The cross-town rivalry between the Eau Claire Crush and the Chippewa Valley Predators often matches teammates up against former teammates and occasionally it continues matchups that have existed since high school.

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   On Saturday, July 12, the undefeated Eau Claire Crush of the Northern Elite Football League will face off against the Chippewa Valley Predators at Carson Park at 6:00 p.m. The Crush have a conference record of 6 and 0 and an overall record of 7 and 0, which guarantees that the Crush will finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference. The Predators are in second place in the Western Conference with a record of 3-3, and they have not played a nonconference game yet.
   “We need to do our job, and play our game,” defensive back Ryan Wundrow said. “Nobody is bigger than the team.” 
   A few players for the Crush have connections to Altoona. In addition to playing defensive back, Wundrow is also an assistant football and basketball coach at Altoona High School, and he teaches kindergarten at Pedersen Elementary. Running back Brett Hanevold and defensive end Rob Lee both went to Altoona High School and both played for the Railroaders.
   “Everyone kind of knows each other,” Wundrow said. “We’ve been playing together for a while, and if you look at it, a lot of us played each other in high school. It’ll be like playing your brother.”
   Wundrow and Lee – while only totaling two and a half tackles, one fumble recovery, and one touchdown on the season – have been a part of a defense that has played very well this season. In seven games, the Crush have only allowed seven points. In comparison, no other team has allowed fewer than the 123 points allowed by the Upper Peninsula Arctic Blast. In the Western Conference, the Superior Stampede have only allowed 62 points, but have only played in six games.
   “The coaches get us prepared,” Wundrow said. “I have faith in them.”
   The Crush’s offense also has performed exceptionally well. In the seven games it has played, it has scored an astonishing 319 points. Eleven different players have scored touchdowns for the Crush. The next closest mark comes from the Western Conference, where the Stampede have scored 193 points in six games. The Predators, on the other hand, have only scored 115 points while giving up 72.
   The two teams will each play one more game after this, against different opponents, before the start of the playoffs, which will be held on Saturday, July 26. The time of the game has yet to be announced.
   Wundrow has high expectations for the remainder of the season.
   “We need to finish strong,” Wundrow said. “I expect to be playing in the title game.”
   The Crush will at home against the Upper Peninsula Arctic Blast on Saturday, July 19, at 6:00 p.m.