With only one week remaining in the 2022 high school football regular season schedule, local teams are making their final push for potential conference championships, includ- ing Spring Valley and Elmwood/Plum City.

The two Pierce County teams are slated to clash for a game that will decide which pro- gram wears the 2022 Dunn-St. Croix Confer ence crown on Friday, Oct. 14, in Spring Val- ley. The Cardinals will enter the week nine matchup 7-1 overall and 6-0 in conference play. Elmwood/Plum City enters the game 6-3 overall and 5-1 in conference action.

The scenario is simple: if Spring Valley wins, the Cardinals will be the outright 2022 Dunn-St. Croix Conference champions. If Elmwood/Plum City wins, the Cardinals and Wolves will share the 2022 crown.

Throughout the season, both Spring Val- ley and Elmwood/ Plum City have built their football teams around similar playstyles. Both teams want to run the football almost exclusively, both rely heavily on at least one talented running back, and both teams play stout defense that is designed to win at the line of scrimmage.

Spring Valley fans will be happy to know that junior quarterback Wyatt Goveronski, who missed two games due to an ankle injury, is back under center and running the ouense. He played only defensive snaps in the Sept. 30 game on the road against Tur- tle Lake, which was his first game back from injury.

Goveronski returned to the quarterback position on Friday, Oct. 7, in the 28-13 home victory against Cadott. Sophomore Cade Stasiek, who replaced Goveronski for three

weeks at quarterback, is back to running back duties for the foreseeable future. In his first ouensive game back from injury, Goveronski accounted for two of the team’s four scores against Cadott.

While Spring Valley is happy to have one of their best players back, Elmwood/Plum City’s best player never left. Senior running back Trevor Asher has led the Wolves to a 6-2 overall record and a 5-1 showing in Dunn-St.

Croix Conference games.

It’s not hyperbole to state that Asher might be the best running back in the state, at least statistically. With one game left in the regular season, Asher has eclipsed 2,000 rushing yards for the year, something that many backs never reach in all four years of high school.

His 2,080 rushing yards are the most in the state by more than 250 over second-place senior Wynn Stang of Mukwonago. Asher’s 26 rushing touchdowns are also the most in the state. He is one clear of Stang in that department too and three clear of third place.

The key to the game for each team is sim- ple: find a way to slow down the opposition’s rushing attack. Which is much easier said than done. Spring Valley and Elmwood/Plum City have built a brand of dynamic backs, misdirection and skillful ouensive line play that have made them two of the best teams on this side of the state.

The stakes are high and it’s an old-fash- ioned rivalry game between two Pierce County communities on Friday night. Not to mention there’s hardware on the line. Elm- wood/ Plum City will travel to Spring Valley for the regular season finale on Friday, Oct. 14.

That game will be played at the downtown football field and is slated to begin at 7 p.m.