WisconsinHigh.com - Several teams gear up to knock off Waunakee

October 18, 2012

Todd Mishler
WisconsinHigh.com Publisher

Five more victories and Waunakee puts the school in the WIAA football history book. Not only would a sweep through the upcoming playoffs give the Warriors a fourth straight Division 2 state championship, but that 49-game winning streak would break Manitowoc's mid-1980s record for consecutive triumphs of 48 that included three titles in a row under Ron Rubick.

Pat Rice's squad earned its 10th consecutive conference crown and 15th in the last 16 years, last losing on Oct. 2, 2009, to Reedsburg (15-10), which went on to win the D-3 title that fall.

Waunakee has been the No. 1 team in WisconsinHigh.com's team rankings all year, and it opens postseason action against Wilmot as the top seed in Group C. That bracket features Badger Conference rivals DeForest and Fort Atkinson, third-seeded and sixth-rated Watertown and second-seeded and No. 10 Waterford, which Waunakee downed, 45-0, last year for the trophy.

Should Waunakee keep its streak alive, the Warriors would take sole possession of the second-longest title run in state annals behind Stratford's six-year string from 2003 through 2008 in Division 6 and would claim their sixth trophy overall.

WIAA playoff information

The other top seeds include fellow unbeatens in second-ranked Brookfield East (Group D) and fourth-rated Green Bay Southwest (Group B) and once-beaten and No. 8 Marshfield (Group A).

Brookfield East's bracket includes second-seeded and third-ranked Whitefish Bay, Greater Metro and local rival Brookfield Central, the third seed, and fourth-seeded Wauwatosa West, ranked seventh.

G.B. Southwest downed D-1 league rivals and playoff qualifiers Green Bay Preble and Bay Port in its final two regular-season contests to win the Fox River Classic crown. Should they win their first two games, the Trojans likely would see second-seeded and fifth-ranked Homestead or third-seeded Cedarburg in Level 3.

Marshfield's path through the first two rounds looks easier, with a potential Level 3 showdown against second-seeded and No. 9 Menomonie, which eliminated the Tigers by a 44-14 count in round two last year.

Here are the complete Level 1 pairings in Division 2, with overall records and seeds:

Group A
Tomah (3-5, 8) at Marshfield (7-1, 1) - 7 p.m. Friday
Wausau East (5-3, 5) at Holmen (6-2, 4) - 7 p.m. Friday
Merrill (5-3, 6) at La Crosse Central (7-1, 3) - 7 p.m. Friday at UW-La Crosse
La Crosse Logan (4-4, 7) at Menomonie (7-1, 2) - 7 p.m. at UW-Stout

Group B
Oshkosh North (4-4, 8) at Green Bay Southwest (8-0, 1) - 6 p.m. Saturday
Pulaski (4-4, 5) at De Pere (6-2, 4) - 7 p.m. Friday
Ashwaubenon (4-4, 6) at Cedarburg (6-2, 3) - 7 p.m. Friday
Hortonville (6-2, 7) at Homestead (7-1, 2) - 7 p.m. Friday

Group C
Wilmot (4-4, 8) at Waunakee (8-0, 1) - 7 p.m. Friday
DeForest (6-2, 5) at Fort Atkinson (6-2, 4) - 7 p.m. Friday
Burlington (6-2, 6) at Watertown (7-1, 3) - 7 p.m. Friday
Waukesha West (4-4, 7) at Waterford (7-1, 2) - 7 p.m. Friday

Group D
Milwaukee Bradley Tech (3-4, 8) at Brookfield East (8-0, 1) - 7 p.m. Friday
Greendale (5-3, 5) at Wauwatosa West (7-1, 4) - Friday, 7 p.m.
South Milwaukee (5-3, 6) at Brookfield Central (5-3, 3) - 7 p.m. Friday
Messmer/Shorewood (7-1, 7) at Whitefish Bay (7-1, 2) - 7 p.m. Friday

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