Onalaska’s Ian Kowal scored the game-winning touchdown in the closing seconds of the Hilltoppers’ win over Menomonie last week
DIVISION 3 | BRACKET
(All games Friday at 7 pm unless noted; Times, dates, & locations subject to change)
#4 Merrill at #1 Grafton
#3 Luxemburg-Casco at #2 Plymouth
#4 La Crosse Logan at #1 Catholic Memorial
#6 Burlington at #2 Mount Horeb/Barneveld
#4 Reedsburg at #1 Edgewood, Breese Stevens Field
#6 Pewaukee at #2 Onalaska
#8 Whitefish Bay at #5 Port Washington
#3 Martin Luther at #2 Whitnall
To see the Level 1 Bracket Breakdown, click here.
Level 1 Surprise
There were a number of upsets in Division 3, none more so than eighth-seeded Whitefish Bay taking down top-seeded New Berlin West. Whitefish Bay lost four in a row to close the regular season, finishing just 2-7. Under the old qualification system, they wouldn’t have even made the playoffs. But they used some very competitive defeats along the way to prepare them for a 31-7 win over New Berlin West, whose seed may have been a little inflated coming in, and who lost in the final regular season game against rival New Berlin Eisenhower.
Best Rematch
There are no regular season rematches in Division 3, but second-seeded Plymouth did take out third-seeded Luxemburg-Casco in Level 1 of the playoffs last season. It was a one-score game going into the fourth quarter, before Plymouth broke things open with three touchdowns. Brett Shutter, since graduated, ran for 241 yards and two touchdowns in that one for Plymouth.
#1 seed with toughest match-up
Fourth-seeded La Crosse Logan is a physical football team that can run the ball effectively with senior running back Maxim Roberts (1,363 yards, 18 TD) and sophomore quarterback Thomas Check (953 yards, 16 TD). They could pose a stiff challenge to top-seeded Catholic Memorial, who has won nine straight since an opening loss to Franklin.
Level 2 Most Important Player
Pewaukee rotates a pair of talented but still learning sophomore quarterbacks on offense, but the Pirates know they can rely on senior running back Omar Cherrington to be the backbone of their offensive attack. On 207 carries this season, he’s gone for 1,096 yards, including 193 yards in last week’s upset of third-seeded Sauk Prairie. The Pirates will need production and consistency from Cherrington if they want to keep their run going against Onalaska this week.
My Picks
(14-1 last week; 93.33% in D3 overall)
Grafton over Merrill
Plymouth over Luxemburg-Casco
Catholic Memorial over La Crosse Logan
Mount Horeb/Barneveld over Burlington
Edgewood versus Reedsburg (No selection)*
Onalaska versus Pewaukee (No selection)*
Whitefish Bay over Port Washington
Whitnall over Martin Luther
* - 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].