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 days, 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
Division 3

1. Racine St. Catherine’s - The Angels featured some dynamic playmakers on offense, but it was the defense that was the dominating factor all season. The Angels allowed just 87 points in 14 games, including limiting opponents to single-digits in 12 of those contests. In the Division 4 title game, St. Cat’s was up 20-0 and 26-8 behind some big plays from junior LaMont Hamilton, but had to hang on for a 26-22 win over Baldwin-Woodville thanks to a late defensive stand, capturing the second WIAA championship in school history. Hamilton is back, along with quarterback Eddie Vinson and a strong cast of characters that make them the favorite to repeat.

2. Winneconne - Winneconne put together one of the best seasons in school history, going unbeaten as the Bay Conference champion, all the way to the state semi-finals, when they finally ran out of steam against Baldwin-Woodville. It was a very young group actually, with 18 seniors returning this season, including eight starters on offense and nine on defense. Leading the way is one of the most dynamic players in the state, senior quarterback Brody Schaffer. An Honorable Mention All-State pick and the Bay Conference Offensive Player of the Year, he threw for 1,800 yards and 17 touchdowns last year with another 1,774 yards and 31 touchdowns on the ground. He’s committed to Iowa as a receiver prospect. Another D1 senior is two-way lineman Hudson Samolinski, who is committed to Illinois State.

3. Aquinas - The Blugolds won three consecutive Division 5 state championships from 2021 to 2023, bumping up to Division 4 last season as part of the WIAA Performance Factor. Aquinas had another outstanding season, winning an outright Coulee Conference title, advancing to the state semi-finals where they went down to eventual D4 champion Racine St. Catherine’s in a 12-6 low-scoring affair. Logan Becker and Waylon Hargrove are a pair of talented pass-catchers coming back for the Blugolds, who bring back five starters on offense and six on defense.

4. Columbus - The Cardinals posted yet another outstanding season, going unbeaten to a Capitol Conference title. They drop a 29-28 heartbreaker to Aquinas in a sectional championship to see their season come to an end. While 2200-yard rusher Conner Roche moves on, there is plenty of talent back for another deep run, including quarterback Peyton Powers and star two-way lineman Wyatt Graffin.

5. Baldwin-Woodville - The Blackhawks fell to Mount Horeb/Barneveld to open the 2024 season but rattled off 12 consecutive victories after that, capturing an outright Middle Border Conference title and advancing all the way to the Division 4 state championship game, falling in a close one to Racine St. Catherine’s. Top offensive skill players Gavin Sell and Taden Holldorf are gone, but the team has a strong senior group that has played in a lot of big games, with a stout offensive line and defense to lead the way.

6. Lake Mills - The L-Cats finished second in the Capitol Conference behind Columbus last year and dropped a tough 19-14 decision to Racine St. Catherine’s in a sectional championship to see their season come to an end. Head coach Tyler Hub has a talented bunch returning that features nine starters on offense, six on defense, and 41 letterwinners overall. Included in that group is standout quarterback Tyler Wollin.

7. West Salem - The Panthers couldn’t quite get past Aquinas in the Coulee Conference last year, falling 20-18 in a late season conference contest. The Panthers ended up in the Division 4 playoffs, beating Platteville before exiting to Columbus in Level 2. With 28 letterwinners returning and 14 starters back, the Panthers have the pieces in place to challenge Aquinas’ league superiority and push for a spot in Madison.

8. Mosinee - The Indians finished a couple games off the pace in the Great Northern Conference last year, including a disappointing 58-35 loss to Medford in the final regular season game that could have grabbed a share of the league title for the Indians. They’d follow that up with a 28-21 home loss to Ellsworth in the playoffs, ending the year at 6-4 overall. Mosinee brings back 20 letterwinners, including seven starters on offense and five on defense, with quarterback Treve Stoffel one of the best players in northern Wisconsin.

9. Lodi - The Blue Devils finished a bit off the pace in the Capitol Conference last year, and a 29-0 shutout loss to Aquinas in Level 2 of the playoffs sent them home with a 7-4 overall record in Kyle Mack’s first season as head coach. There are a lot of reasons for optimism heading into 2025, however, with seven starters returning on offense and seven on defense, as the Blue Devils will have a very tough schedule once again in the Capitol Conference.

10. Ellsworth - The Panthers had to settle for a third-place finish in the Middle Border a year ago, going 7-4 overall after a Level 2 playoff exit to conference foe Baldwin-Woodville. The team welcomes back 26 letterwinners this year, including seven starters on the offensive side of the ball and six starters returning over on defense.

11. Saint Croix Central - It was a tough finish to the 2024 campaign for the Panthers, who dropped four of the final five, including a 28-7 loss to Freedom to go home in the first playoff game. Head coach John Tackmann has a nice group coming back on offense, with seven starters returning to their flexbone attack. The team welcomes four starters back over on defense.

12. Freedom - The Irish put together an extremely strong 2024 campaign, winning the North Eastern Conference championship and racing through the regular season undefeated. The Irish advanced to the sectional championship, where they’d fall to Baldwin-Woodville, capping off an 11-1 season. Third-year coach Charlie Jadin brings back 13 letterwinners as the team tries to continue the success, including four starters returning on offense and three on defense.

13. Wrightstown - The Tigers dropped a tough 28-24 decision to Freedom, finishing second in the North Eastern Conference. It was the only loss of the regular season for the team, who took advantage of home field in the playoffs to advance all the way to the state title game, where they’d drop a 21-6 ballgame to Stratford in the Division 5 championship. It was a senior dominated group for longtime head coach Steve Klister, who sports a 215-69 career record. While 19 letterwinners return this season, just two starters are back on both sides of the ball.

14. Berlin - The Indians won an outright South Central Conference championship last year and won a playoff game for the third time in the last four seasons. Head coach Joe Stellmacher, a former Badger player, returns the bulk of the roster from a year ago led by a strong senior class. The Indians have eight starters returning on the offensive side of the ball and seven back on defense.

15. Seymour - Seymour started well in the 2024 season, scoring non-conference wins over Luxemburg-Casco and Two Rivers along with a victory against Xavier as part of five consecutive victories. They’d fall to Fox Valley Lutheran and Winneconne in conference play, then go out against Prescott in Level 1 to finish 7-3 overall. They bring back an outstanding trio of skill players, including twin brothers Cayden and Carson Staffeldt. Cayden is the quarterback, throwing for nearly 1500 yards with 16 touchdowns, while Carson was his favorite target last year, catching 29 passes for 808 yards and 11 touchdowns. Add in returning 1000-yard rusher Xavier Salzman and the team has the firepower to put up big numbers.