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Week 1 WisSports.net Football Coaches Poll

Please note, divisional placement in our poll is based on our Enrollment Projections done earlier this year. Divisional placement in the WIAA playoffs is not determined until after the season and these projections can and will be different than the divisions at the end of the year.

Defending champion Kimberly could not find an opponent to play in Week 1, so the Papermakers are 0-0 but still find themselves on top of the rankings. Middleton's impressive win at Bay Port vaults the Cardinals into second, while the Classic Eight triumvirate of Mukwonago, Arrowhead, and Muskego round out the top five. Verona looked solid in a last second loss to Muskego and is the only team with a loss to be ranked this week.

Speaking of the Classic Eight, defending state champion Kettle Moraine begins the year atop Division 2, though it was extremely close in the coaches vote between the Lasers and Waunakee. West De Pere is third, followed by Sun Prairie East and Brookfield Central. On the subject of Brookfield Central, the Lancers face off against Pewaukee in the WSN Thursday Night Throwdown broadcast.

Defending champion Monroe lost in Week 1 to Beaver Dam, and the Cheesemakers just barely landed in the rankings this week at tenth. Notre Dame debuts atop a crowded Division 3 field in the WSN Coaches Poll, with West Salem at second after an overtime victory against preseason number one Onalaska, who is fourth. Pewaukee is third, and the Pirates get a tough test this week against Brookfield Central in the WSN Thursday Night Throwdown.

Defending Division 4 champion Columbus drops to Division 5 in our projections, which opens things up in D4. Catholic Memorial, last season's runners-up, began the year with a loss one-score loss to Franklin, but the Crusaders were nearly a unanimous number one team in the Division 4 Coaches Poll. Things were all over the place in the rankings after that, but the rest of the top five consisted of Lodi, Ellsworth, Baldwin-Woodville, and Little Chute.

Columbus won it all in Division 4 but we project the Cardinals to drop down to D5 this season. After a dominating 37-6 win over Milwaukee Academy of Science, Columbus gets the top spot in the Division 5 rankings. Two-time defending Division 5 state champion Aquinas fell in a tough one to Prairie du Chien, with the Blugolds fourth this week while the Blackhawks of Prairie du Chien are fourth. 

Stratford won the Division 6 state title last season and the Tigers open as the top-ranked squad in the Week 1 WSN D6 Coaches Poll. Coming off an impressive win over Great Northern Conference favorite Mosinee, the Tigers get a big game this week against old rival Edgar. All of the teams in the initial Division 6 poll got victories in Week 1.

The voting was all over the place in Division 7, as nine different teams received at least one first place vote. It was difficult to sift through where the views of the voting coaches are at, but Cashton narrowly gets the edge to start the year, followed by Scenic Bluffs rival Bangor. Defending champion Regis began the year with a surprisingly 26-0 shutout loss to Prescott and is third this week. Edgar could have been in line to occupy the top spot but lost a tough game to Ellsworth. The Wildcats are fourth to open the year.

8-Player teams begin action this week, as it is just an eight-game season. Two-time defending champion Newman Catholic gets the early edge in the rankings, with a trio of CWC-East teams following close behind: Thorp, Gilman, Owen-Withee. Another CWC-East team, Athens, is also ranked this week at number seven.

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