Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas was the 8-player runner-up last season
8-PLAYER | BRACKET
McDonell Central (10-1) vs. Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas (11-0), Friday 7 pm at D.C. Everest High School
McDonell Central is into the 8-player state semi-finals for the second time in the last three years, looking to get to a championship game for the first time since finishing as the Division 7 runner-up in 2009. The Macks’ only loss this year came against top-ranked Gilman, and the the team is led offensively by experienced senior Dawson Moulton, who had more than 1600 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground this season. Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas was the runner-up in 8-player football last year and finished as the champion of the Across the Bay-8 this season. The co-op program is making a fifth consecutive playoff appearance in 8-player, as it has been around in some form for more than 20 years. Max Peterson is a key returning player from last season’s squad, rushing for 1,398 yards and 26 touchdowns.
My Pick: Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas
Gilman continued its domination with a 36-0 running clock victory over previously undefeated North Crawford, as the Pirates have posted eight shutouts in 11 games this season, scoring at least 36 points in every contest. Just one game, a 38-12 victory over fellow semi-finalist McDonnell Central, did not end in a running clock. It’s a strong, balanced group that just gets the job done. Oakfield dropped a 34-22 replacement game to Algoma in mid-September but has been outstanding since then, including an impressive 38-0 win over Sevastopol last week. Oakfield is tied for the most WIAA 8-player football playoff appearances, making their seventh trip this year, though they’re still looking to get to their first state championship game.
My Pick: Gilman
My Picks:
(3-1 last week; 24-4, 85.71% overall in 8-Player)
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].