Which area high school football teams are reaching the WIAA state finals? Ricardo Arguello makes his picks.
The WIAA football postseason kicks off Friday with first-round games as area teams begin their hopeful journey to Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
Here's a look at each division with area first-round matchups and predicted state champions.
Division 1
Top seeds: Hudson (8-1), Sussex Hamilton (9-0), Milwaukee Marshall (6-2), Muskego (8-1).
Area first-round matchups: Appleton North (6-3) at Kimberly (7-1); D.C. Everest (7-2) at Neenah (7-2).
Dark horses: Fourth-seeded Neenah, fourth-seeded Mukwonago, fifth-seeded Fond du Lac.
Ricardo says: Hudson is the champion of the Big Rivers Conference and its lone loss is to Stevens Point. Sussex Hamilton won the Greater Metro and has a potential second-round matchup with Mukwonago. Milwaukee Marshall getting a top seed was a head-scratcher. Marshall finished second in the Milwaukee City Richardson division, a league that has had trouble competing in the postseason. Marshall also canceled its season opener against Kimberly due to competitive issues. Undefeated Franklin, a traditional D1 power, also failed to get a top seed. The second-seeded Papermakers have a tough matchup with Appleton North and could have a quarterfinal matchup with either Hudson or Neenah. North has a tremendous defense, but needs to eliminate mistakes on offense if it wants a lengthy postseason run. The Rockets, led by junior running back Grant Dean, hope to have junior starting quarterback Evan Vanevenhoven back soon but have been competitive with freshman backup Ashton Van Beek. Muskego just suffered its first loss, falling to undefeated Kettle Moraine on Friday in the Classic 8 title game.
Finals pick: Kimberly over Muskego.
Division 2
Top seeds: Waunakee (9-0), Milwaukee King (8-1), Kaukauna (8-1), Kettle Moraine (9-0).
Area first-round matchups: Brookfield Central (5-4) at Kaukauna; Hortonville (5-4) at Cedarburg (6-3).
Dark horses: Third-seeded Waukesha West and fourth-seeded West De Pere.
Ricardo says: Waunakee drops to Division 2 after reaching the state quarterfinals in D1 last season. Milwaukee King won the Milwaukee City Richardson division and its lone loss is to Nicolet. Kaukauna, the Fox Valley Association co-champ, has a likely matchup with rival West De Pere in the second round and Homestead in the quarterfinals. The Ghosts reached the D2 state semifinals last season. Kettle Moraine won the Classic 8 Conference and is the defending D2 state champ. I think the Lasers are the best team in the state, regardless of division. Keep an eye on West De Pere − its two losses came to Kaukauna in Week 2 and Bay Port, a Division 1 power, on Friday. The Phantoms were the D2 state runner-up last season.
Finals pick: Kettle Moraine over Kaukauna.
Division 3
Top seeds: Rice Lake (8-1), Port Washington (9-0), Monroe (7-2), Mount Horeb/Barneveld (9-0).
Area first-round matchups: Menasha (7-2) at Plymouth (8-1); Antigo (4-5) at Fox Valley Lutheran (6-3); Seymour (3-6) at Mount Horeb/Barneveld (9-0).
Dark horses: Third-seeded New Berlin West, sixth-seeded Pewaukee, seventh-seeded Menasha.
Ricardo says: Port Washington was the top-ranked team in the latest Medium Division rankings of the Associated press poll. Rice Lake won the Middle Border Conference with Mount Horeb/Barneveld winning the Badger Small. Menasha as a seven seed is questionable and don't be surprised if the Bluejays surprise some people this postseason. FVL has solid QB play with Liam Heiges, but has a likely second-round matchup with second-seeded Notre Dame. One of Monroe's losses was to Mount Horeb/Barneveld but the two teams are on opposite sides of the bracket. Notre Dame (8-1) won the Fox River Classic Conference South and its lone loss was in Week 2 to D2 power Waunakee. The Tritons are paced by junior running back Christian Collins (1,605 yards, 12.2 average, 27 touchdowns). Notre Dame and Mount Horeb/Barneveld are on a collision course to meet in the quarterfinals.
Finals pick: Notre Dame over Monroe.
Division 4
Top seeds: St. Croix Central (8-1), Platteville (8-1), Lodi (9-0), Two Rivers (9-0).
Area first-round matchups: Little Chute (5-4) at Luxemburg-Casco (8-1); Winneconne (6-3) at Berlin (7-2); Wisconsin Dells (7-3) at Xavier (8-1).
Dark horse: Fourth-seeded West Salem.
Ricardo says: I'm a big believer in Xavier's ability to go far with its quick-tempo, power run game. The Hawks are legit. St. Croix Central has a great program and plays in the ultra-competitive Middle Border Conference. The two teams could meet in a state semifinal. Two Rivers has a complete team on both sides of the ball and has a two-way star in Chase Matthias (1,495 yards rushing, 71 total tackles). Catholic Memorial (7-2), which won the Parkland, had two early losses and is a perennial powerhouse in D4. Expect Two Rivers and Catholic Memorial to meet in a potential state semifinal. Platteville won the SWC and Lodi won the Capitol over defending D4 champ Columbus. Luxemburg-Casco drops down to D4 this season and has a probable state quarterfinal matchup with Two Rivers.
Finals pick: Catholic Memorial over Xavier.
Division 5
Top seeds: Colby (7-2), Aquinas (8-1), Wittenberg-Birnamwood (8-1), Winnebago Lutheran (8-1).
Area first-round matchups: Clintonville (3-8) at Wittenberg-Birnamwood (8-1); Sturgeon Bay (5-4) at Wrightstown (7-2).
Dark horses: Third-seeded Wrightstown, third-seeded Columbus, fourth-seeded Amherst.
Ricardo says: This is a good opportunity for Wrightstown, which drops down to D5 after being a contender in D4 for a number of years. I like the Tigers, and their throwback run game, to reach Camp Randall with Wittenberg-Birnamwood a possible matchup in the quarterfinals. Wittenberg-Birnamwood's lone loss came to Stratford in the Central Wisconsin Conference Large. Aquinas is the defending D5 state champ and the odds-on favorite in the division. Aquinas and defending D4 champ Columbus could meet in a state quarterfinal. Winnebago Lutheran finished second in the Flyway to St. Mary's Springs.
Finals pick: Aquinas over Wrightstown.
Division 6
Top seeds: Grantsburg (11-0), Kewaunee (9-0), Auburndale (9-1), Darlington (8-1).
Area first-round matchups: Weyauwega-Fremont (6-3) at Stratford (8-1).
Dark horses: Third-seeded Lancaster, fifth-seeded Coleman.
Ricardo says: Another odd quirk by the computer was having D6 powerhouse St. Mary's Springs (9-0) the No. 2 seed in favor of top-seeded Kewaunee. The Storm is a very good team, no doubt, but Springs plays in a league (Flyway) that sent two teams to the finals as recently as 2021 (Mayville, Springs). Springs has reached either the D5 or D6 final in 10 of the last 12 years, not counting the COVID season. Kewaunee plays in the Packerland, which hasn't sent a team to the finals since the Storm's appearance in 2010. Springs and Kewaunee should meet in the quarterfinals. Weyauwega-Fremont has had a nice season, but has a tough draw with Stratford in the playoff opener. Grantsburg won the Lakeland Conference and Auburndale was second in the Marawood. Auburndale's only loss is to Marawood champ Edgar.
Finals pick: Stratford over St. Mary's Springs.
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Division 7
Top seeds: Boyceville (9-0), Potosi/Cassville (8-1), Cashton (9-0), Reedsville (9-0).
Area first-round matchups: None.
Dark horse: Third-seeded Regis.
Ricardo says: Boyceville won the Dunn-St. Croix but has a potential state quarterfinal showdown with Edgar. Edgar (8-1) is a No. 2 seed and my pick to win this division. How the computer picked Edgar as a two seed is baffling. The Wildcats' lone loss is an 8-6 decision to Ellsworth, a D4 team, in Week 1. Edgar won the Marawood, one of the top small-school conferences in the state, and shut out all seven of its league opponents by an average score of 41-0. The Wildcats also beat Stratford, my pick to win D6, 40-6 in Week 2. Potosi/Cassville tied for the Six Rivers title with Black Hawk. Cashton won the Scenic Bluffs with Reedsville claiming the Big East title. Cashton has a potential state semifinal matchup with Edgar.
Finals pick: Edgar over Reedsville.
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This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Wisconsin high school football championship game predictions
