Catholic Memorial and Dusty Roach were in the state title game two years ago and the Crusaders are looking to make a bit more of a surprising run this season after going 4-5 during the year
DIVISION 3 | BRACKET
Toughest Road So Far
Whitefish Bay didn’t have too many problems with seventh-seeded Wilmot in Level 1, but the Blue Dukes got all they could handle from a very strong Wisconsin Lutheran team last week. All the scoring came in the second quarter, but Whitefish Bay held on for a 14-7 win, as the Blue Dukes advance in the playoffs after a state semifinal trip last season.
Cinderella
There is just one of the 32 top seeds in the 11-player playoffs that did not advance to the sectional finals, and it came in Division 3. However, it is hard to call fifth-seeded Catholic Memorial, who took down number one New Berlin West last week, much of a Cinderella. The Crusaders have been one of the state’s heavyweights for many years, but a move to the Greater Metro along with crossover games against Classic Eight powers Arrowhead and Muskego left CMH scuffling just to get into the playoffs with a 4-5 regular season record. After cruising to a win over Greendale in Level 1, they were fortunate to outlast New Berlin West 26-23 last week.
Most Impressive
La Crosse Logan is undefeated this year and has scored under 35 points just once, with a season-low of 28. The powerful offensive output has continued in the playoffs, with a 48-7 win over Waukesha North followed by a 49-27 dismantling of Mount Horeb/Barneveld. Behind junior quarterback Tommy Check and senior running back Jameson Degenhardt, the Rangers have rushed for a total of 869 yards in the last two playoff wins.
The Match-Ups
#3 New Berlin Eisenhower (8-3) at #1 Pewaukee (11-0)
Pewaukee is undefeated and looked very impressive all season, and that includes a 41-8 win over New Berlin Eisenhower in Week 8 of the season. In that one, Pewaukee raced out to a 20-0 halftime lead and closed it out with a couple scores in the fourth quarter. The Pirates rolled up 370 rushing yards that time around, averaging more than 10 yards per carry. Eisenhower couldn’t get much going on the ground in that one but did hit on some pass plays, throwing for 144 yards.
My Pick: Pewaukee
#5 Catholic Memorial (6-5) at #2 Whitefish Bay (9-2)
Both of these teams advanced to the state semifinals last year on opposite sides of the bracket, but fell just a game shy of Camp Randall. The playoffs are the first time Catholic Memorial has played a Division 3 team all year, as they faced seven D1 teams and a couple Division 2 teams during the regular season. Whitefish Bay frequently played up in the regular season as well in the North Shore Conference, where they finished second behind Homestead. Catholic Memorial struggled with the physicality of New Berlin West last week, and Whitefish Bay can bring a similar level of strength up front.
My Pick: Whitefish Bay
#3 Plymouth (9-2) at #1 Port Washington (11-0)
Another rematch in Division 3, which saw the teams go back-and-forth all night before Port Washington won 42-34. Plymouth led 14-0 after the first quarter, but Port Washington scored 21 points in the second and 14 in the third to take a lead they’d never surrender. Quarterback Jack Bunyan threw for 348 yards in that one, but as was the case quite often this year, the Pirates struggled to run the ball with just 39 yards on 18 carries. Can Port keep things going with such a heavy reliance on the passing game in Wisconsin in November?
My Pick: Port Washington
#3 Fox Valley Lutheran (9-2) at #1 La Crosse Logan (11-0)
La Crosse Logan has been steamrolling people behind a physical front line and a solid group of playmakers that includes quarterback Tommy Check, running back Jameson Degenhardt, receiver Bubba Leaver, and tight end Charles Zellner. The undefeated Rangers average 39.9 points per game while allowing 16 per contest. Interestingly enough, despite a pair of early losses, Fox Valley Lutheran is averaging 39 points while allowing an average of 12.5. The Foxes are coming off a 42-7 running clock win over Medford, and have now won seven straight. Multi-dimensional quarterback Braden Heiges is really coming into his own of late, accounting for 816 total yards of offense in two playoff games.
My Pick: La Crosse Logan
My Picks:
(5-2 last week; 19-3, 86.36% overall in Division 3)
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 as Communications and Website Director. 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].
