Previews and predictions for the six Milwaukee-area teams in the WIAA football state semifinals

The WIAA state football semifinals are Friday and six Milwaukee-area programs will play for five of the 14 spots in next week's championships in Madison. Of those six teams, five have played for state titles in the past, while Badger hunts for its first title game appearance.

All games at 7 p.m. Friday at neutral locations.

Division 1

No. 2 Franklin vs. No. 1 Sussex Hamilton (at West Allis Athletic Complex)

Two undefeated area programs.

One spot in the Division 1 state championship game next Friday at Camp Randall Stadium.

A case can be made for this being the premier game of the week in the state semifinals. It's seemingly a meeting of an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. Led by Tyler Hatcher, who battled through injury last week to carry Sussex Hamilton into the semifinals for the second straight postseason, the Chargers (12-0) have been a juggernaut offensively. They've scored 30-plus points in 11 of 12 games and have racked up more than 5,500 yards with 76 touchdowns.

On the other sideline, the Sabers (12-0) are the real deal. Any team that can not only escape Muskego with a victory, but beat the Warriors by 28 points in a playoff game, should be taken seriously. The defense has allowed only 104 points all season, holding eight of 12 opponents to fewer than 10 points. Six defenders have at least 55 tackles, led by linebacker Talan Summers' 93. Those same six also have at least 12 tackles for loss each.

Factor in Buffalo recruit Terrance Shelton leading the charge for the Sabers' offense on the ground and Hatcher's attack on the ground and through the air, and this one will be a can't-miss affair.

Zac Bellman's prediction: Franklin 31, Sussex Hamilton 24

Mike Whitlow's prediction: Franklin 34, Sussex Hamilton 27

No. 2 Kimberly vs. No. 2 Marquette (at Sun Prairie West)

In terms of history, these two programs have plenty.

If you include their dominance before joining the WIAA along with the 2009 D1 title the Hilltoppers won, Marquette (10-2) has won nine state championships. The Papermakers (10-1) are the defending D1 champions and have won eight crowns.

Kimberly has won all three playoff meetings between the two since 2014, but this one could go a different direction. The Papermakers have found a way to do what they do, and that's win a lot, but it hasn't been easy. Four of their 10 victories have been by a combined 14 points, including last week's 14-7 survival against Neenah. Kimberly seems more vulnerable than in the past, but it's still the king of the division. Those types of programs just find ways to win.

Besides losses to Arrowhead in the final seconds of the season opener and to D1 state semifinalist Sussex Hamilton, the Hilltoppers have been pulverizing opponents. Since a 50-21 loss to the Chargers on Sept. 22, they've allowed just 22 points in six wins with four shutouts. Ryan Tomlinson leads a nasty defensive unit with 90 tackles; seven players have at least 50 tackles and six have at least 10 tackles for loss. Nine players have at least one interception, including Patrick O'Brien, Nick Womack and Malek Lee with three each. Marquette looks like a team playing its best football at the right time of year.

Zac Bellman's prediction: Marquette 27, Kimberly 10

Mike Whitlow's prediction: Kimberly 20, Marquette 17

Division 2

No. 2 Badger vs. No. 2 Sun Prairie East (at Oconomowoc)

Last Friday sent some shockwaves throughout the area and state when Badger ended top-seeded Kettle Moraine's bid for a Division 2 state title repeat in convincing fashion on the road.

Southern Lakes Conference champion Badger (12-0) and Sun Prairie East (10-2), which beat Slinger last week, are in search of their first title game appearance. East advanced to Level 3 in its first year as a program last season following the split of high schools and the opening of Sun Prairie West. Badger has made 26 playoff appearances since 1990, but it's the first semifinal appearance in seven years, so this is basically new territory for both programs.

Sun Prairie East, which has scored 35-plus points in five straight games, has good balance on offense. Drew Kavanaugh has thrown for 2,365 yards and 36 touchdowns, while running back Brady Kaufman has 1,339 yards and 10 scores.

Badger has shown it's comfortable being an underdog. That was proven last week against the defending state champion Lasers in their stadium. It'll take another monumental effort from JP Doyle, Landon Nottestad and the Badgers offensive line on the ground (with a few shot plays mixed in again), but a title game berth is on the line. Anything can happen.

Zac Bellman's prediction: Sun Prairie East 35, Badger 21

Mike Whitlow's prediction: Badger 28, Sun Prairie East 23

Division 3

No. 4 Grafton vs. No. 7 Stoughton (at Waukesha West)

This is a semifinal no one saw coming.

Grafton (10-2), a team that hasn't played for a gold ball since 1984, faces Stoughton (7-5), a program that's made the postseason only seven times (all since 1998). Grafton upset No. 1 seed and title contender Port Washington two weeks ago, while Stoughton eliminated 2022 D3 champion Monroe last week. This game is the definition of "two teams that weren't supposed to be here," but that's the beauty of playoff football.

Stoughton isn't scared to sling the rock. Drew Viney has thrown 285 passes for 2,165 yards and 21 touchdowns. Chris Cooksey is the leading receiver with 682 yards and eight scores. The Vikings don't necessarily run a lot, and that could play into Grafton's hands in a tight contest. Tommy Lutz has carried the load in the Black Hawks backfield with 1,148 yards and 20 touchdowns, a reliable option to have this time of the year.

Zac Bellman's prediction: Stoughton 24, Grafton 14

Mike Whitlow's prediction: Grafton 17, Stoughton 10

Division 4

No. 2 Catholic Memorial vs. No. 2 Luxemburg-Casco (at Kewaskum)

We jump from a matchup of teams that haven't made frequent deep playoff runs to a program that feels like it can win the title every season.

Catholic Memorial (10-2) is back on the doorstep of another state title game appearance. With a win, the Crusaders would play in their ninth title game since 2010 across two divisions. The Spartans (11-1) are the complete opposite, never playing in a title game. In fact, this is their first semifinal appearance. That's a huge advantage for the Crusaders, who have redemption on their minds after a two-point loss to Columbus in the title game last year.

Making the Crusaders even more dangerous is that their best playmaker has been back for a few weeks now. Penn State recruit Corey Smith and a big offensive line with Division I caliber talent is a tough combination to deal with for four quarters. That doesn't even include the running capabilities of quarterback MJ Mitchell and the big-play potential outside with Damyias Lopez and Marvanous Butler-Brown. Add in a rugged defense with Carl Pevey, Matt Miklosy and Josh Oeschner and this team is talented everywhere you look. It may have been a rough start to the season (losses to Franklin and Marquette), but the finish could be a stellar one for Catholic Memorial.

Zac Bellman's prediction: Catholic Memorial 21, Luxemburg-Casco 13

Mike Whitlow's prediction: Catholic Memorial 27, Luxemburg-Casco 14

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: WIAA football state semifinals previews, predictions in Milwaukee area