Fall sports are officially hitting the stretch run, and there is plenty happening across the Chippewa Valley. From UW-Eau Claire football opening WIAC play to a wide-open CloverBelt football race, along with standout performances in golf, volleyball and other fall sports, the next few weeks should b e busy. Blugolds Ready for WIAC Play After opening the season 3-0, the UW-Eau Claire football team is coming off its bye week and getting ready to begin conference play. The Blugolds will host UW-Stevens Point for homecoming at Carson Park, giving UW-Eau Claire an opportunity to start the WIAC season with a statement win. The Blugolds have struggled in conference play in recent seasons, but this year’s team has a different feel. The roster features more experience, and the early-season results have provided some momentum. UW-Eau Claire has not posted a winning conference record in more than a decade, but there is optimism that this group could take a step forward. The opening week of WIAC play features several intriguing matchups, including UW-Stout hosting UW-Platteville, UW-River Falls taking on defending national champion UW-Whitewater, and UW-La Crosse facing UW-Oshkosh. There is a lot to sort out, but the conference season is finally here. Blugolds Volleyball Continues to Climb UW-Eau Claire volleyball also continues to put together a strong season. The Blugolds opened conference play with a win over UW-La Crosse and are currently ranked among the nation’s top five teams. UW-Oshkosh is also near the top of the rankings, setting up a highly anticipated matchup between two of the conference’s top programs later in the season. UW-Eau Claire Golf Programs Continue Their Rise The success of UW-Eau Claire’s golf programs has also been worth watching. The women’s team recently finished first out of 14 teams at the Twin Ports Collegiate, while the men’s team continues to produce top-five finishes as well. There is plenty of young talent in the program, which makes the recent success even more encouraging. Both teams have consistently been near the top of tournament leaderboards, adding to what has been a strong fall for UW-Eau Claire athletics. The tennis program has also made noise, including a win over UW-Whitewater that ended a long stretch without a victory over the Warhawks. It has been a strong fall across a number of UW-Eau Claire sports, including some programs that don’t always receive the same attention as football, basketball or volleyball. The CloverBelt Football Race Is Wide Open High school football is approaching the final few weeks of the regular season, and the CloverBelt Conference race is shaping up to be one of the most interesting in recent memory. Durand-Arkansaw remains undefeated and continues to look like one of the area’s top teams. The Panthers recently picked up another tough win, this time against Elk Mound, and will look to keep things rolling as the regular season winds down. But there is plenty of competition behind them. Mondovi, Regis and Elk Mound are all in the mix, and Friday night’s Mondovi-Regis matchup could be a major separator in the conference race. Mondovi has only one conference loss, and that came in a crossover game against Edgar. The Vikings have yet to lose to a CloverBelt opponent. The schedule also sets up a potential showdown later between Durand-Arkansaw and Mondovi. With several teams still fighting for position, the final few weeks of the CloverBelt season should be fascinating. Gilman Making a Statement Gilman has also been turning heads in eight-man football. The team recently dominated an opponent ranked No. 2 in the power rankings and has been one of the area’s most impressive teams. Despite being listed around eighth in the WIAA power rankings, Gilman has looked much better than that ranking might suggest to those who have watched the team play. Glenwood City is another team making noise after improving to an undefeated record. Meanwhile, teams such as Baldwin-Woodville, Arcadia, Hudson, Melrose-Mindoro, Mondovi, Pepin-Alma and Regis remain firmly in the conversation. The playoff picture should become much clearer over the next couple of weeks. Clara Kongshog Dominates the Clover Croix High school golf is also entering the postseason, and Clara Kongshog continues to put together an incredible season. At the Clover Croix championship, Kongshog overcame a rough start that included a quadruple bogey on the second hole. By the ninth hole, she had worked her way back to even par. She eventually finished one over for the day — and still won the tournament by 13 strokes. Kongshog has been on a remarkable run and has established herself as one of the golfers to watch heading into regionals. There is plenty of other local talent in the area as well, including Ridley Schultz from Eau Claire Memorial and Samantha Hawley from New Richmond. With the state tournament approaching, the area could have several golfers making deep postseason runs. And Kongshog is only a sophomore. Volleyball, Soccer and Cross Country Enter the Stretch Run Fall volleyball continues to produce big matchups, including a five-set battle between McDonell and Stanley-Boyd. McDonell came away with the victory, but Stanley-Boyd showed it can compete with one of the area’s top teams. Soccer is also deep into conference play, with teams beginning to prepare for the postseason. For teams such as Altoona, challenging themselves against higher-division competition now could help prepare them for the playoff push. Cross country is also approaching the postseason, with regionals getting closer as October approaches. Before long, the fall sports calendar will be filled with conference championships, regional meets and playoff games. The Fall Sports Calendar Is Getting Busy It is hard to believe how quickly the high school football season is moving. What feels like the beginning of the season is already approaching the final few weeks of the regular season. With conference races still undecided, postseason berths on the line and several local teams playing at a high level, there is plenty to follow across the Chippewa Valley. The next few weeks should tell us a lot about which teams are ready to make a postseason run. ...read more read less