High school football Week 6: Top matchups, coaches' comments and predictions

The biggest game of the year in the Fox River Classic Conference-South and two key Bay Conference matchups highlight Week 6 of the high school football season.

Perfect records are on the line as unbeaten Green Bay Notre Dame travels to Menasha for the FRCC showdown, while Seymour tries to stay unbeaten at Fox Valley Lutheran and Winneconne looks to stay perfect at Xavier in games that should help clear up the title picture in the Bay.

Here’s a look at the five must-see games for the week, along with coaches’ comments, predictions and the rest of the schedule.

Week 5 prediction record: 5-0.

Season prediction record: 19-7.

MUST-SEE GAMES

Neenah (3-2) at Appleton North (4-1)

The teams: Neenah beat Appleton North 7-6 last season for its second win over the Lightning in as many seasons. The Rockets beat Oshkosh West 29-10 last week to improve to 2-1 in the FVA. Dray Hannan ran for 166 yards and two touchdowns, while Evan Vanevenhoven passed for 185 yards and a touchdown. Cole Fenske led the defense with 13 tackles, including a sack. Appleton North has won four in a row since dropping the opener, including a 24-13 win over Hortonville last week. Bobby Salm led the North defense with seven tackles. The Lightning is tied with Kimberly and Kaukauna atop the FVA at 3-0.

Livestream coverage: Watch as Appleton North takes on Neenah

Neenah coach Steve Jung: “North is on a four-game winning streak and during that streak they have held their opponents under 14 points. They do not give up many yards and are relentless on defense. We need to play mistake-free football, match their physicality and control the ball offensively.”

Appleton North coach Rob Salm: “Heading into the game against Neenah, a formidable FVA opponent with a strong coaching staff and talented players, we must be at our best in all three phases of the game. We’ve been pleased by the progress we’ve made on offense and the consistent play of our defense and special teams. Our goal this week is to continue improving in all areas and deliver a top-notch performance on Friday. With homecoming festivities adding to the excitement, it will have a great atmosphere for our fans and players.”

Prediction: Appleton North 20, Neenah 17.

Seymour (5-0) at Fox Valley Lutheran (3-2)

The teams: This one could be a shootout, with Seymour averaging 39 points per game and Fox Valley Lutheran averaging 34.8. The Thunder beat Waupaca 56-32 last week when it rushed for 463 yards. Cayden Staffeldt passed for three touchdowns and ran for two. Mason Bunnell and Wyatt Bunnell led the defense with 12 and 11 tackles, respectively. Seymour is ranked No. 9 in Division 4 in the latest wissports.net coaches poll. FVL lost to Freedom 43-42 in double overtime. Blessings Kapande ran for 140 yards and four touchdowns and added 11 tackles, including a sack, on defense for the Foxes. Gabe Heiges added 10 tackles.

Seymour coach Jason Bins: "FVL is a great football team whose only two losses are close games against really talented Freedom and Waupaca teams. We have great respect for FVL's coaching staff and how they prepare their teams in all phases of the game."

Fox Valley Lutheran coach Seth Jaeger: “Seymour will be a great matchup for us this week. They have a lot of players with several years of varsity experience. Our challenge will be to stop their tough run game. The team has had a great week of practice and are looking forward to the opportunity to get back on the field to bounce back after a tough loss. Our players remain positive and eager each week for every opportunity they get to play.”

Prediction: Seymour 34, Fox Valley Lutheran 28.

Wrightstown (5-0) at Little Chute (3-2)

The teams: Wrightstown, which is ranked No. 1 in Division 5 in the coaches poll, has won five of the last six meetings in the series, including 18-14 last season. The Tigers won their fifth game in a row with a 34-21 victory over Two Rivers last week. Aiden Humphreys rushed for 97 yards and two touchdowns. He also tied with Mason Driscoll for the defensive lead in tackles with nine, including a sack. Little Chute shut out Denmark, 23-0. Brock Gardner ran for 166 yards on 17 carries and Cooper Effa had two rushing touchdowns. Gardner, Noah Faccio and Brandon Brady each had five tackles.

Little Chute coach Ted Evers: “Wrightstown is a tough, well-coached team. They present a great challenge with their overall speed and athletic ability. We will have to play our best game of the year to have a shot to win the game.”

Prediction: Wrightstown 35, Little Chute 20.

Notre Dame (5-0) at Menasha (3-2)

The teams: Notre Dame has won the last two meetings, including 42-14 last season, after Menasha had won three in a row in the series. The Tritons, who are ranked No. 1 in the Division 3 coaches poll, shut out Manitowoc 42-0 last week. Christian Collins returned after missing two games and ran for 185 yards and three touchdowns. James Flanigan had five sacks and forced a fumble to lead the defense. The Bluejays have won three in a row after a 35-0 victory over Green Bay East. Elijah Gigl ran for three touchdowns and Logan Liegl passed for two. Carson Miller led the defense with six tackles, including a sack, and Elijah Phillips added two sacks.

Menasha coach Jeramie Korth: “Notre Dame is one of the top teams in the state this year. They are strong at all positions and have excellent depth in their rotations. We are playing at our highest level this year and our depth will be challenged as well as injuries have been an issue, but we are excited about the opportunities that some of the younger players will have moving forward.”

Prediction: Notre Dame 28, Menasha 17.

Winneconne (5-0) at Xavier (3-2)

The teams: The Wolves and Hawks meet for the 18th time, with Xavier leading the all-time series 16-1. Winneconne’s only win came in 2012. Xavier won both meetings last season, 45-19 in the regular season and 14-3 in the second round of the Division 4 playoffs. Winneconne has scored at least 34 points in every game this season, including a 39-8 win over Shawano last week. Brody Schaffer had three touchdown passes and two rushing TDs for the Wolves, who are ranked No. 10 in Division 4 in the coaches poll. Xavier snapped a two-game losing streak with a 63-20 victory over New London. Carter Appl had 11 total tackles and Luke Wolske had 10 for the Xavier defense.

Where does your team rank?: Where does your team rank? Check out the latest state rankings for fall high school sports

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Winneconne coach Nathan Ryf: “Grateful for the opportunity to play a tough Xavier team. Really looking forward to seeing how our guys prepare for the opportunity. We haven’t faced the speed we will see on Friday. Our staff will have them ready.”

Xavier coach Dave Hinkens: “Winneconne is a very good team in all phases. Their team speed and multiple looks cause a number of challenges. They have a number of players that are very athletic and extremely fast.”

Prediction: Xavier 37, Winneconne 27.

OTHER GAMES

All games Friday at 7 p.m. unless noted

Green Bay Preble (0-5) at Appleton West (2-3)

Roncalli (3-2) at Brillion (4-1)

Shiocton (2-3) at Crivitz (4-1)

Hilbert (2-3) at Dominican (0-5), 6:30 p.m.

Appleton East (2-3) at Fond du Lac (0-5)

Denmark (0-5) at Freedom (5-0)

Hortonville (1-4) at Kimberly (4-0)

St. Mary Catholic (1-4) at Kohler/Lutheran/Christian (1-4)

Crandon (1-4) at Manawa (1-4), 7:30 p.m.

Chilton (2-3) at New Holstein (3-2)

Clintonville (1-4) at Northland Pines (0-5)

Kaukauna (4-1) at Oshkosh West (1-4), 5 p.m.

New London (1-4) at Waupaca (1-4)

Marathon (2-3) at Weyauwega-Fremont (2-3)

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: High school football Week 6: Top matchups, coaches' comments and predictions