienced teams in the league, with 20 letterwinners coming back, including nine starters on offense and six on defense. Head coach Dan Barutha likes the experience from three straight playoff trips, as well as the downfield passing game and size on the offensive line. They will be replacing the defensive coordinator position, however, and don't have a lot of depth, with the threat of injuries potentially impacting all three phases of the game. A strong passing attack will be keyed by returning quarterback Deklan McQuade, who also has his favorite target, Evan Zoch, coming back this year.
5. Tomahawk finished 3-6 overall and missed out on the playoffs last year, its first return to the Great Northern Conference since 2009. There were a lot of close losses, with only one true blowout against Medford on the league schedule. "We were competitive in all games but are looking to get over the hump this year," said third-year head coach Dewey Reilly, a 1997 Tomahawk graduate. "This will be the largest senior class Tomahawk has had in recent history." The team is looking forward to a full season for Rex Reilly, who played in just three-and-a-half games last season due to injury. The Hatchets return seven starters on both sides of the ball and are looking to make a playoff push.
6. Rhinelander won three of its first four games, including both non-conference contests, but struggled to get things going after that, including a trio of one-score losses. The Hodags had a small margin for error and, unfortunately, came out on the wrong side of things too often. They should be able to battle for a playoff spot this year, with leading rusher Cyrus Leisure returning in the ground game.
7. Merrill captured a 30-18 win over Rhinelander in Week 9 to secure a playoff spot, just its second since 2017. The Bluejays put up a tough fight against Onalaska in Level 1 but ultimately succumbed to the Hilltoppers in a 13-8 loss. The team loses most of last year's playmakers, though leading receiver Keylin Allen is back for Merrill.
8. Antigo has been struggling a bit of late, missing the postseason last year with just one appearance since 2018. The team finished 4-5 overall last year, but a three-game losing streak to end the season left them out of the postseason. Veteran head coach Tom Schofield will have one of the youngest teams in the state, with just seven returning letterwinners from a year ago and one starter on each side of the ball.
