The first football games of the year are just over a week away, and we’re excited to kickoff a new season!

Over the next several weeks, Bound Wisconsin will be producing Preseason Football Team Rankings, featuring a Top 15 for each division as well as Others to Watch.

Previously Released Rankings:

Division 1
Division 2

1. Catholic Memorial - Catholic Memorial had some dominating wins during the regular season, but did struggle a few times as well, though when quarterback M.J. Mitchell returned to action things did settle in. The Crusaders would tie for the Parkland title, and survived a couple crazy endings in playoff wins over Reedsburg and Mount Horeb/Barneveld to advance to the state finals, falling to Notre Dame. Legendary head coach Bill Young has to replace Mitchell as well as dynamic two-way star Marvanous Butler-Brown and stud lineman Owen Strebig, but has some extremely talented young players coming back to challenge for the top.

2. Mount Horeb/Barneveld - Mount Horeb/Barneveld was minutes away from the second state semi-finals trip in school history until a wild ending resulted in a heartbreaking 17-14 loss to Catholic Memorial. It ended an incredible season that saw the Vikings go 11-1, win the Badger-Small Conference title, and advance to a sectional championship. Head coach Bret St. Arnauld has a team that should be among the state’s elite in Division 3, with 35 returning letterwinners that include six starters back on offense and seven on defense. Having D1 quarterback Brooks Hendrickson along with elite defenders Jack Wilson and Harrison Walker back is a big boost.

3. Grafton - The Black Hawks opened the year with a one-point loss to Cedarburg before rattling off 10 straight victories, capturing an outright Woodland Conference title. Grafton would advance to a sectional championship, dropping a tough one against eventual state champion Notre Dame. A strong senior class of 23 athletes is returning, including 17 that have played since their sophomore season. The Black Hawks bring back seven starters on the offensive side with ten back on defense, including All-State caliber linebacker Tyler Heinle.

4. Port Washington - Port Washington finished 8-3 overall last year, dropping games to Grafton, Beaver Dam, and eventual D3 champion Notre Dame. The Pirates bring back a number of skill position players this season amongst the 30 returning letterwinners, including Second Team All-Conference quarterback Cal Loose, who threw for 1,250 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also led the team with 779 rushing yards, as second-leading rusher Kiya Sullivan also returns.

5. Plymouth - The Panthers were a step behind Beaver Dam and Port Washington last year, but rallied to score an opening playoff victory before going out to Grafton in Level 2. The Panthers welcome back six starters on offense, including quarterback Augie Eigenberger as well as top receiver Kayden Schultz, who doubles as a top defensive back in the league. Replacing 1400-yard rusher Brett Shutter will be an important part of the work for this fall.

6. Wisconsin Lutheran - The Vikings dropped a couple games early in the year but rebounded to finish second in the Woodland Conference and advance all the way to the state semi-finals, falling to old WISAA rival Catholic Memorial. Wisco should be strong up front with several three-year starters returning on the lines, but have a few more holes to fill at the skill positions.

7. Whitnall - The Falcons put up some impressive offensive numbers last year, other than in a loss to Grafton, as returning quarterback Tanner Effertz directed a high-powered passing attack. Whitnall lost a wild 62-48 game to Reedsburg in the playoffs, but Effertz threw for 583 yards, setting the stage for what could be a huge senior season. The key will be getting the defense to perform more consistently after struggling against some of the better teams on the schedule.

8. Pewaukee - Pewaukee does not belong in the Classic Eight and will finally get moved out of the league and back to the Parkland next year, but the Pirates could be one of the big beneficiaries of the new football playoff system that provides more points for wins over larger opponents. The lone Division 3 school in a league full of D1 and D2 powerhouses, the Pirates qualified for the postseason last year, though in error it turned out, only to fall to eventual state champion Notre Dame in Level 1. The team has to replace quarterback Owen Dobberstein, but can run it back with a strong rushing attack featuring 700-yard rusher Omar Cherrington as well as a host of big, D1 prospects on the offensive line including senior Tucker Thieneman (committed to NDSU), junior Cade Reikowski (multiple D1 offers), and junior Jack Tabbert (receiving D1 interest).

9. La Crosse Logan - Logan took down rival La Crosse Central in Week 9, forcing a five-way tie atop the Mississippi Valley Conference standings that included the Rangers. The late-season hot streak continued with a trip all the way to the state semi-finals, where they’d fall to eventual champion Notre Dame. Do-everything star Bradley Check graduates, but his younger brother Tommy is expected to take on a larger role, with running back Maxim Roberts also returning for head coach Casey Knoble.

10. Whitefish Bay - The Blue Dukes faced a very difficult schedule in the North Shore Conference last year, narrowly sneaking into the playoffs with a 3-4 league record. They’d go out to old rival Port Washington in Level 1 of the playoffs, but the stage is set for a solid 2025 campaign. It will still be tough in a larger league, but the new playoff structure should help. Whitefish Bay returns eight starters on offense and seven on defense this season.

11. New Berlin West - The Vikings shared third place in the Parkland a year ago, and head coach Ben Chossek has to replace a number of multi-year starters, including versatile star Sean Ryan. New Berlin West returns five starters on offense though with four back on defense, as there will be a number of young players with talent asked to step in and be contributors right away.

12. Monroe - The Cheesemakers had to deal with tragedy in the off-season prior to 2024, as head coach Toby Golembiewski passed of cancer. Tom Witt took over, and despite a couple tough non-conference losses early, guided the Cheesemakers to a fourth straight outright league title, as Monroe has the state’s longest active conference winning streak of 29 games. The Cheesemakers would fall in the first playoff game against Elkhorn. The team returns just two starters on offense and three on defense, though despite the lack of experience, Monroe is still expected to be a contender in the Rock Valley and beyond.

13. Waterford - The Wolverines lost four consecutive games to open the 2024 season, but rebounded nicely to win six straight, including a Level 1 victory over Stoughton. They’d fall to Mount Horeb/Barneveld in Level 2, finishing 6-5 overall. Second-year coach Brent Thoen has 28 letterwinners coming back this season, with seven starters returning on offense and five on defense.

14. Greendale - The Panthers made the playoffs and advanced to Level 2, but a number of close calls throughout the year left the team just 6-5 overall. Greendale needs to replace talented quarterback Landon Lopez, but has the kind of talent that should allow them to remain competitive in the Woodland Conference.

15. Menomonie - Perhaps no one was watching the division assignments for 2025 as close as Menomonie coach Mike Sinz, as the Mustangs snuck into D3 as the largest team in the division. Last year, they started out on the right track, winning five of the first six games of the season. Things unraveled a bit towards the end, as the Mustangs dropped three straight to close the regular season and fell to Monona Grove in the first playoff contest. The Mustangs lose a solid senior class, but should be a threat in the playoffs, as long as they can qualify out of a strong Big Rivers Conference.

* Reedsburg is not considered for the Top 15 as Bound Wisconsin’s Travis Wilson is an assistant coach with the Beavers.