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Week 1 WisSports.net 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. We have added an 8-Man Coaches Poll this season.

Division 1

No surprise here, as Kimberly opens the season as the top-ranked team in Division 1, while Arrowhead is #2. The team have met in the last two D1 title games and there's a good chance it could be three in a row. Kimberly opened its title defense with a dominating win over Oshkosh North, while Arrowhead outlasted defending D2 champion Homestead. Hudson and Mukwonago scored solid Week 1 wins and are ranked after not making the playoffs last season.

Division 2

Waunakee begins the season as the #1 team in the Division 2 Coaches Poll after a victory over Oregon in Week 1. Waukesha West and Menasha follow, while defending champion Homestead is 4th despite a tough opening loss to Arrowhead. Brookfield Central's wild win over WhitefishBay has the Lancers and head coach Jed Kennedy in the top five as well. Greendale topped Menomonie at home in Week 1, though both teams enter in the top ten to begin the year.

Division 3

In a bit of a surprise, defending champion Notre Dame's dominating win over a very good De Pere team did not land the Tritons at #1, as that spot is held by Catholic Memorial, the team they beat in last year's title game. Notre Dame is a very close second however, though the rest of the top ten is very close, with the voting varied and few clear favorites elsewhere.

Division 4

Defending champion Osceola gets the edge in the D4 poll, though second-place Columbus snagged a few #1 votes as well. After dropping to D5 last year where they were state runners-up, Spencer/Columbus Catholic projects to be on the D4/5 bubble once again, but we currently have them in Division 4, where they are 4th. 

Division 5

Amherst is the only unanimous #1 team in the WisSports.net Coaches Poll this week, as the Falcons beat a very good Omro team to open their title defense. An impressive victory over Stratford has Stanley-Boyd second, followed by Cedar Grove-Belgium, Chetek-Weyerhaeuser, and Durand in the top five. Of note, a tough 2015 season for Lancaster had the Flying Arrows narrowly making the playoffs, but head coach John Hoch's crew opens at #6 in the rankings.

Division 6

Not surprisingly, Saint Mary's Springs is the top-ranked team once again, coming off two straight D6 titles. Darlington, ranked second and the state runner-up the last three years, and Lake Country Lutheran also received first place votes however.

Division 7

Bangor returns few starters from last year's state title team, but the Cardinals were dominating in 40-7 victory over D6 Level 4 team Melrose-Mindoro to open the season. The Cardinals are ranked #1, just ahead of Edgar, who we project to drop down to D7 after many years in Division 6. Pepin/Alma looked very good in Week 1, as the two-time state runners-up open the season at #3. Last year we saw nine teams enter the playoffs undefeated in Division 7, and with even more quality squads projecting into D7 this year, there are some very good teams not ranked, including Assumption, Black Hawk, Athens, Owen-Withee, New Lisbon, Hilbert/Stockbridge, Catholic Central, and De Soto.

8-Man Football

After winning the last two unofficial 8-Man state titles and opening with a solid win over Luck, Prairie Farm is the top team in the reduced player rankings. While their Week 1 game was canceled, Abundant Life is second. Wisconsin Heights transitions to the 8-Man game this season and opened with an impressive win over traditional 8-Man power Green Bay NEW Lutheran to snag the #3 spot.

The WisSports.net Coaches Poll is released every Tuesday afternoon on WisSports.net. If you are a coach that would like more information on how to vote in the poll, please contact Travis Wilson by clicking here.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.