Flyway 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: Mayville ran away with the Flyway title, and didn’t stop there, as the Cardinals went a perfect 14-0 and claimed the Division 5 state title. Winnebago Lutheran was second, followed by Saint Mary’s Springs. Lomira, Omro, and Laconia also made the postseason.

2025 Season Information:
Standings
Stats
All-Conference

2026 PREVIEW:

Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Mayville
2) Saint Mary’s Springs
3) Lomira
4) Winnebago Lutheran
5) Campbellsport
6) Laconia
7) Omro
8) North Fond du Lac

Players to Watch:

Orville Blohm, OL/DL, Winnebago Lutheran: Blohm is a two-way First Team All-Conference selection who has given a commitment to Western Michigan.

Keegan Kell, QB, Lomira: Kell threw for 965 yards and eight touchdowns last year to go with 517 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Zander Lenz, QB, Saint Mary’s Springs: Lenz was an Honorable Mention All-Conference pick last year, throwing for 902 yards and eight touchdowns while completing 63% of his passes.

Joe Promersberger, RB, Mayville: Promersberger was second on the team in rushing last year with 831 yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging nine yards per carry.

Hunter Schaumberg, RB, Lomira: Schaumberg had a promising freshman season, with 490 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He’d also catch 13 passes for 172 yards and two scores.

2026 Team Previews

1) Mayville had a pair of Division 5 runner-up finishes this decade and had been elevated to D4 in 2024, but dropping back down to D5 last fall, they ran through the regular season undefeated and won some hard-fought victories in a tough postseason run to capture the Division 5 state championship over Northwestern. Head coach Scott Hilber relied on a run-heavy Wing-T offense to rack up big numbers on the ground, and some key components of that unit are back this fall. That includes senior Joe Promersberger, who was second with 831 yards and 14 touchdowns, as well as junior Tanner Schneider, who went for 750 on the ground. The team does have to replace quarterback Emerson Mittelstadt as well as 1800-yard rusher Landen Baker. One of the four offensive linemen to receive some form of All-Conference recognition returns, senior Second Team choice Wes Teeters.

2) Saint Mary’s Springs finished 7-4 overall and third in the tough Flyway Conference in the first year of the post Bob Hyland era. Second year coach Zach Wilderman returns 33 letterwinners from a year ago. “We have ok experience overall with guys that have had plenty of real game time roles,” said Wilderman, who welcomes back five starters on offense and four on defense. Starting quarterback Zander Lenz and top receiver Jaxon Sabel are among the returnees as the Ledgers try to get back on top of the league.

3) Lomira was doing well early in the year, sitting at 6-1, but dropped the last three games of the season, including a Level 1 exit to Saint Mary’s Springs. “We were extremely young last season, with a senior class of only four,” said head coach Bryan Gregory, who guided the team to a state title in 2024. “We return the core of our offensive line that were primarily sophomores, and return our quarterback, both running backs, and three receivers. We gained a ton of meaningful experience last season and are excited about the group we have coming back.” That includes 17 total starters.

4) Winnebago Lutheran lost three straight games to begin the year against a very challenging schedule, but they’d get back on track, winning six straight to close the regular season. They’d take down Arcadia in Level 1, but ran up against Mayville in Level 2. For a second time, they’d fall to the eventual D5 champions by a single score. Head coach Kevin Loehr loses a strong senior group, but likes the core players coming back this season, including standout lineman Orville Blohm, a D1 player. The team will get a boost from Eli Muche, who missed last year with a knee injury.

5) Campbellsport was 4-5 in the regular season, but it wasn’t quite enough to qualify for the playoffs despite winning three of the final four games. Head coach Todd Wondra likes the experience of this year’s group, with many players back with varsity experience. The Cougars return six starters in the Wing-T offense as well as six in the 4-4 defense. Quarterback Jackson Straub is back, while leading rusher Blake Heltemes graduates.

6) Laconia won just two games last year, but in the WIAA’s new playoff format, the Spartans were able to get in, largely thanks to a 21-0 non-conference win over Ripon. The stay was short, however, as they’d fall to Grantsburg 38-9. Among the players moving on to graduation are quarterback Drake Nitz, leading rusher Jack Rens, and top receiver Grahm Lemmenes.

7) Omro started the year hot, winning three of the first four games. They’d drop five straight to close the season, but still managed to get into the playoffs, though they’d fall to Tomahawk. “Our team is looking to make the playoffs for a second year in a row,” said head coach Eric Doll. “We have a lot of experience coming back from guys that started and guys that have rotated in throughout the season.” The top four tacklers are returning from last year, along with the top two receivers for the Foxes. There are a total of six starters returning on offense along with six on defense.

8) North Fond du Lac struggled once again in 2025, going winless on the season, as their overall losing streak is at 18 games and the team’s conference losing streak dates back to 2013, sitting at 73 coming into the year. Head coach Taylan Ybarra brings back 34 letterwinners as the team tries to get things turned around, with six starters returning on offense and seven on defense. Leading rusher Bjarne Krskovic along with quarterback Hudson Schumacher are among the returning players on offense for the Orioles.