Austin Sikorski's senior season could come to a resounding halt and do so prior to the end of the Stevens Point Area Senior High football season.

After the game, coach Pete McAdams told the Stevens Point Journal that it "doesn't look too good" regarding Sikorski, but similar statements have been expressed earlier in the season regarding the feature back's availability. One such case came prior to Week 8 against Minnetonka, Minn., when McAdams said he didn't expect Sikorski to play at all, but he did and looked well.

Sikorski may not have looked better this year than he did in the first half against West, running for 177 yards and setting the tone offensively behind solid line play.

"I've said this from day one: Austin Sikorski is as impressive a running back as anyone you'll see in the state," McAdams said. "It was great to see later in the game, when he wasn't playing anymore, that Joey Mathe came out and did some really fine things."

During the same time, the defense was holding on against West and its non-stop, no-huddle offense, which did most of its scoring in the first half, but scored only seven points after halftime. The second half lockdown impressed the coaches, including those for Oshkosh West.

"I think they're right there with Appleton North," West coach Ken Levine said comparing SPASH to the bracket's top seed, still alive after beating Wausau West Tuesday. "If they played each other, it will be two great defensive teams, great running teams, a pretty physical battle."

Defensive lineman Tyler Studinski thinks the overall defensive performance sent a message to those who've saw SPASH's pass defense as a potential liability. Studinski and the Panthers front seven kept pressure on Oshkosh West quarterback Trey Demler and on most downs had him making plays on the run instead of in the pocket.

"We changed up, played some 3-4, it was a fast-paced game," Studinski said. "Now we know we have the ability to stop the pass. I think we proved that we can stop any type of offense."

Hudson returns

Big Rivers Conference power Hudson will play SPASH in Level 2 action Saturday at Goerke Park. This will be the third postseason in a row that the two teams have met -- the previous two games have been losses for Hudson.

McAdams expects to see a determined effort out of the Raiders, who knocked off Wisconsin Rapids on Tuesday and have won seven straight games.

"I can guarantee that we'll expect them to come in very hungry," McAdams said. "(Hudson) knows what its like to play here, they've taken that trip before, so they're going to be really fired up to keep their season alive."