Football Sectional Final Preview: Division 2

Division 2 Schedule
Division 2 Stats Leaders

Toughest Road So Far

Third-seeded Union Grove has played a pair of home games in the playoffs, but the Broncos have had a tough time, posting one-score victories in each game. In Level 1, they rallied from a halftime deficit to knock off Waukesha West 15-10, then claimed a hard-fought 14-12 decision over Nicolet last week, stopping a potential game-tying two-point conversion from the Knights in the fourth quarter.

Cinderella

There are no substantial Cinderella teams still going in Division 2, and Oshkosh North is actually the only team still alive that has won a road game, as the Spartans made the lengthy trip across the state last week to take on Big Rivers Conference squad New Richmond, coming away with a 42-36 victory behind yet another strong offensive performance led by senior quarterback Bryce Ott, who threw for 257 yards and four touchdowns.

Most Impressive

There have been some big scoring outputs amongst the Division 2 quarterfinalists, though many have also given up a good amount of points. However, Homestead has dominated both offensively and defensively, taking down Menomonee Falls 51-14 in Level 1 before a 36-0 shutout of Elkhorn last week, as both games ended in a running clock.

The Match-Ups

#3 Oshkosh North (10-1) at #1 River Falls (10-1), 6 pm at UW-River Falls

Oshkosh North made the lengthy trip to a Big Rivers Conference school last week, defeating New Richmond 42-36 to advance to the state quarterfinals for the first time since a runner-up finish in 2013. The Spartans will hit the road again for a 6 pm kickoff against River Falls, the co-champion of the Big Rivers Conference. Both teams feature well-balanced offenses that can put up points, though River Falls has been a bit more consistent defensively this season.

My Pick: River Falls

#2 Rice Lake (10-1) at #1 Notre Dame (11-0)

These are the last two teams to win state championships…in Division 3. Rice Lake won it in 2023 and was elevated to D2 last year by the WIAA’s Tournament Performance Factor points, going on to finish in as the D2 runner-up. Notre Dame was the champion of Division 3 last season, and is elevated to D2 this year. The Tritons beat defending Division 2 state champion Slinger last week, as junior running back Kingston Allen has been incredible in the playoffs, with 477 yards and eight touchdowns in the first game and 509 yards and seven scores last week.

My Pick: Notre Dame

#3 Union Grove (10-1) at #1 West De Pere (11-0)

West De Pere has handled all comers this season behind prolific senior quarterback Patrick Greisen, who is second in the state in passing yards and first in passing touchdowns, coming off an All-State junior campaign. The defense has gotten the job done, but the Phantoms have allowed an average of 30 points per game over the last four contests. Union Grove was the runner-up in the Southern Lakes Conference, with Quintyn Martinez carrying much of the load offensively, going for 1,820 yards and 24 touchdowns on the ground this year.

My Pick: West De Pere

#8 Monona Grove (10-1) at #3 Homestead (11-0)

Monona Grove has been a bit of an under-the-radar team this year, as the team’s only loss was a last second 14-13 decision against Waunakee. They were dominant most of the rest of the year, and really made a statement the last couple weeks with a blowout win over Brookfield Central followed by a commanding 28-14 victory against Germantown last week where the Silver Eagles forced three turnovers and had seven sacks. Homestead has just pounded away all year, going unbeaten to this point with a North Shore Conference title (including a 28-14 win over defending state champion Slinger) and a pair of dominant victories in the playoffs. The Highlanders are among the top rushing teams in the state this season, with a balanced attack that has a number of players that can get the job done.

My Pick: Homestead

My Picks:
(7-1 last week; 21-3, 87.50% overall in Division 2)