Saint Mary's Springs quarterback Mitchell Waechter
The high school football playoffs begin on Friday night with Level 1 action around the state, and we take a look at changes for the postseason this year, including teams that missed out after qualifying last year, teams that qualified for the postseason after missing last year, and teams that changed divisions compared to last season.
- There are 48 teams that are different in 2018 than qualified in 2017.
- Frederic made the playoffs last year but made the move to 8-Player Football this season.
- A total of 19 teams saw their division change this year compared to last year; 12 of those moved down a division while seven moved up a division.
- Hilbert is back in the playoffs as a standalone program for the first time since 2014, though the school had qualified as a co-op with Stockbridge the past three seasons.
- Greenwood enters the postseason as a standalone program for the first time since 2008. The school had been in the playoffs as a co-op with Granton from 2010 to 2014, including a 2011 Division 7 state title.
- Kewaskum had the longest postseason streak come to an end, as the Indians missed out for the first time since 2004. Iowa-Grant (2007) and Merrill (2007) also saw double-digit postseason streaks come to an end.
- Grafton ends the longest playoff drought, as the Blackhawks are in for the first time since 1997. Three Lakes/Phelps is in for the first time since 2004, while Baraboo last qualified in 2006.
Team | 2017 Division | Last Missed |
---|---|---|
Appleton West | 2 | 2014 |
Athens | 7 | 2016 |
Beaver Dam | 2 | 2016 |
Brookfield Academy | 5 | 2013 |
Chetek-Weyerhaeuser | 5 | 2012 |
Clinton | 5 | 2012 |
Crandon | 6 | 2014 |
Deerfield | 7 | 2016 |
Durand | 5 | 2016 |
Eau Claire Memorial | 1 | 2016 |
Evansville/Albany | 3 | 2011 |
Fall Creek | 6 | 2016 |
Frederic^ | 7 | 2016 |
Germantown | 2 | 2009 |
Green Bay Southwest | 2 | 2014 |
Greenfield | 2 | 2012 |
Hillsboro | 7 | 2016 |
Iowa-Grant | 7 | 2007 |
Kenosha St. Joseph | 5 | 2014 |
Kewaskum | 3 | 2004 |
Kohler/Sheb. Lutheran/Christian | 4 | 2014 |
Laconia | 5 | 2015 |
Madison West | 1 | 2015 |
Manitowoc Lutheran | 6 | 2016 |
Marathon | 6 | 2010 |
Merrill | 3 | 2007 |
Milwaukee Bay View | 2 | 2014 |
Milwaukee Lutheran | 3 | 2016 |
Milwaukee Washington | 2 | 2014 |
Mishicot | 6 | 2016 |
Monroe | 3 | 2015 |
Nekoosa | 4 | 2014 |
North Crawford | 7 | 2015 |
Oconto | 5 | 2015 |
Osceola | 4 | 2011 |
Oshkosh West | 1 | 2016 |
Owen-Withee | 7 | 2010 |
Pardeeville | 6 | 2016 |
Platteville | 4 | 2009 |
River Ridge | 7 | 2016 |
Saint Croix Falls | 5 | 2014 |
Stevens Point | 1 | 2014 |
Tri-County | 7 | 2015 |
Whitehall | 6 | 2016 |
Whitnall | 3 | 2016 |
Wild Rose | 7 | 2013 |
Wisconsin Rapids | 1 | 2015 |
Wittenberg-Birnamwood | 5 | 2016 |
Team | 2018 Division | Last Appearance | Last Division |
---|---|---|---|
Adams-Friendship | 4 | 2016 | 4 |
Arcadia | 5 | 2016 | 5 |
Ashland | 3 | 2009 | 3 |
Baldwin-Woodville | 4 | 2011 | 4 |
Baraboo | 2 | 2006 | 2 |
Benton/Scales Mound (IL) | 7 | 2010 | 7 |
Blair-Taylor | 7 | 2013 | 7 |
Campbellsport | 4 | 2014 | 4 |
Chippewa Falls | 1 | 2016 | 1 |
Coleman | 6 | 2016 | 6 |
Cudahy | 3 | 2015 | 3 |
De Pere | 1 | 2015 | 2 |
Denmark | 4 | 2014 | 4 |
Dominican | 5 | 2016 | 5 |
Edgerton | 3 | 2013 | 4 |
Eleva-Strum | 7 | 2016 | 7 |
Gilman | 7 | 2012 | 7 |
Glenwood City | 6 | 2016 | 6 |
Grafton | 3 | 1997 | 3 |
Greenwood* | 7 | 2008 | 7 |
Hayward/Lac Courte Oreilles | 3 | 2016 | 3 |
Highland | 7 | 2016 | 7 |
Hilbert* | 7 | 2014 | 7 |
Hortonville | 2 | 2016 | 2 |
Kaukauna | 2 | 2008 | 2 |
Kenosha Indian Trail | 1 | 2016 | 1 |
La Crosse Logan | 3 | 2016 | 3 |
Living Word Lutheran | 7 | 2011 | 7 |
Manawa | 6 | 2016 | 6 |
Marshall | 5 | 2016 | 5 |
McFarland | 3 | 2014 | 3 |
Milwaukee Vincent/Destiny | 2 | 2016 | 1 |
Mukwonago | 1 | 2014 | 1 |
Northland Pines | 5 | 2014 | 4 |
Ozaukee | 6 | 2016 | 6 |
Palmyra-Eagle | 5 | 2010 | 5 |
Randolph | 7 | 2015 | 7 |
Rib Lake/Prentice | 5 | 2016 | 6 |
Ripon | 3 | 2016 | 4 |
River Falls | 2 | 2008 | 2 |
Rosholt | 7 | 2014 | 6 |
Shorewood/Messmer | 1 | 2016 | 2 |
Somerset | 4 | 2015 | 4 |
South Milwaukee | 2 | 2016 | 2 |
Sparta | 3 | 2016 | 3 |
Suring | 7 | 2016 | 7 |
Three Lakes/Phelps | 6 | 2004 | 6 |
Wisconsin Lutheran | 3 | 2016 | 3 |
Team | 2017 Division | 2018 Division |
---|---|---|
Whitefish Bay | 3 | 2 |
Saint Francis | 3 | 4 |
West Salem | 3 | 4 |
Freedom | 4 | 3 |
Mayville | 4 | 5 |
Bloomer | 4 | 5 |
Omro | 4 | 5 |
Peshtigo | 4 | 5 |
Martin Luther | 5 | 4 |
Lancaster | 5 | 6 |
Mondovi | 5 | 6 |
Grantsburg | 5 | 6 |
Saint Mary’s Springs | 6 | 5 |
Reedsville | 6 | 7 |
Johnson Creek | 6 | 7 |
Wabeno/Laona | 6 | 7 |
Abbotsford | 7 | 6 |
Wauzeka/Seneca | 7 | 6 |
Lourdes Academy | 7 | 6 |
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.