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WisSports.net Final Football Coaches Poll: Division 4

12/03/2020, 2:30pm CST
By Travis Wilson

With the 2020 high school football season complete, we will be posting a last look back via a final WisSports.net Football Coaches Poll for each division. Divisional placement is based on division cutlines for the 2020 playoffs and may be different than the division a school appeared in the Coaches Poll during the season. To view Coaches Polls from the regular season, please click here.

Listed records include only games played, not any forfeits or cancelations.

Previous Final Coaches Poll Rankings:

Division 5
Division 6
8-Player

WISSPORTS.NET FINAL FOOTBALL COACHES POLL: DIVISION 4

1. Cumberland

Cumberland finished unbeaten in 2020, going a perfect 9-0 on the season to edge out Amherst for the top spot in the WisSports.net Division 4 Coaches Poll final rankings. The Beavers claimed a Heart O'North Conference title, including a 28-0 shutout of runner-up Northwestern, while also defeating Durand in a non-conference contest. In the WIAA postseason, Cumberland dominated Spencer/Columbus Catholic 42-8 before handing Stanley-Boyd a 46-17 defeat. The passing duo of junior quarterback Maddux Allen and senior receiver Jack Martens was one of the best in the state. 

2. Amherst

Amherst suffered just one loss this year, a 30-29 shocker against Spencer/Columbus Catholic in the final game of the regular season, and it likely cost the Falcons the top spot in the final poll. Amherst received just one fewer first-place vote than top-ranked Cumberland but were a clear number two team. Despite the loss to Spencer/Columbus Catholic, the Falcons did secure an outright CWC-Large Conference title, which included a 28-13 victory over Stratford. After seeing Peshtigo cancel its Level 1 postseason game, Amherst scheduled a replacement with Lake Country Lutheran, scoring a 32-22 win before beating Brillion 48-14 the following week as the Falcons beat three of the top six teams in the final Division 4 rankings. Tristan Schelvan continued the string of strong dual-threat quarterbacks under head coach Mark Lusic, throwing for 1,540 yards with 1,195 yards rushing, as he accounted for 39 offensive touchdowns. Amherst finished 8-1 this season.

3. Lake Country Lutheran

Lake Country Lutheran won the 2019 Division 5 state championship, and with some outstanding players coming back this season, including quarterback Luke Haertle, many felt they were the favorites once again. The Lightning looked the part early on, starting 6-0, including a win over a solid Tosa East squad. In a showdown for the Metro Classic Conference title in the regular season finale, Lake Country Lutheran came up short in an outstanding game against Martin Luther, 21-16. After Shoreland Lutheran had to cancel the teams' Level 1 matchup, Lake Country made the trip to Amherst for a battle between two of the top teams in the division, but Amherst scored a 32-22 victory. The team would close the year with a dominating 59-20 victory over Brookfield Academy to finish 7-2.

4. Brillion

Brillion had one of the great turnarounds of 2020, going unbeaten in the regular season after missing the playoffs every year since 2013. Head coach Tanner Behnke, a former Brillion standout athlete, led the Lions to the Eastern Wisconsin Conference title, which included victories over some quality teams from New Holstein, Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian, and defending D4 runner-up Kiel. After a 14-6 decision over Southern Door in Level 1 of the WIAA postseason, Brillion was defeated by Amherst 48-14 in Level 2. 

5. Watertown Luther Prep

Watertown Luther Prep was so close to make the playoffs so many times in the last few years, but as a former member of the Capitol-North, they couldn't quite make it work in a very good league with a small margin for error. 2020 started with some challenges, as the team lost the opening two games against Lake Mills and Lakeside Lutheran. However, they'd rally in a big way, winning the final six contests of the season, including four straight shutouts to end the year. Along the way they scored wins over solid teams from Racine Lutheran, Randolph, and New Holstein.

6. Stratford

Stratford was coming off a historic 2019 season that saw them come up short in the Division 5 state title game, while the Tigers also moved to a new league this year in the CWC-Large. It was a nice start to the season, as the team won three straight to begin the year, including a 28-0 shutout of Spencer/Columbus Catholic. However, they'd go down to Amherst the next week, which was followed by a 29-27 loss to Rhinelander in a non-conference game. The program was shut down for a couple weeks after that and unsure if they'd get cleared to participate in the WIAA postseason, but they were given the green light and posted wins over Neillsville/Granton and Wittenberg-Birnamwood. Stratford was 5-2 overall.

7. Colby

Colby did not lose a game in 2020, but the team missed out on many of the top opponents on its schedule, and that lack of signature wins hurt the Hornets in the final Coaches Poll. The team was sitting at 4-0 when they were forced to shutdown for two weeks, which included missing out on a much-anticipated game at Edgar. After getting back to things with a 44-6 win over Abbotsford to close the season, the team was forced to shutdown once again, missing out on the WIAA postseason and a Level 1 matchup with former Cloverbelt rival Stanley-Boyd. Overall, the team finished 5-0 this season.

8. Spencer/Columbus Catholic

Spencer/Columbus Catholic had quite the 2020 season. After back-to-back losses to Stratford and Shiocton in the middle of the year, things weren't looking so hot. However, after a couple hard-fought victories over Wittenberg-Birnamwood and Weyauwega-Fremont, the co-op program scored one of the biggest upsets of 2020, taking down Amherst 30-29 in the regular season finale. The high was short-lived, however, as Spencer/Columbus Catholic would get beat 42-8 by Cumberland in the WIAA postseason. The team finished 5-3 overall.

9. Marshall

Marshall had a new home in 2020, as the Cardinals moved into the Eastern Suburban Conference. That was the only thing that felt like home for the team, who had to play all their games on the road due to Dane County Health Department guidelines. Still, they managed to go 6-0 in the regular season with a league title. In an opening playoff game against New Holstein, the Cardinals came up short in a 20-8 loss, finishing 6-1 overall.

10. Brookfield Academy

Brookfield Academy had some thrillers this year, including an exciting 53-48 win over Cedar Grove-Belgium when quarterback Jonah Jensen tied a state record with eight touchdowns passes, while receiver Joe Schmidt also tied a state record with six touchdown catches. The Blue Knights lost to Racine Lutheran in the regular season, however, finishing second in the Midwest Classic. They'd also fall to Lake Country Lutheran in the final game of the year, finishing 5-2.

Others Receiving Votes

Bloomer
Cedar Grove-Belgium
Chilton
Elk Mound
Kiel
New Holstein
Saint Croix Falls
Southern Door
Stanley-Boyd
Wittenberg-Birnamwood


About the Author

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

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.

Tag(s): News Archive  News  FB Rankings  Travis Wilson