Merrill and Wausau East will close the regular season against each other on Friday, Oct. 16, at Thom Field.
Both Great Northern teams enter the game tied for second place behind Medford. Merrill coach Jason Wadzinski said a win could put his team in position to host a Level 1 playoff game, and he expects East is in a similar position.
Both teams have built their seasons on comebacks. Merrill rallied after trailing Tomahawk 14-0 and Lakeland 13-0 earlier this year.
Wausau East came back from a 21-0 deficit against Rhinelander last week, using big plays and special teams to get back into that game.
Wadzinski pointed to East playmaker Henry Maahs, No. 5, as a key player Merrill must limit, while also noting East's quarterback and deep passing ability. He expects a high-scoring passing matchup on Friday.
A loss, Wadzinski said, would likely mean traveling for the playoff opener against a higher seed, making the path more difficult.
