Quarterback Brock Matheny and Grantsburg were the state runners-up a year ago and are a top seed in Division 5 this season
DIVISION 5 | BRACKET
(Times, dates, & locations subject to change)
The Placements
Grantsburg earned the top seed in Group A after an unbeaten season in the Lakeland Conference. Northwestern is the number two seed, also undefeated this year. Tomahawk is having one of its best seasons in some time, sharing the Great Northern Conference crown and the top seed in Group B. Defending champion Stratford, who also won state championships in Division 6 in 2022 and 2023, earns the number two seed. Mayville dominated the Flyway and is the number one seed in Group C, with Amherst the second seed. Lake Country Lutheran shared the Metro Classic Conference and is the top seed in Group D, which also includes second seeded Racine Lutheran, the dominating winner of the Midwest Classic-Large. SWC co-champ New Glarus is the three-seed in that group.
Six to Watch
Here are six of the most electric offensive players that will be lining it up beginning this weekend:
Landen Baker, Mayville - Baker is the top rusher for the unbeaten Cardinals and head coach Scott Hilber. He has 148 carries this year for 1,164 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Ayden Nerdahl, Amherst - Nerdahl sprang onto the scene in a big way in 2025, as the junior running back has 1,370 yards and 26 touchdowns on 132 carries, averaging more than 10 yards per rush attempt. His 26 touchdowns are fourth-most in the state during the regular season regardless of division.
Kobe Russell, Prescott - Russell is an explosive athlete and committed to North Dakota State, sliding over to play at running back and quarterback for the Cardinals this season. He has 1,093 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground, also throwing for 628 yards and six touchdowns.
Daxter Schultz, Grantsburg - Schultz is a versatile offensive weapon for the Pirates with 1,135 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground, averaging 8.8 yards per carry. He also has 13 catches for 243 yards and four more scores.
Gannan Schwartz, Winnebago Lutheran - Schwartz is a dual-threat quarterback who threw for 628 yards and five touchdowns in the regular season, with a team-high 954 rushing yards and 14 scores on the ground as well.
Tysen Teal, Northwestern - Teal leads a powerful rushing attack with 1,342 yards this season, scoring 22 touchdowns on 90 carries, as he’s averaging 14.9 yards per attempt for the unbeaten Tigers. He also had 19 catches for 398 yards and two touchdowns.
Upset Alert
Watertown Luther Prep finished just 4-5 overall, but played a challenging schedule both in and out of the Metro Classic Conference. The sixth-seeded Phoenix will make the trip to take on Brillion, who is 7-2 with losses to Kewaunee and New Holstein, as the Lions tied for the Eastern Wisconsin Conference title.
Best Level 1 Game
Lancaster went 4-5 this year, finishing a distant tied for sixth in the SWC. However, those five defeats came by a total of 15 points. Whether that experience will pay off in the postseason remains to be seen, and it will be a tough matchup against second-seeded Amherst. There is some interesting history between these programs, who met in Division 5 state title games in 2012 (won by Amherst) and 2014 (won by Lancaster).
Potential intriguing match-ups the rest of the way
Please note the emphasis on potential.
Grantsburg vs. Northwestern, Sectional Final - Northwestern is the only unbeaten team in Division 5 not to receive a number one seed, meaning they’d be on the road in this potential sectional final at Grantsburg, who also went undefeated this season. Grantsburg finished as the runner-up in D5 last year, while Northwestern has been on the doorstep to Madison many times over the last 30+ seasons, but despite 35 playoff wins since 1993, has not qualified for state since a D4 runner-up finish that season.
Mayville vs. Winnebago Lutheran, Level 2 - Mayville beat Winnebago Lutheran 14-7 back in Week 3, but WLA won six straight games since then to finish second in the Flyway Conference behind unbeaten Mayville.
My Picks
Grantsburg over Laconia
Durand-Arkansaw over River Valley
Saint Croix Falls over Barron
Northwestern over Prescott
Tomahawk over Omro
Spencer/Columbus Catholic over New Holstein
Prairie du Chien over Westfield
Stratford over Richland Center
Mayville over Chilton
Winnebago Lutheran over Arcadia
Watertown Luther Prep over Brillion
Amherst over Lancaster
Lake Country Lutheran over Kiel
Wittenberg-Birnamwood over Brookfield Academy
New Glarus over Clinton
Racine Lutheran over Milwaukee Academy of Science
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].