Northwestern’s Tysen Teal
DIVISION 4 | BRACKET
Toughest Road So Far
Delavan-Darien earned a three-seed in the Division 4 playoffs after a 7-2 record during the regular season. The Comets opened against a sixth-seeded Campbellsport team that had won five of the final six games, but scored a 42-13 win over the Cougars. Next up for Delavan-Darien was a road game at second-seeded Edgewood, and it turned into a barn-burner, with Delavan-Darien scoring a thrilling 42-35 victory to advance.
Cinderella
Without a doubt that moniker belongs to Wrightstown, as the sixth-seeded Tigers have advanced to the sectional finals after a 4-5 regular season record. However, they weren’t a typical six-seed, with competitive losses against quality teams like Winneconne, Little Chute, and Xavier early in the year. Wrightstown won its final two games of the regular season and continued the momentum with road wins at third-seeded Fuller Collegiate Academy and second-seeded Stratford.
Most Impressive
Freedom has scored at least 40 points in every game this year, and that includes postseason victories against Black River Falls (54-14) and Lakeside Lutheran (42-0). While the offense has been outstanding, the Irish have also gotten big plays on defense and special teams, with a return score in both playoff games.
The Match-Ups
#2 Northwestern (11-0) at #1 Freedom (11-0)
What a matchup this is. Freedom is first and Northwestern second in our Bound Power Index. Both are undefeated. Freedom is looking to break through to the state finals for the first time ever after five previous trips to the state semifinals in the last 15 years. Northwestern had a breakthrough of its own last season, getting to Madison for the first time since 1993, though the Tigers finished as runners-up in Division 5. The teams have scored the same number of touchdowns, 73, and each put up more than 380 yards per game.
My Pick: Freedom
#6 Wrightstown (6-5) at #1 Little Chute (10-1)
This is a rematch of a Week 3 game that Little Chute won 28-14. It was a one-score game at halftime and Wrightstown had pulled within 20-14 in the fourth quarter before a Little Chute pick-six with two minutes remaining sealed things up. It was one of several close losses for Wrightstown early in the year, but they’re rolling in a good direction right now.
My Pick: Little Chute
#3 Delavan-Darien (9-2) at Lake Mills (10-1)
What a treat this is for fans of throwing the football, as these teams are among the best passing attacks in the state. Delavan-Darien’s Quintin Arizola is third in the state in passing yards, while Lake Mills quarterback Tyler Wollin is ninth. Wollin has 8,440 career passing yards, third all-time, and a new state record 114 passing touchdowns. Arizola enters with 7,469 career passing yards (10th all-time) and 67 passing touchdowns. Of course, the receiver groups for both sides feature plenty of production and athleticism.
My Pick: Lake Mills
#2 West Salem (11-0) at #1 Racine St. Catherine’s (10-1), Horlick Athletic Field
West Salem is undefeated but will make the trip across the state to take on Racine St. Catherine’s at Horlick Athletic Field. West Salem got quite a test against Coulee Conference rival Aquinas last week but did enough for a 36-29 win. Close games have been a staple for St. Cat’s this year, as the Angels have played six games decided by two scores or less, including three by just a single score.
My Pick: West Salem
My Picks:
(6-2 last week; 22-2, 91.67% overall in Division 4)
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].
