This story is sponsored by Forward Bank
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
The WIAA released its brackets and pairings for the upcoming football playoffs.
A total of 224 teams in seven divisions qualified for the 2019 WIAA State Football Playoffs, which start with Level 1 games on Friday, Oct. 25. All games are at 7 p.m.
Play will continue Nov. 1, Nov. 8 and Nov. 15, with the championship games at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison on Nov. 21-22.
A total of 17 teams from throughout Central Wisconsin qualified for the playoffs, which requires at least a .500 record in conference play.
In Division 1, Wisconsin Rapids (4-5) is the No. 8 seed in Group A. The Raiders get the enviable task of playing at No. 1 Kimberly (9-0). Kimberly beat Wisconsin Rapids 55-21 back in Week 2 on Aug. 30.
In the same Division 1 bracket, No. 6 seed D.C. Everest (5-4) will play at No. 3 Appleton East (6-3). Those two teams met in Week 1 with East earning a 21-14 victory.
In Division 2 Group A, Marshfield (6-3) is the No. 5 seed and will have to travel to No. 4 Superior (7-2).
In Division 3 Group A, No. 5 Mosinee (6-3) will play at No. 4 New Richmond (7-2), and No. 2 Medford (9-0) will host No. 7 Hayward/La Courte Oreilles (6-3) in opening round games.
Three area teams are in Group A in Division 5.
Stratford (9-0), which has not allowed a point this season, inexplicably was named a No. 2 seed and will host No. 7 Spooner (4-5) at Tiger Stadium on Friday.
Stratford coach Jason Tubbs was not happy in an interview with Zaleski Sports on Saturday afternoon.
“The WIAA put us in a grouping with another 9-0 team (Northwestern) and they had an opportunity, possibly, to split up the three 9-0 teams in Division 5, but they chose to put us and Northwestern in the same grouping,” Tubbs said. “Along with them, they had three other teams from their conference (Heart O’North) and they all voted for them. The other teams all voted for us and it went to two tiebreakers and a coin toss. They called tails and they won the toss.
“Our guys will play the next game on our schedule, which is Spooner at home, which is one of those Heart O’North teams that didn’t vote for us.”
No. 8 Nekoosa (4-5) will play at No. 1 Northwestern (9-0), and No. 6 Spencer/Columbus (5-4) will play at No. 3 Bloomer (7-2).
If Spencer/Columbus and Stratford were to win, the two would play each other at Stratford on Nov. 1 in Level 2.
In Group B of Division 5, Amherst (9-0) is the No. 1 seed and will host No. 8 Peshtigo (5-4) in a Level 1 game.
Colby (7-2) is the No. 5 seed in Group A of Division 6 and will hit the road to play at No. 4 Cumberland (8-1).
In Group B of the Division 6 field, No. 1 Abbotsford (9-0) will host No. 8 Crivitz (4-5) and No. 4 Auburndale (7-2) will play at home against No. 5 Markesan (5-3). The winners of those two games will meet in Level 2.
Five local teams are in the Division 7 Group B bracket. No. 8 Greenwood (6-3) will play at No. 1 Edgar (8-1) and No. 5 Loyal (5-4) will play at No. 4 Hurley (7-2). The winners will play in Level 2.
Also in that Group B bracket, No. 6 Pittsville (5-3) is at No. 3 Gilman (7-2), and No. 7 Athens (5-4) plays at No. 2 Almond-Bancroft (9-0), with the winners of those two games meeting in Level 2.
2019 WIAA State Football Playoffs
Level 1
All games Friday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m. unless noted
Division 1
Group A
No. 8 Wisconsin Rapids (4-5) at No. 1 Kimberly (9-0)
No. 5 Hudson (4-5) at No. 4 Neenah (4-5)
No. 6 D.C. Everest (5-4) at No. 3 Appleton East (6-3)
No. 7 Eau Claire Memorial (5-4) at No. 2 Appleton North (6-3)
Group B
No. 8 Milwaukee Bradley Tech/Arts (5-4) at No. 1 Bay Port (9-0)
No. 5 Green Bay Preble (5-4) at No. 4 Milwaukee Riverside/Golda Meir (8-1)
No. 6 Milwaukee Marshall/Carmen Northwest/Juneau/Languages (6-3) at No. 3 Milwaukee King (9-0)
No. 7 Manitowoc (4-5) at No. 2 Milwaukee Marquette (6-3)
Group C
No. 8 Madison West (4-5) at No. 1 Madison Memorial (9-0)
No. 5 Madison La Follette (6-3) at No. 4 Middleton (7-2)
No. 6 Sun Prairie (6-3) at No. 3 Verona (7-2)
No. 7 Hartland Arrowhead (4-5) at No. 2 Fond du Lac (8-1)
Group D
No. 8 Milwaukee Pulaski/Carmen South/Carmen Southeast (4-4) at No. 1 Muskego (9-0)
No. 5 Oak Creek (5-4) at No. 4 Mukwonago (6-3)
No. 6 Racine Case (4-5) at No. 3 Kenosha Indian Trail (7-2)
No. 7 Kenosha Bradford/Reuther (3-6) at No. 2 Franklin (8-1)
Division 2
Group A
No. 8 Chippewa Falls (3-6) at No. 1 Pulaski (8-1)
No. 5 Marshfield (6-3) at No. 4 Superior (7-2)
No. 6 Green Bay Southwest (4-5) at No. 3 Kaukauna (6-3)
No. 7 De Pere (4-5) at No. 2 Hortonville (8-1)
Group B
No. 8 West Bend East (4-5) at No. 1 Brookfield Central (7-2)
No. 5 Slinger (6-3) at No. 4 Brookfield East (7-2)
No. 6 Germantown (5-4) at No. 3 Mequon Homestead (7-2)
No. 7 Cedarburg (4-5) at No. 2 Menomonee Falls (7-2)
Group C
No. 8 Oregon (4-5) at No. 1 Hartford (9-0)
No. 5 Holmen (6-3) at No. 4 Watertown (6-3)
No. 6 La Crosse Central (5-4) at No. 3 Milton (8-1)
No. 7 Monona Grove (4-5) at No. 2 Waunakee (8-1)
Group D
No. 8 South Milwaukee (6-3) at No. 1 Waterford (8-1)
No. 5 Lake Geneva Badger (6-3) at No. 4 Burlington (7-2)
No. 6 Kettle Moraine (4-5) at No. 3 Waukesha West (6-3)
No. 7 Milwaukee Reagan (7-2) at No. 2 Wilmot (8-1)
Division 3
Group A
No. 8 Lakeland (6-3) at No. 1 Menomonie (8-1)
No. 5 Mosinee (6-3) at No. 4 New Richmond (7-2)
No. 6 Rhinelander (6-3) at No. 3 River Falls (7-2)
No. 7 Hayward/La Courte Oreilles (6-3) at No. 2 Medford (9-0)
Group B
No. 8 Shawano (5-4) at No. 1 West De Pere (9-0)
No. 5 Grafton (6-3) at No. 4 Ashwaubenon (7-2)
No. 6 Fox Valley Lutheran (7-2) at No. 3 New London (7-2)
No. 7 Whitefish Bay (5-4) at No. 2 Menasha (8-1)
Group C
No. 8 McFarland (6-3) at No. 1 DeForest (9-0)
No. 5 Sparta (7-2) at No. 4 Reedsburg (7-2)
No. 6 Sauk Prairie (6-3) at No. 3 Stoughton (7-2)
No. 7 Monroe (5-4) at No. 2 Onalaska (8-1)
Group D
No. 8 Union Grove (4-5) at No. 1 New Berlin Eisenhower (8-1)
No. 5 New Berlin West (8-1) at No. 4 Greendale (6-3)
No. 6 Pewaukee (5-4) at No. 3 Whitnall (7-2)
No. 7 Wisconsin Lutheran (4-5) at No. 2 Plymouth (8-1)
Division 4
Group A
No. 8 Northland Pines (5-4) at No. 1 Freedom (9-0)
No. 5 St. Croix Central (7-2) at No. 4 Osceola (6-3)
No. 6 Little Chute (5-4) at No. 3 Wrightstown (7-2)
No. 7 Black River Falls (5-4) at No. 2 Baldwin-Woodville (7-2)
Group B
No. 8 Campbellsport (3-6) at No. 1 Kiel (9-0)
No. 5 Appleton Xavier (5-4) at No. 4 Denmark (6-30)
No. 6 Ripon (4-5) at No. 3 Berlin (7-2)
No. 7 Winneconne (6-3) at No. 2 Sheboygan Falls (7-2)
Group C
No. 8 Big Foot (4-5) at No. 1 Evansville (8-1)
No. 5 Lakeside Lutheran (5-4) at No. 4 Jefferson (7-2)
No. 6 Mauston (6-3) at No. 3 Edgerton (8-1)
No. 7 Brodhead/Juda (4-5) at No. 2 River Valley (8-1)
Group D
No. 8 Milwaukee Obama SCTE (3-6) at No. 1 Waukesha Catholic Memorial (7-2) (at Carroll University)
No. 5 East Troy (5-4) at No. 4 Kewaskum (5-4)
No. 6 University School of Milwaukee (5-4) at No. 3 Greendale Martin Luther (6-3)
No. 7 St. Francis (6-3) at No. 2 Lake Mills (8-1)
Division 5
Group A
No. 8 Nekoosa (4-5) at No. 1 Northwestern (9-0)
No. 5 St. Croix Falls (5-4) at No. 4 Elk Mound (6-3)
No. 6 Spencer/Columbus Catholic (5-4) at No. 3 Bloomer (7-2)
No. 7 Spooner (4-5) at No. 2 Stratford (9-0)
Group B
No. 8 Peshtigo (5-4) at No. 1 Amherst (8-0)
No. 5 Laconia (5-4) at No. 4 New Holstein (6-3)
No. 6 Wittenberg-Birnamwood (6-3) at No. 3 Chilton (7-2)
No. 7 Omro (3-6) at No. 2 Kewaunee (8-1)
Group C
No. 8 Marshall (2-7) at No. 1 Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (8-1)
No. 5 Platteville (6-3) at No. 4 La Crosse Aquinas (6-3)
No. 6 Arcadia (5-4) at No. 3 Columbus (6-3)
No. 7 New Glarus/Monticello (5-4) at No. 2 Prairie du Chien (8-1)
Group D
No. 8 Brookfield Academy (5-4) at No. 1 Lake Country Lutheran (8-1)
No. 5 Lomira (7-2) at No. 4 Horicon/Hustisford (8-1)
No. 6 Oostburg (6-3) at No. 3 Cedar Grove-Belgium (8-1)
No. 7 St. John’s Northwest Military Academy (6-3) at No. 2 Racine St. Catherine’s (8-1)
Division 6
Group A
No. 8 Lake Holcombe/Cornell (5-4) at No. 1 Eau Claire Regis (9-0)
No. 5 Colby (7-2) at No. 4 Cumberland (8-1)
No. 6 Grantsburg (6-3) at No. 3 Unity (8-1)
No. 7 Durand (4-5) at No. 2 Spring Valley (8-1)
Group B
No. 8 Crivitz (4-5) at No. 1 Abbotsford (9-0)
No. 5 Markesan (5-3) at No. 4 Auburndale (7-2)
No. 6 Coleman (7-2) at No. 3 Bonduel (7-2)
No. 7 Pardeeville (4-5) at No. 2 Manawa (7-2)
Group C
No. 8 Whitehall (4-5) at No. 1 Mondovi (9-0)
No. 5 Darlington (6-3) at No. 4 Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg (7-1)
No. 6 Osseo-Fairchild (5-4) at No. 3 Lancaster (8-1), 6 p.m.
No. 7 Melrose-Mindoro (5-4) at No. 2 Mineral Point (9-0)
Group D
No. 8 Ozaukee (4-5) at No. 1 Racine Lutheran (9-0)
No. 5 Palmyra-Eagle (7-2) at No. 4 Cambridge (8-10)
No. 6 Johnson Creek (7-2) at No. 3 Winnebago Lutheran (6-3)
No. 7 Random Lake (6-3) at No. 2 Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs (7-2)
Division 7
Group A
No. 8 Webster (4-4) at No. 1 Bangor (9-0)
No. 5 Pepin/Alma (5-4) at No. 4 Eleva-Strum (6-3)
No. 6 Clear Lake (5-4) at No. 3 Turtle Lake (6-3)
No. 7 Augusta (6-3) at No. 2 Blair-Taylor (7-2)
Group B
No. 8 Greenwood (6-3) at No. 1 Edgar (8-1)
No. 5 Loyal (5-4) at No. 4 Hurley (7-2)
No. 6 Pittsville (5-3) at No. 3 Gilman (7-2)
No. 7 Athens (5-4) at No. 2 Almond-Bancroft (9-0)
Group C
No. 8 Cashton (5-4) at No. 1 Black Hawk/Warren (9-0)
No. 5 Wauzeka-Steuben/Seneca (6-3) at No. 4 Ithaca (7-2)
No. 6 De Soto (7-2) at No. 3 River Ridge (6-3)
No. 7 Highland (5-4) at No. 2 Potosi/Cassville (7-2)
Group D
No. 8 Rosholt (4-5) at No. 1 Hilbert (9-0)
No. 5 Burlington Catholic Central (5-4) at No. 4 Randolph (7-2)
No. 6 Reedsville (5-4) at No. 3 Brookwood (7-2)
No. 7 Hillsboro (5-4) at No. 2 Oshkosh Lourdes Academy (9-0) (at UW-Oshkosh Titan Stadium)