Gilman quarterback Logan Halida
8-PLAYER | BRACKET
Toughest Road So Far
Third-seeded Owen-Withee had no troubles with Port Edwards in Level 1, winning 72-20. That setup a game at second-seeded Assumption, a team that had beaten Owen-Withee 32-14 earlier in the season. Owen-Withee flipped the script this time around, breaking open an 8-8 halftime game to win 26-8. Clay Mueller and Talon Mueller combined for 304 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Cinderella
A pair of six-seeds are alive, but I’ll go with Oakfield, who has gone through a pair of Ridge & Valley-8 teams to get to this point. The Oaks are the six-seed in their group, meaning lengthy road victories over third-seeded North Crawford and second-seeded De Soto.
Most Impressive
Belmont has cruised into the sectional finals with a pair of dominating wins. In Level 1, the Braves ran for 491 yards and had 638 total yards in a 74-12 win over Wild Rose. Last week, Belmont pasted an 8-1 Palmyra-Eagle squad 50-0.
The Match-Ups
Oakfield got off to a slow start this year, dropping the first two games and three of the first five, but has rallied to win five straight. The last two weeks were close wins over Ridge & Valley-8 teams North Crawford and De Soto. It is another R&V squad on the schedule this week, unbeaten Belmont. The Braves have played just one non-running clock game this year, a 22-0 win over North Crawford.
My Pick: Belmont
#2 Suring (7-2) at #1 Wabeno/Laona (9-1)
Suring enters at 7-2 on the field, with close losses to Valley Christian and Phillips. The Eagles won their first-ever 8-player playoff game over Elkhart Lake-Glenbeulah a couple weeks ago and followed it up with a victory against Sevastopol. Up next is Wabeno/Laona, who finished second in the Northwoods-East 8, with the only loss on the year a 20-14 defeat against Hurley. The Rebels have looked really good in the latter part of the schedule, winning their two playoff games by a combined 86-6. Quarterback Cooper Albrecht is a returning WFCA All-State selection.
My Pick: Wabeno/Laona
These teams have been playing against each other for years in conference play, and that includes this season as members of the North Central-East 8. Gilman dominated the first matchup 50-0, as Athens had just 72 yards of offense. Meanwhile, Gilman ran for 288 yards and Logan Halida hit James Wojcik for a long touchdown, as the Pirates dominated every facet of the game.
My Pick: Gilman
#3 Owen-Withee (8-2) at #1 Valley Christian (9-0)
This has the potential to be an outstanding game, as Owen-Withee is one of the elite teams in 8-player, facing one of the toughest schedules in the state. They already avenged one of their losses last week against Assumption, and also dropped a game to 8-player favorite Gilman. The Blackhawks will go on the road to face an unbeaten Valley Christian squad that is rolling, but has not faced the same level of competition. Will that matter, or is Valley Christian at a level where they can handle anyone.
My Pick: Owen-Withee
My Picks:
(7-1 last week; 21-3, 87.50% overall in 8-Player)
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].
