Belmont quarterback Wyatt Temperly
8-PLAYER | BRACKET
(Times, dates, & locations subject to change)
The Placements
This marks the second year of the expanded 32-team playoff structure for 8-player football, with the postseason getting underway a week earlier than normal. It’s also the second year for qualifying, grouping, and seeding system under the Wisconsin Football Playoff Matrix. In the top left bracket, unbeaten Belmont is the top overall seed in 8-player and has already beaten two-seed De Soto. Wabeno/Laona grabbed the number one seed in the lower left bracket. Gilman has already beaten some of the other best teams in 8-player and grabs the top seed in the upper right. Valley Christian has really taken a big step forward in the last couple years and is the top seed in the lower right bracket.
Six to Watch
Here are six of the most electric offensive players that will be lining it up beginning this weekend:
Cooper Albrecht, Wabeno/Laona - Albrecht is a returning WFCA All-State selection who has thrown for more than 1500 yards and 20 touchdowns, along with 830 yards and 13 scores on the ground.
Sam Gloudemans, Valley Christian - Gloudemans is a big-play threat for the Warriors, carrying the ball 90 times for 1,069 yards and 20 touchdowns, averaging 11.9 yards per attempt.
Xavier Mielke, Oakfield - Mielke plays quarterback for Oakfield, throwing for 1,024 yards and 13 touchdowns, but is also very dangerous with his legs, carrying the ball 101 times for 885 yards and 19 touchdowns, averaging 8.8 yards per attempt.
Blake Nyhagen, Bruce - Nyhagen led 8-player football in total yards of offense this season, throwing for 1,272 yards and 18 touchdowns with another 1,450 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground.
Brody Tarman, Turtle Lake - Tarman has rushed for 1,241 yards and 20 touchdowns this year, also dabbling a little throwing the football with 203 passing yards and two scores. He also caught 13 passes for 106 yards and two scores.
Wyatt Temperly, Belmont - Temperly guides the offense for the unbeaten Braves, completing 71% of his passes for 1,281 yards and 23 touchdowns this year with just one interception. He’s added a team-high 643 yards and eight scores on the ground.
Upset Alert
With 8-player expanding to 32 teams, upsets may be less likely than in the previous 16-team arrangement, as there’s a larger gap between the top seeds and their Level 1 opponents. Sixth-seeded Athens will take on third-seeded Turtle Lake, but in our Bound Power Index, Athens is actually rated higher. The Bluejays three losses this year came against Gilman, Assumption, and Owen-Withee, all top-level teams in 8-player. Meanwhile, Turtle Lake’s schedule was not nearly as challenging, which included losses to Alma Center Lincoln and Prairie Farm/Clayton.
Best Level 1 Game
I’ll take sixth-seeded Oakfield at third-seeded North Crawford. Oakfield has been one of the best and most consistent programs in 8-player for more than a decade, though the Oaks couldn’t quite get a signature win this year, falling to three teams with combined records of 22-2. They also put up nearly 40 points per game behind versatile quarterback Xavier Mielke. Meanwhile, North Crawford is 5-2 overall on the field with competitive losses to Iola-Scandinavia and Belmont.
Potential intriguing match-ups the rest of the way
Please note the emphasis on potential.
Belmont vs. Palmyra-Eagle, Level 2 - Palmyra-Eagle is in its first year playing 8-player football, winning the first six games of the year before falling to Abundant Life/St. Ambrose in the final week of the regular season. As a four-seed, they could be a tough matchup for top-seeded and unbeaten Belmont.
Assumption vs. Owen-Withee, Level 2 - Assumption beat Owen-Withee 32-14 back in Week 5, as the Royals racked up 403 rushing yards without attempting a pass. Both teams also lost to top-ranked Gilman, and both are in the top five of our Bound Power Index.
Gilman vs. Assumption, State Semi-Final - Gilman has been dominant this year and already beat Assumption 44-6 back in Week 6. Should the Royals get past Owen-Withee early on, and undefeated Valley Christian later, this would be an interesting rematch to see with a trip to state on the line.
My Picks
Belmont over Wild Rose
Palmyra-Eagle over Almond-Bancroft
North Crawford over Oakfield
De Soto over Lake Holcombe
Wabeno/Laona over Three Lakes/Phelps
Rib Lake over Northwood/Solon Springs
Sevastopol over Niagara
Suring over Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah
Gilman over Frederic
Clear Lake over Tri-County
Athens over Turtle Lake
Hurley over Bruce
Valley Christian over Green Bay NEW Lutheran/Providence
Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas over Flambeau
Owen-Withee over Port Edwards
Assumption over Thorp
Travis Wilson serves as the Bound Wisconsin Manager. 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 @travisBound or reach him at [email protected].
