Eastern Wisconsin 2026 Football Preview

Over the next several weeks, we’ll be previewing every conference in the state as part of our preseason preparations.

Check out all of our Football Conference Previews for every league in the state, here.

2025 Recap: Brillion and Roncalli shared the Eastern Wisconsin Conference title last year, each winning a playoff game before going out in Level 2. New Holstein and Saint Mary Catholic were next in the standings and made the postseason. Chilton, Kiel, and Valders all finished 2-5 in league play but only Chilton and Kiel had overall records and strength of schedule numbers high enough to qualify for the playoffs.

Note: Kohler/Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian moves out of the Eastern Wisconsin and into the North Eastern this year. Two Rivers moves from the North Eastern and into the Eastern Wisconsin.

2025 Eastern Wisconsin Season Information:
Standings
Stats
All-Conference

2025 North Eastern Season Information:
Standings
Stats
All-Conference

2026 PREVIEW:

Predicted Order of Finish:

1) New Holstein
2) Brillion
3) Kiel
4) Saint Mary Catholic
5) Chilton
6) Valders
7) Roncalli
8) Two Rivers

Players to Watch:

Ely Kohlman, WR/DB, New Holstein: Kohlman was First Team All-Conference as a receiver, defensive back, kicker, and punter last season for the Huskies.

Brayden Lenz, RB/LB, Valders: Lenz earned Second Team All-Conference honors last year after rushing for more than 800 yards.

Conner Schaefer, RB, New Holstein: Schaefer was a First Team All-Conference pick last year after leading the league in rushing with 1,275 yards, scoring nine touchdowns.

Mason Schaefer, RB, Kiel: Schaefer rushed for 1,052 yards and 11 touchdowns to earn Second Team All-Conference recognition last season.

Weston Schmidt, RB, Brillion: Schmidt was second on the team in rushing last year with 676 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Tarver Trinkner, QB, Saint Mary Catholic: Trinkner started much of last year at quarterback, after earning Honorable Mention All-Conference when he accounted for over 1200 yards of offense and 12 touchdowns.

2026 Team Previews

1) New Holstein finished third in the Eastern Wisconsin Conference last year, going 6-4 overall after a Level 1 home playoff loss to Spencer/Columbus Catholic. Head coach Matt Rupp brings back seven starters on both sides of the ball, including the starting group of backs, the top receiving threat, and several key pieces up front on offense. Connor Schaefer rushed for more than 1200 yards a year ago, and is joined by James Conrad and Nic Feucht in the backfield. Leading receiver Ely Kohlman is also returning after racking up more than 600 receiving yards. Conner Popp is expected to move into the starting role at quarterback.

2) Brillion earned itself a share of the Eastern Wisconsin Conference title last year, going 7-2 in the regular season and 6-1 in the league. The Lions would beat Watertown Luther Prep in Level 1 before a 40-13 loss to Amherst in the Level 2 playoffs. Brillion will return just three starters on offense and two on defense this year, but have 19 returning letterwinners. “Although we lost a lot of starters from last year's senior class, we return a lot of players with varsity experience,” said head coach Tanner Behnke. “We are excited to see which players step in to those roles.” Weston Schmidt led the team in carries last year and was second in rushing yards, returning for his senior season.

3) Kiel dropped four straight year in the year and fell in the final two games of the regular season, but in the new WIAA playoff system found a way into the playoffs, though they’d fall 42-6 to Lake Country Lutheran in Level 1. Head coach David Esswein enters his seventh season at the helm with the Raiders sporting a 37-25 record. They figure to challenge towards the top of the Eastern Wisconsin with 15 starting spots returning, seven on offense and eight on defense. “A key to our success will be senior leadership and team unity,” said Esswein. “If we operate with a team-first mindset, and we have players who are always giving back to the team, rather than of taking from it, we will be successful.” Bringing back starting quarterback Brady Klenbaum, 1000-yard rusher Mason Schaefer, and top receiver Ryan Holz is a good way to start.

4) Saint Mary Catholic is just a few years removed from making the switch from 8-player to 11-player, but last season qualified for the playoffs out of the Eastern Wisconsin Conference for the first time since 2002. They’d finish the year at 5-5 after a Level 1 playoff loss to Bonduel. “We are looking forward to being a very competitive team this year,” said head coach Rob Detterman. “We expect our experience and maturity to be the strength of the team this year. Our concerns will be how fast can we get our new starters up to speed on both sides of the ball.” The Zephyrs bring back seven starters on both offense and defense along with 20 letterwinners.

5) Chilton made it back into the playoffs after a two-year break, narrowly sneaking in with a 3-6 regular season record. The stay was short, as they’d go out to eventual state champion Mayville in level 1. “We have a lot of returning upperclassmen who have a lot of experience together,” said head coach Michael Arendt. The Tigers bring back seven starters on offense and seven on defense, which includes senior Lucas Groeschl, who led the team in rushing and passing a year ago. Arendt has some concerns about the depth with a relatively small junior class.

6) Valders won three games last year, including one over Saint Mary Catholic by the rare score of 8-2, but it wasn’t quite enough to get the team into the postseason. There are several returning standouts on offense that will try to make a postseason push, including quarterback Ben Staudinger, 800-yard rusher Brayden Lenz, and top receiver Carson Wasmer.

7) Roncalli rode a senior-dominated roster to a share of the Eastern Wisconsin Conference title, playoff appearance, and first postseason victory since 2013. After taking down Royall in Level 1, they’d go out to Coleman the next week in a narrow 12-7 defeat. It was a senior-dominated group that will look a lot different this season, with the loss of quarterback Dominic Thiele, 1300-yard rusher Sawyer Vandrisse, top receivers Dominik Frozena and Donovan Cowley, as well as Eastern Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Year Kannon Kinsella.

8) Two Rivers went 2-7 last year in the North Eastern Conference, which proved to be their last in the league (for now). The Purple Raiders will move into the Eastern Wisconsin Conference this year, though it comes at a time they will be replacing many of the top players from 2025. That includes quarterback Noah Shillcox, leading rusher and tackling machine Max Matthias, as well as versatile skill player Derek Klinkner.