Football Sectional Final Preview: Division 7

Division 7 Schedule
Division 7 Stats Leaders

Toughest Road So Far

Coleman didn’t have too many problems with Randolph in the first playoff game, but the Cougars had to hit the road in Level 2, making the trip to Manitowoc to take on Roncall. Coleman held a tenuous 6-0 lead at halftime before tacking on another score to claim a 12-7 victory. Juniors Kolton Peters and Wyatt Bieber combined for 190 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

Cinderella

Cashton is certainly the biggest surprise in Division 7, as the Eagles went on the road to defeat Brookwood in Level 1, a team they lost to during the regular season. Friday night, they scored one of the bigger upsets of the weekend, handing top-seeded Six Rivers Conference champion Black Hawk/Warren its first loss of the year, 34-28.

Most Impressive

Kenosha St. Joseph hasn’t really been challenged yet in the playoffs, as the top-seeded and undefeated Lancers have posted a pair of dominating victories over Palmyra-Eagle and Crivitz, outscoring their opponents by a combined 96-13.

The Match-Ups

#2 Boyceville (10-0) at #1 Cochrane-Fountain City (11-0)

Both teams went undefeated this year, with Cochrane-Fountain City’s 15-14 win over Pepin/Alma the only close game either team played. The Pirates have an experienced group that features several athletes from the state championship basketball team. Boyceville advanced to the state semi-final last year before falling to Edgar, returning 16 starters from that group as they try to get to their first state championship game in school history.

My Pick: Cochrane-Fountain City

#2 Hilbert (9-2) at #1 Lourdes Academy (11-0)

Lourdes Academy has been a solid program since joining the WIAA in 2000, but the Knights are still trying to break through for their first trip to the state finals. They’ve got another group capable of getting it done, going undefeated this season. The offense has playmakers led by dual-threat quarterback Brady Bauer, but the defense has been the catalyst this season, allowing just eight points per game. Hilbert is again looking to take advantage of the “dropdown effect”, as the Wolves played against a number of D4, D5, and D6 teams in the regular season.

My Pick: Lourdes Academy

#2 Cashton (8-3) at #1 Potosi/Cassville (10-1)

Cashton suffered three regular season losses, finishing in a tie for second in the Scenic Bluffs Conference. The Eagles have turned it up late in the year with four straight wins, including a huge 34-28 victory over previously undefeated Black Hawk/Warren. Potosi/Cassville was second in the Six Rivers after a Week 9 loss to Black Hawk/Warren, and they, like many of us, figured it would be a rematch between those teams here in Level 3, until Cashton spoiled it. The Chieftains have multiple rushing options, as Hunter White and River Sahr each have more than 1200 yards.

My Pick: Potosi/Cassville

#3 Coleman (9-2) at #1 Kenosha St. Joseph (11-0)

St. Joe’s has been perhaps the most impressive Division 7 team in the state this year, with wins over two Division 3 teams, two D4 squads, two Division 5 teams, and a pair of D6 teams. The Lancers are explosive, balanced, and experienced on offense, and stout on defense, allowing more than 14 points just once, and that came against D3 Greendale. Coleman is a physical Northwoods team that has a similar profile to the Potosi/Cassville squad that defeated St. Joseph’s in last year’s state semi-final, though the Cougars have not seen the kind of athletes that the Lancers will put out there.

My Pick: Kenosha St. Joseph

My Picks:
(6-2 last week; 20-4, 83.3% overall in Division 7)