Onalaska running back Kaeson Stettler
DIVISION 3 | BRACKET
(Times, dates, & locations subject to change)
The Placements
Defending state champion Grafton is elevated to Division 2 by the WIAA Tournament Performance Factor this year, meaning we’ll get a new champ in D3. Pewaukee is the top overall seed and the number one team in the top left bracket, which also includes last year’s runner-up Reedsburg. New Berlin West earned the number one seed in the lower left group, where Whitefish Bay is the two-seed after a state semi-final appearance last season. A talented Catholic Memorial squad, who took some lumps in against a beefed up Greater Metro schedule this year, is looming there as a not-your-typical five-seed. Port Washington won the Glacier Trails and is the top seed in the top right, with last year’s D4 state champion Winneconne the two-seed there. Mississippi Valley Conference champion La Crosse Logan is the top seed in the lower right group, which also includes Great Northern Conference champion Medford.
Six to Watch
Here are six of the most electric offensive players that will be lining it up beginning this weekend:
Jack Bunyan, Port Washington - Bunyan led the state in passing yards during the regular season with 2,823, completing 157-of-252 passes for 33 touchdowns.
Tommy Check, La Crosse Logan - Check is a dual-threat quarterback for the Rangers, throwing for 1,007 yards and 16 touchdowns while also rushing for 927 yards and nine scores.
Eli Derenne, Luxemburg-Casco - Derenne went over 1000 yards both passing and rushing during the regular season, throwing for 1,036 and seven touchdowns to go with 1,170 yards and 17 scores on the ground.
Cole Kuhn, Plymouth - The senior running back has carried the ball 164 times for 1,269 yards and 22 touchdowns this year.
Eli Maier, Mount Horeb/Barneveld - Maier has rushed for 1,628 yards with 19 touchdowns this year, scoring 19 touchdowns. He’s also caught 18 passes for a team-high 346 yards with three receiving scores.
Jax Pesch, Waterford - Pesch has carried a big load for the Wolverines this season, rushing for 1,545 yards and 23 touchdowns on 171 attempts, averaging nine yards per carry.
Upset Alert
It’s a long trip across the state for Onalaska to go to Plymouth, but the sixth-seeded Hilltoppers have the talent and experience to create issues for the third-seeded Panthers. While Onalaska is 4-5 overall, they’ve lost several very competitive games including one-point defeats to Reedsburg and La Crosse Central. Meanwhile, Plymouth dropped two of the final three games of the year. The teams are just one spot away from each other in the Bound Power Index.
Best Level 1 Game
I’ll take fifth-seeded Portage at fourth-seeded Waterford in the top left bracket. Waterford is a big, talented crew, but has struggled against Wing-T teams in recent years, which is the offense that Portage runs. There is a difference in competition level between the teams, with Waterford playing mostly D2 competition, while Portage’s move to the Capitol this year had them playing mostly D4 programs.
Potential intriguing match-ups the rest of the way
Please note the emphasis on potential.
Whitefish Bay vs. Wisconsin Lutheran, Level 2 - These teams met back in Week 3 when Whitefish Bay scored a 27-8 win. Wisconsin Lutheran has been very much hot-and-cold this year, and if they can capture the spark that helped them to wins over Homestead, Slinger, and Waterford amongst others, they can certainly make a run.
Pewaukee vs. Reedsburg, Sectional Final - These teams met in a Sectional Final last year, with Pewaukee jumping out to a 14-0 lead before Reedsburg scored the final 38 points to claim a 38-14 win.
Port Washington vs. Winneconne, Sectional Final - Both teams would enter this one undefeated, as Winneconne moves up to Division 3 after winning it all in D4 a year ago. While they play in a strong D4 league as a member of the Middle Border, do the Wolves have the pieces to be successful in the larger division?
My Picks
Pewaukee over Pius XI Catholic
Waterford over Portage
New Berlin Eisenhower over Milwaukee Lutheran
Reedsburg versus Sauk Prairie (No selection)**
New Berlin West over Whitnall
Catholic Memorial over Greendale
Wisconsin Lutheran over Kettle Moraine Lutheran
Whitefish Bay over Wilmot
Port Washington over South Milwaukee
Luxemburg-Casco over Merrill
Onalaska over Plymouth
Winneconne over McFarland
La Crosse Logan over Waukesha North
Mount Horeb/Barneveld over Baldwin-Woodville
Fox Valley Lutheran over Rhinelander
Medford over Green Bay West
* - Disclaimer: I am an assistant coach at Reedsburg
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].
