Racine St. Catherine’s is looking to go back-to-back in Division 4
DIVISION 4 | BRACKET
(Times, dates, & locations subject to change)
The Placements
Aquinas won three consecutive D5 titles form 2021-2023 before being elevated to Division 4 last season, and the Blugolds stay up again this year. After going undefeated during the regular season, they are the top seed in Group A. Fellow unbeaten Baldwin-Woodville, last year’s runner-up in D4, is the two seed. Of note, fifth-seeded Ellsworth defeated fourth-seed Osceola last week, marking an immediate rematch between the teams. Winneconne earns the top seed in Group B after an undefeated regular season. Columbus is the top seed in Group C, where Mosinee is the number two seed. Racine St. Catherine’s is the defending champion in Division 4 and the top seed in Group D, with North Eastern Conference winner Little Chute the two-seed and South Central Conference champion Berlin the number three seed.
Six to Watch
Here are six of the most electric offensive players that will be lining it up beginning this weekend:
Quintin Arizola, Delavan-Darien - Arizola is second in the state in passing so far this year with 2,587 yards along with 25 touchdowns, as he is completing 65.2% of his passes.
Chase Beahm, Waupun - Beahm leads all players in the state with 2,596 passing yards to go with 24 touchdowns, completing 58.3% of his passes for the Warriors, who are 8-1 heading into the postseason.
Eric Cumber, Ripon - Cumber set a new state record with 2,599 rushing yards in the regular season, as he rushed for 33 touchdowns on 297 carries, averaging 8.8 yards per attempt for the resurgent Tigers.
Brody Schaffer, Winneconne - Schaffer is a dynamic athlete who makes plays all over the field. The Iowa recruit threw for 1,307 yards and 12 touchdowns this year with another 798 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground. He also had four interceptions and scored touchdowns on an interception, kick, and punt return.
Eddie Vinson, Racine St. Catherine’s - Vinson quarterbacked St. Cat’s to the Division 4 state title last year and has been outstanding again in 2025, with 1,757 passing yards and 31 touchdowns.
Tyler Wollin, Lake Mills - Wollin leads the state in passing touchdowns this season with 37, as he’s completing 64.2% of his passes for 2,291 yards for the L-Cats.
Upset Alert
Several of the six seeds could pose significant challenges to the three seeds in Division 4. Shoreland Lutheran finished 5-4, but losses came against strong competition. They’ll make the trip to third-seeded Evansville. Wrightstown, the runner-up in Division 5 the last two years, bumps up to Division 4, where they are a six-seed set to face off against Oconto Falls. The tough schedule in the North Eastern Conference should be beneficial for the Tigers. West Salem lost to the two best teams on their schedule, Onalaska and Aquinas, by single digits, and didn’t have the greatest strength of schedule outside those teams. However, they have a strong roster that will be a tough out for third-seeded South Central Conference champion Berlin.
Best Level 1 Game
The six versus three seed matchups mentioned above are all excellent candidates here, but for entertainment value, it’s gotta be hard to top fifth-seeded Delavan-Darien at fourth-seeded Waupun. Delavan-Darien averages more than 392 yards of offense per game, with Quintin Arizola throwing for more than 2500 yards and 25 touchdowns. Waupun counters with one of the top offenses in the state, averaging 468 yards per game, including 297 through the air and 171 on the ground, with Chase Beahm leading the state in passing yards.
Potential intriguing match-ups the rest of the way
Please note the emphasis on potential.
Aquinas vs. Baldwin-Woodville, Sectional Final - Aquinas and Baldwin-Woodville are both undefeated this year and appear on a collision course for a sectional final, which would be one of the more anticipated games at that level.
Baldwin-Woodville vs. Winneconne, State Semi-Final - Baldwin-Woodville defeated Winneconne 40-16 in a state semi-final last year, building an early 22-0 lead and pulling away for the win. The Blackhawks roster has turned over quite a bit from that group that finished as D4 runner-up, while Winneconne brings back its catalyst, senior Brody Schaffer, an Iowa recruit.
Racine St. Catherine’s vs. Baldwin-Woodville, State Final - This would be a rematch of last season’s Division 4 state title game, when St. Cat’s built a 26-8 second half lead before holding off a furious Baldwin-Woodville comeback attempt, winning 26-22. Lamont Hamilton had a huge game with three long receiving touchdowns and a kick return score for the Angels.
My Picks
Aquinas over Amery
Osceola over Ellsworth
Lodi over Platteville
Baldwin-Woodville over Ashland
Winneconne over Milwaukee North
Seymour over Altoona
Wrightstown over Oconto Falls
Freedom over Kettle Moraine Lutheran
Columbus over Brown Deer
Waupun over Delavan-Darien
Evansville over Shoreland Lutheran
Mosinee over Turner
Racine St. Catherine’s over Saint Francis
Lake Mills over Edgerton
West Salem over Berlin
Little Chute over Ripon
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].