Brady Moon of defending state champion Bay Port leads the division in rushing this season
DIVISION 1 | BRACKET
(Times, dates, & locations subject to change)
The Placements
Waunakee ends up in Division 1 once again, where they are undefeated and the top seed in Group A. Neenah gets the two-seed despite a shocking season-ending loss to Hortonville. Arrowhead is the number one seed in Group B, which also features Hamilton and Kimberly. Muskego earns the top seed in Group C after an outright Classic Eight Conference title. Badger is the two-seed there, while Big Eight champion Middleton is the number three seed. Franklin goes undefeated once again in the regular season and is the top seed in Group D, which also includes defending state champion Bay Port as the three-seed.
Six to Watch
Here are six of the most electric offensive players that will be lining it up beginning this weekend:
Rob Beglinger, Franklin - Beglinger leads the Sabers with 123 carries for 944 rushing yards this year, going for 13 touchdowns on the ground. He’s also dangerous out of the backfield with 11 catches for 162 yards and a score.
Brady Moon, Bay Port - Moon leads all of Division 1 in rushing heading into the playoffs with 1,481 yards on the ground to go with 21 touchdowns, as he averages 8.6 yards per attempt. He’s also caught 21 passes for 263 yards and six touchdowns for the defending champion Pirates.
Matt O’Grady, Badger - Badger has posted blowout after blowout this year, limiting O’Grady’s opportunities, but he still has 1,322 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns on 111 carries in the team’s option offense, averaging 11.9 yards per attempt. He’s also thrown for 389 yards and five touchdowns and plays on defense for the Badgers. O’Grady is also the team’s kicker, connecting on 54-of-55 extra points.
Joey Passaglia, Middleton - Passaglia threw for nearly 2500 yards with 32 touchdowns last season and is on track for another big campaign as a senior. He’s completing 69.6% of his passes (165/237) this season, with 1,931 yards and 21 touchdowns. He’s also gotten more involved in the running game and leads the Cardinals with 73 carries for 404 yards and five scores on the ground.
Jacob Siner, Arrowhead - Siner is on the precipice of his third consecutive 1000-yard rushing season, with 979 yards and 11 touchdowns on 118 carries, though he missed last week with injury. He’s the top offensive weapon on one of the state’s best teams, as Arrowhead is 8-1 against a brutally tough schedule.
Matt Stevens, Bay Port - Stevens has followed up a big junior season that saw him guide the Pirates to a state title with a strong senior campaign. Stevens has completed 88-of-125 passes this year (70.4%) for 1,396 yards with 16 touchdowns, averaging more than 15 yards per completion. He’s very involved in the running game as well, second on the team with 72 carries for 490 yards and eight scores.
Upset Alert
Neenah is a two-seed with some of the best wins in the division, but the Rockets were stunned last week in a loss to Hortonville, who entered with just one victory. Neenah played without junior quarterback Ashton VanBeek, their top offensive weapon, and his absence hurt substantially. A lot is riding on his availability going forward, but it leaves them vulnerable against seventh-seeded De Pere this weekend.
Best Level 1 Game
It seems to happen almost every year, where teams play in Week 9 and then turn around and face each other again in Level 1 of the playoffs. That usually sets up some interesting scenarios, and could be the case for fourth-seeded Racine Case and fifth-seeded Kenosha Bradford. Case won 31-20 a week ago, as the Eagles held a slim 14-13 halftime advantage before adding a key fourth quarter insurance touchdown. Bradford turned it over three times in that one.
Potential intriguing match-ups the rest of the way
Please note the emphasis on potential.
Kimberly vs. Hamilton, Level 2 - These teams met in the season opener, with Hamilton scoring an impressive 42-21 victory. Jacob Osmanski had a big game in that one, but has missed most of the season since then.
Muskego vs. Badger, Sectional Final - Badger bumps up to Division 1, where they have played a number of times in the past. That could mean a matchup against D1 powerhouse Muskego. Wing-T against flexbone.
Muskego vs. Franklin, State Semi-Final - These teams seem to find their way to each other frequently in the playoffs, including last season when the Warriors were just 5-4 in the regular season but stunned previously undefeated Franklin in Level 2.
Arrowhead vs. Kimberly, Sectional Finals - Arguably the greatest game in state history is Kimberly’s wild 49-42 comeback win over Arrowhead in the 2015 Division 1 state title game, when the Papermakers rattled off 28 straight points over the final 14 minutes to score an improbable victory.
My Picks
Waunakee over Chippewa Falls
Mukwonago over Oconomowoc
Hudson over Sun Prairie East
Neenah over De Pere
Arrowhead over Wausau West
Brookfield East over D.C. Everest | ZaleskiSports Stream
Kimberly over Fond du Lac
Hamilton over Marquette
Muskego over Madison West
Racine Case over Kenosha Bradford | ZaleskiSports Stream
Middleton over Milwaukee Hamilton
Badger over Oak Creek
Franklin over Milwaukee Riverside
Verona over Milwaukee Pulaski
Bay Port over Appleton North
Milwaukee Reagan over Milwaukee Bradley Tech
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].