Playoffs Make or Break

So aside from all of the big games for conference championships, there are a number of games to watch tonight that have huge playoff implications for one or both teams, and whether they make the field of 224. My predictions have been posted, although I have obsessively been reviewing them since I posted them.

First, let me tell you that there are 191 teams that are in like Flynn. Even if they lose tonight or tomorrow, they still make the field.

Next, there are 17 more teams that are heavily favored to win this week, and if they do so, they will be in. For those of you scoring at home, that means 208 teams have now made the field. That leaves 16 spots for 39 teams that have a realistic chance of making it.

In order to get in, a team is going to have to have a .500 or better conference record. Assuming that there will be more than 16 of those remaining 39 teams that fit this category, we will next try to round out the field with teams that are .500 or better overall. This may be the cut off, and as such, we will look at games where those implications loom the most.

So what are the games to watch tonight and why? Let’s get started!

Wisconsin Dells (2-2, 6-2) @ Mauston (2-2,4-4)
This one is easy. The winner is in, the loser stays home. BIG GAME for both teams, obviously. Mauston is coming off back to back losses to Wautoma and Nekoosa. Wisconsin Dells was crushed last week by Wautoma and held scoreless on offense. It would be a shame if a 6-3 overall team missed the playoffs, but that’s the WIAA.

Belleville/Albany (2-2,2-6) @ New Glarus/Monticello (2-2,4-4)
New Glarus is at home, and has been the stronger of the two teams all year. Both teams have conference losses to Marshall and Cambridge, however, Belleville/Albany has lost to them the last two weeks only scoring a total of 8 points in both games. Whatever team wins is in.

Madison Edgewood (3-2,4-4)@ Stoughton (2-3,4-4)
This one is a classic. Edgewood missed an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth last week losing to Monona Grove 30-24. If they lose this week, they will have a .500 conference record, but they will have a losing overall record, and will put them squarely on the bubble. Five of their eight games have been decided by 7 points or less this season. Stoughton must win and they are in. This is the fourth straight week that they have been “win and in”, but losses to Milton, Monona Grove, and Monroe finds them now in “do or die”.

Tomah (3-3,4-4) @ Greenfield (3-3,4-4)
Who would have thought that this evenly matched non-conference game could be a win and in, lose and out game for BOTH teams. Both teams will finish at .500 in their conference, but the loser will have that overall losing record that will put them on the bubble. Greenfield is coming off a terrible loss to a 1-5 New Berlin West team that would have clinched a playoff spot for them. Now, the road is tough as Tomah has quality wins over Gale-Ettrick-Trempeleau (6-2),
La Crosse Central (5-3) and crushed rival Sparta last week 51-26.

Melrose-Mindoro (3-3,4-4) @ Cochrane-Fountain City (3-3,5-3)
Guess what….winner in, loser out. CFC missed two opportunities in the last two weeks to clinch a playoff berth with losses to Blair-Taylor and Independence/Gilman, the latter a two point loss 19-17 last week. Melrose-Mindoro are riding momentum as they have won their past two games against Independence/Gilman 27-7, and Lincoln 35-19. Advantage Melrose-Mindoro.

Medford (3-3,3-5) @ Seymour (3-3,4-4)
Another non-conference matchup in the final game has playoff implications. Both teams will finish .500 in their conference. Seymour can clinch a spot with a victory against Medford that will give them a winning overall record. Medford is a team that has lost their last three games by an average of 5.6 points, and must win to keep their hopes alive, and get on the bubble.

New Auburn (3-3,3-4) @ Lake Holcombe (3-3,3-5)
Winner in, loser out. New Auburn has won their last two games against Prairie Farm and Cornell to give them this chance. Lake Holcombe is on the other side of that coin, having lost it’s last two games, albeit to the top two teams in the Lakeland South conference Plum City (6-0,8-0) and Pepin (5-1,6-2). Lake Holcombe is at home, and is the better team.
Other close games where one team must win to get in include:

Fox Valley Lutheran (4-4,4-4) @ Winneconne (3-5, 3-5)
FVL is win and in, lose and they are a bubble team.

New Richmond (3-3,3-5) @ Amery (2-4,3-5)
It is win and in, lost and out for New Richmond.

Campbellsport (3-3,3-5) @ Sheboygan Falls (2-4,4-4)
It is win and in, lost and out for Campbellsport.

Kettle Moraine (3-3,4-4) @ Mukwonago (4-2,4-4)
It is win and in, lost and out for Kettle Moraine, but it will be a tough one on the road. They have a chance to pull the mild upset here.

Onalaska (2-3,5-3) @ La Crosse Central (3-2,5-3)
Onalaska has to go on the road and face La Crosse Central, but it is a winnable game for them. They win, they are in.

Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln (3-2,3-5) @ Marshfield (3-2,5-3)
Although over .500 in the conference right now, if Lincoln loses this game, they will end up at .500, but would likely be out based on their 3-6 overall record. Marshfield stays in even if they lose this game.

Maranatha Baptist (3-2,4-4) @ Rockford Christian (3-2,6-2)
Baptist faces an uphill challenge here on the road, and would likely be out if they lost.

It should be a very exciting Wednesday and Thursday across the state of Wisconsin. If your team wins tonight, be happy and joyful, but don’t forget that there are a lot of Seniors playing their last football game tonight. Appreciate them for what they have accomplished as student athletes through their careers, and wish them well in their lives.

GAME RECAP: Pewaukee Edges NB Eisenhower

Pewaukee drove 78 yards in 8 minutes 24 seconds at the end of the fourth quarter to give Donny Cramer a chance to win the game. Cramer, who missed an extra point in the first quarter, converted on a 25 yard field goal as time expired to lift the Pirates to a 24-21 victory over New Berlin Eisenhower, clinching at least a tie for the Woodland Conference Championship.

Eisenhower stormed back from a 21-7 deficit midway through the third quarter and scored touchdowns on two consecutive drives. A perfectly executed stop and go route with 8:26 left in the fourth quarter resulted in a 19 yard touchdown pass from Lion's backup quarterback Brian York to Ian McKechnie that tied the score 21-21 and set up Pewaukee's game winning drive.

Starting at their own 20 yard line, Pewaukee ate up the rest of the clock before Cramer kicked the winning field goal. On the drive, Kenny Mischker converted on three third downs. The Pirates were also the beneficiaries of a questionable pass interference call that moved them inside Lion's territory.

A.J. Coley ran off right tackle on 4^th and 2 at the 11 yard line with 1 minute remaining in the game to put the Pirates in position to win with a first and goal at the 3 yard line. The Lions defense did not break, and forced the field goal attempt on 4^th and goal with just 2 seconds remaining.

Both teams played well, with neither team committing a turnover the entire game. After the Lions jumped out to an early 7-0 lead on a 2 yard TD run by Mike Lyles, Pewaukee reeled off 21 unanswered points. Andrew Kissner started the scoring with a 26 yard touchdown reception from QB Patrick Bacon with 3:11 remaining in the first quarter. Pewaukee followed that up with second and third quarter drives that were culminated by touchdown runs of 6 and 9 yards by Mischker and Coley respectively.

Eisenhower starting QB Niko Koshak left the game near the end of the third quarter with an apparent shoulder injury and was replaced by Brian York, a 6'3", 170 lb. Junior. In a tough situation, York failed to capitalize on a first and goal situation by missing a wide open Kevin Marr in the end zone to finish the half without points. The decision not to kick the field goal ultimately cost them an opportunity at overtime.

After a three and out series to open the second half, however, York began to heat up. Eisenhower successfully mixed the running of Tyler Faber and Lyles, and the connection of York to McKechnie to get back into the game.

The Pirates can clinch the Woodland Conference Championship with a victory on Wednesday against St. Francis.

After beating Greendale last week to set up this game between conference unbeatens, Eisenhower will likely have to settle for second place if they can win next week against Brown Deer.

The Lions hope to get QB Koshak back in time for the playoffs, where they will need every bit of their powerful offense to compete in Division 3 this year.

Playoff Bracket Projections As of Week 7

With the WIAA state playoffs fast approaching, it is time to start thinking about the big dance, and our local fall bracketology!!! With only 2 games remaining for most teams in the state, and Round 1 of the Playoffs only 12 days away (playoffs start on Tuesday, October 28), we can realistically start to project who is in, who is out, and who is a bubble team.

But wait, we've gone one step further. On this site in the left pane, you will find links to projected brackets for all seven divisioins in the WIAA. Again, these are only projections. I welcome any comments that you may have. I have adjusted these during the week, and after Week 8, I'll have updates posted by Monday at the latest, so that going into Week 9 next Wednesday, you'll know who has to win to get in, and who will be staying home for November.

The link after the brackets will give you access to the spreadsheet that I compiled and used to create my projections. We know who has qualified, but based on current records and remaining schedules.

Currently, 300 teams remain eligible for the postseason with only 224 spots available. If you look at the spreadsheet, however, you will see that there are:

151 teams that have clinched a playoff spot

34 teams that are a sure thing, meaning they need 1 win, and have a favorable schedule

31 more teams are solid bets, meaning if they win the game(s) they are supposed to, they're in

24 teams are on the bubble. They may need help.

That totals 240 for 224 spots. AND.....there are 60 teams that are still "mathmatically alive", but don't have a real shot to make it unless they pull major upsets two weeks in a row.

Have fun with this. If you have questions, feel free to email me at obie1250@gmail.com

Brookfield Central dominates Menomonee Falls

Brookfield Central played their best football of the year coming off last week’s hard fought loss at home to Marquette. The Lancer offense rolled up 439 total yards in a convincing 42-7 victory to spoil the Menomonee Falls Indians homecoming.

The Indians got off to a fast start running the opening kickoff back to the 46 yard line of Brookfield Central. 7 plays later, QB Max Poeske punched it in from 2 yards out to take an early 7-0 lead. But the Lancers came right back with a 7 play 76 yard drive capped by a 39 yard touchdown run by Jeff Lewis.

After Menomonee Falls went three and out, Brookfield Central took the lead for good on an 18 yard touchdown pass from QB Tommy Braaten to standout wide receiver Tim Nass capping a quick 3 play 55 yard drive.

After giving up 46 yards and a touchdown on the initial drive of the game, the BC defense would surrender only 89 more yards the rest of the way. “We just had to relax and settle in. Once our kids settled in on defense we were just fine” said Coach Doug Lange.

To open the second half, Brookfield Central ate up almost 6 minutes driving from their own 24 to the Indians 8 yard line, but turned the ball over on downs after two costly holding penalties pushed them out of field goal range. The defense began a second half domination of Menomonee Falls by forcing a three and out and immediately getting the ball back to the offense. Those would be the only 3 plays that Menomonee Falls would run in the 3rd quarter, as BC marched down the field to take a 28-7 lead on a 3 yard touchdown run by Lewis.

Although the Lancer offense has struggled at times this year, and only scored 6 points last week against Marquette, they controlled the ball throughout the game and kept the Indians offense off the field.

“Tommy Braaten had the best game of his career” said Coach Lange. “Our kids are just getting better and better, the offensive line is getting better and better. Those kids are bringing it.”.

With Marquette losing to West Allis Hale, the Lancers held serve and are now tied with Marquette a game back of Hale, keeping their Greater Metro Conference title hopes alive. They have a huge matchup in the final game of the season when they travel to West Allis Hale in what will most certainly be their chance to clinch at least a tie for the conference championship.

For Menomonee Falls, they are fighting for their playoff lives, needing to win both of their remaining games to qualify for the WIAA playoffs. In a game they should win, they play at West Allis Central next week. If they get past that game, their playoff hopes will rest on their ability to pull a major upset at home against Marquette.

Click the play button to listen to the post game interview with Coach Doug Lange


Discuss this on the WHSF Forum

Playoff Preview: Heading into Week 7

There are plenty of intriguing matchups heading into week 7. Eisenhower and Greendale has my attention, unfortunately, I won’t be able to go to that game. But, I am going to a game with big playoff implications. Brookfield Central needs one victory to clinch a playoff spot. They travel to Menomonee Falls who needs two victories in their next three games to qualify, and with BC and Marquette on the schedule, this appears to be a long shot.

How does it break down for the Milwaukee Area teams trying to get into the playoffs? Let’s first take a look at those that are IN (YAHOO), and those that are out (MAJOR BUMMER DUDE).

Printing T-Shirts:

Division 1
Arrowhead

Homestead

Racine Horlick

Marquette

Milwaukee Riverside

Milwaukee South

Racine Park

Kenosha Tremper

Division 2
Lake Geneva Badger

Waterford

West Allis Hale

Division 3
Catholic Memorial

Wisconsin Lutheran

Greendale

Pewaukee

New Berlin Eisenhower

Division 6
Racine Lutheran

Wait ‘Til Next Year:

Division 1
West Allis Central

Racine Case

Division 2

South Milwaukee

Waukesha South

Brookfield East

Westosha Central

Nicolet

Oconomowoc

Wauwatosa West

Division 4
St. Thomas More

Division 5
University School

Division 7
Hope School

Now that we know who is IN and who is OUT, let’s look at the rest and their chances for making it.

Needs one win to get IN:

Division 1 - Hartford Union

Division 1 - Milwaukee Bay View

Division 1 - Kenosha Bradford

Division 1 - Milwaukee Bradley

Division 2 - Milwaukee Custer

Division 2 - Whitnall

Division 3 - Whitefish Bay

Division 3 - Port Washington

Division 3 - Union Grove

Division 3 - Elkhorn

Division 4 - Saint Francis

Division 5 - Kettle Moraine Lutheran

Division 6 - Brookfield Academy

If they lose, they’re OUT:

Division 1 – Muskego

Division 1 - Oak Creek

Division 1 - Milwaukee Pulaski

Division 1 – Watertown

Division 1 - Milwaukee Vincent

Division 2 – Franklin

Division 2 - Wauwatosa East

Division 2 - Pius XI

Division 2 - Waukesha North

Division 2 - Germantown

Division 3 - Milwaukee Lutheran

Division 3 – Slinger

Division 3 – Grafton

Division 3 - East Troy

Division 3 - Brown Deer

Division 3 - New Berlin West

Division 3 - Milwaukee North

Division 4 - St John's Military Academy

Division 4 - Luther Prep

Division 5 - Kenosha St. Joseph

Of all these teams, the only one with a realistic change to run the table is Franklin, with games remaining against Racine Case (0-6), Milwaukee South (1-5), and Muskego (2-4).

The remaining schools have work to do. They will need two victories out of their next three to make it to the post season. And even then, it may not be guaranteed.

Need 2 Wins to get IN:

Division 1 - Shorewood/Messmer

Division 1 - Menomonee Falls

Division 1 - Milwaukee Hamilton

Division 1 – Mukwonago

Division 1 - Milwaukee Marshall

Division 1 - Milwaukee Madison

Division 1 - Milwaukee Washington

Division 1 - Milwaukee King

Division 2 - Brookfield Central

Division 2 – Cedarburg

Division 2 - West Bend West

Division 2 – Sussex Hamilton

Division 2 - Waukesha West

Division 2 - Kettle Moraine

Division 2 – Burlington

Division 2 - Beaver Dam

Division 2 – Greenfield

Division 2 - West Bend East

Division 3 – Cudahy

Division 3 - Delavan-Darien

Division 5 - Racine St. Catherine's

Division 5 - Whitefish Bay Dominican

Division 7 - Lake Country Lutheran

Division 7 - Living Word Lutheran

So, the playoff picture must be clear as mud, right? I do believe we will be much much clearer after this week’s games. In next week’s playoff preview, I will give my predictions on who will make it, and who will not.

Enjoy Week 7!

Week 7 Preview

Legend
Must See- great game between two strong teams
Check it Out – Potential upset or just could be a good game
Homer Specials – Only the parents care
Blow Out City – Not for the faint of heart

CLICK HERE TO SEE MY PREDICTIONS

Classic 8 (Discuss)
Arrowhead survived a lackluster first half performance in which they trailed Waukesha South at halftime 19-13 before rallying with 28 unanswered points in the second half to win easily 41-19. Catholic Memorial showed that they were the real deal in trouncing Waukesha West 28-7 by outgaining the Wolverines in total yardage 394-183. These two teams remain unbeaten in the conference, and overall. They meet in Week 8, but neither figures to be challenged until then.

Waukesha West and Kettle Moraine appear headed to the playoffs as they will be both be favored in at least 2 of their remaining 3 conference games. It will be an uphill battle and take an upset for Mukwonago to sneak in.

Kettle Moraine (2-2, 3-3) at Catholic Memorial (4-0, 6-0)

Catholic Memorial has been literally destroying its opponents this year outscoring them 306 – 54 and averaging 414 yards of offense per game while surrendering only 185 yards per game. The Crusaders are led by QB Jack Fleming, who has thrown for 6 TDs, and ran for 14 more on an offense that has had three players (Fleming, Ryan Baez, Andy Jaynes) that have all scored at least 8 rushing touchdowns.

But Crusaders BEWARE. Can you say TRAP GAME? Memorial cannot get caught looking ahead to the conference title showdown game with the Warhawks of Arrowhead, the top ranked team in the state. Watch out for the speed of the Kettle Moraine offense, let by QB Mike Butterfield, who was ranked 27th in the list of the top 100 prospects in the state of Wisconsin by WisconsinPreps.com. Butterfield could pose some problems for the Crusader defense, but it is unlikely that the Lasers defense can stop Memorial if they remain focused on the task at hand.

Mukwonago (2-2, 2-4) at Waukesha South (0-4, 2-4)

Arrowhead (4-0, 6-0) at Waukesha North (1-3, 2-4)

Waukesha West (2-2, 3-3) at Milwaukee Pius (1-3, 2-4)

Greater Metro (Discuss)
Brookfield Central came up on the short end of the round robin part of the schedule between the Lancers, Marquette, and West Allis Hale. Despite outgaining the Hilltoppers last week, Central committed 4 turnovers and lost 10-6 at home. This sets up a potential conference title game this Friday when West Allis Hale travels to Hart Park to take on Marquette. If Marquette wins, they would essentially have a 2 game advantage over the rest of the conference.

Sussex Hamilton is still holding on to a good chance at making the playoffs with both Brookfield East and Wauwatosa East remaining on their schedule. They need to win 2 of their remaining 3 games to get in. Menomonee Falls is in the same boat, but will find it much tougher facing both Marquette and Brookfield Central in 2 of their remaining 3 games. To make the playoffs, the Indians must find a way to win one of those games.

West Allis Hale (4-0, 5-1) at Marquette (4-0, 5-1)
The Hilltoppers have a tough task facing them coming off an emotional victory at Brookfield Central last Friday. With no rest for the weary, they face their second straight conference unbeaten in West Allis Hale. With a victory, Marquette will almost certainly assure itself a Greater Metro Conference title. Falter, however, and they will need help just to share the title.

Hale has been a steady team in 2008, but far from dominating. They have won their last three games by an average of 12 points against teams with a combined record of 5-13. They will need to bring their A game against a Marquette defense that has given up just 26 points in their last 5 games, and only surrendered 13 points in the conference season.

Marquette will also get their lead running back Brock LaFace back from injury and illness this week, but don’t expect him to carry the load. Coach Dick Basham has used a running back by committee approach, led by senior Mike Hoffman in recent weeks. They also got their passing game going against Brookfield Central last week in their 10-6 victory.

Brookfield Central (3-1, 5-1) at Menomonee Falls (2-2, 3-3)

Sussex Hamilton (2-2, 3-3) at Brookfield East (0-4, 1-5)

Wauwatosa East (1-3, 2-4) at West Allis Central (0-4, 1-5)

North Shore (Discuss)
With their upset of previously unbeaten Cedarburg last Friday, the Port Washington Pirates put themselves right back into the discussion of the conference championship race. Homestead is still the overwhelming favorite. However, Port Washington must hope that the team they just beat in Cedarburg can pull them upset in the last week of the season against Homestead. If that happens, and the Pirates can stay out of trouble the next three weeks, we could have a three way tie at the top of the North Shore.

Whitefish Bay looks in line for a playoff berth, having to win just one more game in the conference, and Nicolet still on the schedule.

Whitefish Bay (3-1, 4-2) at Homestead (4-0, 6-0)
Homestead made the jump to number 1 in the WHSF website rankings for the area this week after remaining unbeaten in dominating fashion over Milwaukee Lutheran 63-20. The Highlanders had a 21-0 lead in the first quarter before letting Lutheran get back in the game with 20 unanswered points. That may just have been the wakeup call that Homestead needed in their ho-hum season, as they ran off their own streak of 42 unanswered points finishing with 518 yards of total offense.

Whitefish Bay will try to ride the arm of highly touted QB Jimmy Sherburne to be competitive in the game. Sherburne can beat you with his arm and his legs, running out of the spread offense. Against Homestead, however, he will have a very difficult time without any other threat on an offense that “goes as Jimmy goes”.

Nicolet (0-4, 1-5) at Grafton (1-3, 1-5)

Port Washington (3-1, 4-2) at Germantown (1-3, 1-5)

Milwaukee Lutheran(1-3, 2-4) at Cedarburg (3-1, 5-1)

Wisconsin Little Ten (Discuss)
By all accounts, the conference title already belongs to Wisconsin Lutheran, and it should. They are unbeaten both in the conference and overall and have beaten Hartford, considered the only serious competition for the Vikings inside the conference. They continued to roll over Watertown last Friday by a merciful score of 34-7.

The real battle in this conference is for the playoff berths. In a top heavy conference, West Bend East, West Bend West, and Beaver Dam all have realistic playoff aspirations.

Beaver Dam (2-2, 3-3) at Hartford (3-1, 5-1)
Beaver Dam running back Devin Kellenberger has rushed for over 1000 yards this season and 16 touchdowns, but that is about all the Beavers have had to hang their hat on this year. One wonders where they would be without him. They travel to an always rowdy atmosphere at Hartford Union this Friday to take on a team out to prove who the real Oriole football squad is.

After being manhandled by Wisconsin Lutheran 34-0 two weeks ago in the conference showdown of the year, Hartford bounced back to handily defeat West Bend East 42-6. Will the real Hartford Orioles please stand up?

West Bend West (3-1, 4-2) at Wisconsin Lutheran (4-0, 6-0)

Slinger (1-3, 2-4) at Oconomowoc (0-4, 0-6)

Watertown (1-3, 1-5)at West Bend East (2-2, 2-4)

Southeast (Discuss)
In what may have been the game of the year in Southeastern Wisconsin, the battle of Racine unbeatens went deep into the fourth quarter before Horlick pulled out a 35-28 victory over Deon McClain and Park. By staying unbeaten, the Rebels put themselves in perfect position to win the conference title. The championship is theirs if they can win 2 of their last three games.

Park, Kenosha Bradford, and Kenosha Tremper are locks for the playoffs. Franklin must win their remaining three games, but all three are winnable having already played the top 4 teams in the conference. Burlington has an outside chance to qualify for the playoffs, but must win 2 of their remaining 3 games. Easier said than done, however, as they must come away with an upset against either Racine Park or Racine Horlick.

Racine Horlick (6-0) at Kenosha Bradford (4-2)
Many of the HS Football pundits in the area still think that Kenosha Bradford may be the best team in the Southeast Conference. And that may be all well and good, but their record shows them no better than fourth, and they may fall further than that taking on the conference leader and undefeated Horlick Rebels led by standout QB Steve Morris.

Horlick has not been as dominating as other top ranked Southeastern Wisconsin teams this year, but they have soundly beaten the teams they are supposed to, and have managed victories against very good Kenosha Tremper and Racine Park teams. Steve Morris is as dangerous a weapon as there is, and he proved it last Friday in leading his team to a come from behind win against previously unbeaten Racine Park.

Bradford, meanwhile, has lost their two games by 4 and 3 points against Kenosha Tremper and Racine Park respectively. The Red Devils are solid on both sides of the ball. Tremper, Bradford, Park, and Horlick could probably play a round robin season between themselves and all finish at .500. Expect another thriller at the top of the Southeastern Conference.

Racine Park (5-1) at Burlington (3-3)

Franklin (2-4) at Racine Case (0-6)

South Milwaukee (1-5) at Oak Creek (2-4)

Muskego (2-4) at Kenosha Tremper (5-1)

Woodland (Discuss)
For the fourth straight week, Greendale, Pewaukee, and New Berlin Eisenhower remain in a three way tie at the top of the Woodland conference. That will change this week, however, when Eisenhower travels to Greendale where they haven’t won since 2004. The winner of that game will share the lead with Pewaukee, who, barring a natural disaster will cruise over winless Wauwatosa West.

St. Francis, Whitnall, and Greenfield are all in good shape to qualify for the playoffs. Cudahy has an outside chance, but must beat either Greenfield, or St. Francis in the next two weeks.

New Berlin Eisenhower(5-0, 5-1) at Greendale (5-0, 6-0)
Without Pewaukee on their schedule, the Greendale conference season likely comes down to this game on Friday against the Lions. Eisenhower, however, isn’t as fortunate, as they need to get by Greendale this Friday to set up a matchup with Pewaukee on next week to decide the Woodland conference title.

Led by QB Chris Ridgway, the Panthers have a potent offense that has not scored less than 34 points in a game all year. Coach Bob Stoltz calls the plays from the sideline by using hand signals to all the skill position players on offense as they line up in a five wide spread formation without a huddle. Greendale has ridden this approach to an unbeaten record, has clinched a playoff berth, and can all but assure at least a share of the conference title with a win on Friday.

Eisenhower will have plenty to say about that, however. Having only one non-conference loss to perennial state powerhouse DC Everest by a mere 3 points in the season opener, the Lions have beaten their last five opponents by an average of 33 points per game. 10 players have scored offensive touchdowns for the Lions, and 4 of those players have scored 6 or more times. That does not include QB Niko Koshak, who has thrown 15 touchdown passes to 5 different receivers.

Look for lots of fireworks from these two offenses in a game that may not end until Sunday morning.

Whitnall (3-2, 3-3) at Brown Deer (1-4, 2-4)

Cudahy (2-3, 2-4) at Greenfield (3-3, 3-3)

St. Francis (3-2, 4-2) at New Berlin West (1-4, 1-4)

Pewaukee (5-0, 6-0) at Wauwatosa West (0-6, 0-6)

Week 7 Predictions

Think you know more than me? Click here to send me an email with your predictions. Pick all the games. If you beat me, I’ll list your name in next weeks predictions and enter you in a drawing for a $10 Starbucks Gift Card at the end of the season.

Classic 8 (Discuss)

Catholic Memorial 63 Kettle Moraine 13
Waukesha South 27 Mukwonago 19
Arrowhead 84 Waukesha North 0
NOTE: The same score that my alma matter Northstars lost to Sussex Hamilton by in the year I graduated.
Waukesha West 34 Milwaukee Pius 6

Greater Metro (Discuss)

Milwaukee Marquette 31 West Allis Hale 12
Brookfield Central 41 Menomonee Falls 12
Sussex Hamilton 38 Brookfield East 13
Wauwatosa East 27 West Allis Central 9

North Shore (Discuss)

Homestead 44Whitefish Bay 8
Grafton 14 Nicolet 13
Port Washington 35 Germantown 10
Cedarburg 42 Milwaukee Lutheran 20

Wisconsin Little Ten (Discuss)

Hartford 35 Beaver Dam 13
Wisconsin Lutheran 34 West Bend West 0
Slinger 14 Oconomowoc 6
West Bend East 38 Watertown 20

Southeast (Discuss)

Racine Horlick 28 Kenosha Bradford 27
Racine Park 42 Burlington 17
Franklin 50 Racine Case 6
Oak Creek 19 South Milwaukee 16
Kenosha Tremper 44 Muskego 13

Woodland (Discuss)

New Berlin Eisenhower 31 Greendale 27
Whitnall 37 Brown Deer 16
Greenfield 23 Cudahy 21
St. Francis 38 New Berlin West 6
Pewaukee 63 Wauwatosa West 0

Week 6 Preview

Classic 8 (Discuss)

Arrowhead and Catholic Memorial both took another step closer last week to the huge conference matchup against one another in week 8. This week, the Crusaders face what is probably there final test before that matchup with Arrowhead when they travel to Waukesha West. West can get back into the Classic 8 title hunt with a victory.

Catholic Memorial (5-0, 3-0) at Waukesha West (3-2, 2-1)

The Crusaders look to reverse their fortunes from a year ago when they started 5-0, and then lost 3 of their last 4 in the conference. They begin that effort on Friday when they take on a Wolverine squad that is solid in all phases of the game. They have dominated conference opponents Waukesha North and Kettle Moraine, and their only losses have been to Arrowhead 14-0, and Wisconsin Lutheran 20-6, both of whom are ranked in the top 5 in the state of Wisconsin.

Waukesha South (2-3, 0-3) at Arrowhead (5-0, 3-0)

Waukesha North (2-3, 1-2) at Kettle Moraine (2-3, 1-2)

Milwaukee Pius (2-3, 1-2) at Mukwonago (1-4, 1-2)

Greater Metro (Discuss)

Brookfield Central, Milwaukee Marquette, and West Allis Hale all remained unbeaten in the conference last week. This week begins the round robin between these three teams over the next 4 weeks. First up, Dick Basham’s junior laden Marquette squad travels to the field turf playing surface at Brookfield Central in a matchup of pre-season conference favorites. The winner of this game has an opportunity to claim sole possession of first place if Menomonee Falls can hang the first conference loss on the Huskies when they travel to West Allis Hale.

Milwaukee Marquette (4-1, 3-0) at Brookfield Central (5-0, 3-0)
Read full preview of the WHSF Game of the Week

Menomonee Falls (3-2, 2-1) at West Allis Hale (4-1, 3-0)

The Indians are a relatively young team that could pose problems for a surprising West Allis Hale squad that finds themselves tied atop the Greater Metro Conference standings. Don’t expect too much from the Indians, however, as they struggle against teams that play run first football. Unfortunately for the Falls, Hale is a smash mouth team that averages only 6 pass attempts per game.

West Allis Central (1-4, 0-3) at Sussex Hamilton (2-3, 1-2)

Brookfield East (1-4, 0-3) at Wauwatosa East (1-4, 0-3)

Northshore (Discuss)

Homestead and Cedarburg were both victorious last week. To continue keep their title hopes alive, the Bulldogs of Cedarburg will face what is likely their last real test before Homestead as they welcome Port Washington to town on Friday night. Homestead does not have a real challenge facing them until the 22nd of October against Cedarburg. Port Washington (3-2, 2-1) at Cedarburg (5-0, 3-0)Unbeaten Cedarburg has allowed only 19 points in their last four games, and is riding their defense to a tremendous season with a very young roster. Their offense is led by QB Chip Rank, who doesn’t throw the ball often, but does so with accuracy as he is completing 68% of his passes with 8 touchdowns and no interceptions. Sophomore Logan Lauters leads a trio of running backs that has amassed 1,387 yards in only 5 games this year.

Port Washington’s defense has kept them in games this year, and their only losses have come to area powerhouses Homestead and Brookfield Central, the latter by a score of only 13-10. The Pirates will give Cedarburg all they can handle this week.

Homestead (5-0, 3-0) at Milwaukee Lutheran (2-3, 1-2)

Grafton (1-4, 1-2) at Whitefish Bay (3-2, 2-1)

Germantown (0-5, 0-3) at Nicolet (1-4, 0-3)

Wisconsin Little Ten (Discuss)

With last weeks 34-0 drubbing of Hartford by Wisconsin Lutheran, the conference title is all but wrapped up. Don’t look for the Vikings to be tested the rest of the conference season. Everyone is now playing for second place, which will be what may be on the line Friday night as Hartford tries to regroup at home against a West Bend East team that gave Wisconsin Lutheran all it wanted two weeks ago.

West Bend East (2-3, 1-2) at Hartford (4-1, 2-1)

West Bend East seems to get up for big games, taking them as personal challenges and playing their best football. In the season opener, they played Kewaskum, a top 5 team in the state, very close into the fourth quarter until finally succumbing 21-0. Their offense has since gotten on track and they outgained the third ranked team in Southeastern Wisconsin – Wisconsin Lutheran – in total yardage two weeks ago, but their rally came up just short as they lost 33-28.

This week, they face a Hartford team coming off a huge loss to Wisconsin Lutheran in a game where many thought the conference title would be decided. Can the Orioles and their star defensive lineman Tyler Dippel get the ship righted?

Wisconsin Lutheran (5-0, 3-0) at Watertown (1-4, 1-2)

Slinger (2-3, 1-2) at Beaver Dam (2-3, 1-2)

Oconomowoc (0-5, 0-3) at West Bend West (3-2, 2-1)

Southeast (Discuss)

And then there were three. Teams, that is, that are still in realistic contention for the conference title. Kenosha Bradford dropped their second conference game last week, and are now looking up at Racine Horlick and Racine Park, both unbeaten, and a Kenosha Tremper squad that beat Bradford in the season opener.

This week, one of the Racine unbeatens must fall, as Horlick and Park square off at Hammes Field on Friday night. Tremper will look to maintain their position within striking distance against Burlington this week.

Racine Horlick (5-0) at Racine Park (5-0)

Although unbeaten on the year, Horlick has been tested in close games, having to come from behind twice in the fourth quarter to beat Franklin 28-21, and Kenosha Tremper 28-24. If they can win this game, they will have a huge advantage in the chase for the conference title, having already beat the Tremper, and with Bradford having two losses.

Racine Park will not be an easy opponent to come back on should they fall behind. They are the only team in the conference not to run the spread offense. They use a power running game built on the legs of standout running back Deon McClain, who has racked up over 1,000 yards and 18 touchdowns in only 5 games so far this year.

Kenosha Bradford (3-2) at Franklin (2-3)

Oak Creek (1-4) at Muskego (2-3)

Racine Case (0-5) at South Milwaukee (0-5)

Kenosha Tremper (4-1) at Burlington (3-2)

Woodland (Discuss)

Greendale, Pewaukee, and New Berlin Eisenhower remain in a three way tie at the top of the Woodland conference. Don’t expect that to change this week, as all three teams are favored in their games. This sets up a fantastic finish to the Woodland conference season heading in to next week if these three teams can maintain their focus against their overmatched foes.

St. Thomas More (1-4, 1-4) at Pewaukee (5-0, 4-0)

Greendale (5-0, 4-0) at Cudahy (2-3, 2-2)

New Berlin Eisenhower (4-1, 4-0) at Whitnall (3-2, 3-1)

Brown Deer (2-3, 1-3) at St. Francis (3-2, 2-2)

Greenfield (2-3, 2-3) at Wauwatosa West (0-5, 0-5)

PREVIEW: Marquette Hilltoppers VS. Brookfield Central

VS.

The two preseason Greater Metro Conference favorites meet this Friday on the field turf at Brookfield Central. Marquette takes their undefeated conference record into the Lancers stadium to face off against their undefeated record in what promises to play a huge role in deciding the Greater Metro Conference title.

Marquette has veteran coach Dick Basham in his 37th year leading a relatively young team with only four returning starters from the 2007 season. They have won their last four and while their starting defense has not allowed a score in 12 quarters. Although the Hilltoppers fell from the area top ten rankings after their season opening loss to Wisconsin Lutheran, they are threatening to climb back into the state rankings if they can come away with a victory against the Lancers who are ranked 6th in Southeastern Wisconsin.

Brookfield Central relied heavily on their defense early in the season. In recent weeks, their offense, led by first year starters QB Tommy Braaten and RB Xavier Whitaker has started to adjust well to their first year in the veer offense that Coach Doug Lange has installed.
“One of the reasons we went to the veer offense was because we felt Tommy (Braaten) could run the ball and throw when he had to” said Coach Lange. “We want Tommy to be the third threat in the backfield.”

Braaten has come on in recent weeks both on the ground and in the air as he connected with WR Tim Ness on two touchdown passes last week against West Allis Central in their 44-12 victory. RB Xavier Whitaker is also finding his legs as the season moves on. He has run for 402 yards and 6 touchdowns after a slow start.

At 6’3 200 pounds, Whitaker has the size and strength to be a power runner in Brookfield Central’s veer offense. However, his speed and athletic ability allows him to be a more elusive speed back that will break long gainers. “Xavier is a tailback. Don’t let his size deceive you in terms of what his frame of mind is” said Coach Lange.

Coach Basham will try to attack the staunch Lancer defense with smash mouth football running a lot of two tight end sets and pounding the ball with a trio of running backs. Marquette has thrown the ball less than 30 times all year.

Basham is known for using multiple formations to confuse the defense and utilize a lot of traps and downblocks mixed with quick hit dive plays. Brookfield Central will defend with a senior laden defense let by middle linebacker Matt Upson.

Expect to see a low scoring matchup of strong defenses. Brookfield Central is built more for speed than Marquette, and the field turf will only make the game faster. Marquette’s defense will have to counter that and defend against an offense that continues to improve each week.

Click the play button to listen to an interview with Brookfield Central Head Coach Doug Lange

Click the play button to listen to an interview with Marquette Head Coach Dick Basham


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