day for a GNC matchup ….

day for a GNC matchup with the 0-3 Lakeland Thunderbirds, who fell 33-0 to Mosinee in their league opener Friday. It’s the first road game for Lakeland, who also lost 23-7 to Wausau East and 7-0 to Tomahawk.

“They’ve got a nice little running game,” Wilson said. Their quarterback (Kort Meyer) is pretty athletic. They don’t look like they’re as athletic out at wide receiver as they have been in the past. It looks like they’re trying to run the ball and play a physical brand of football, kind of like they did last year.”

Last year, Medford won the regular season game in Minocqua 38-14 and then beat the T-Birds again at Raider Field in Level 1 of the WIAA Division 3 playoffs 36-14.

“It’s not going to get any easier,” Kawa said. “Everybody’s learning, everybody’s going week by week and there’s always a target on your back.”

“People are going to be fired up to play us,” Wilson said. “We’ve had that conversation with our kids. Since 2019 we’ve only lost three conference games total and two are to Mosinee. People are going to be circling us on their calendars. I’m sure Lakeland is no different. We have to find a way to match that intensity every week. Even though we’re the hunted instead of the hunter, we need to try to change our mindset to become the hunter.”

Elsewhere in league play Friday, Hayward visits Rhinelander in a matchup of 3-0 teams, Antigo is at Merrill and Ashland is at Mosinee.