Aidan Lisowski and Cochrane-Fountain City look to keep things rolling in the sectional final
DIVISION 7 | BRACKET
Toughest Road So Far
Ithaca/Weston got a tough Waterloo team in Level 1 that played larger competition in the Eastern Suburban Conference this year. The first year co-op ground out a 34-14 win, then welcomed in a very strong Black Hawk/Warren (IL) squad. Ithaca/Weston trailed 16-0 before making a second-half push to score a thrilling 18-16 win.
Cinderella
It is a lot of chalk so far in Division 7, with all four top seeds plus a pair of two-seeds and two, three-seeds remaining. Hilbert is perhaps the least likely to be here, as the Wolves had no trouble with sixth-seeded Abbotsford in the first game before having to go on the road to second-seeded Lourdes Academy last week. They’re the only team remaining to play a road game thus far, but they were surprisingly dominant, winning 35-6.
Most Impressive
Boyceville has yet to allow a point in the playoffs, with a 36-0 win over last year’s 8-player state champion McDonell Central followed by a 34-0 win over Cinderella story Osseo-Fairchild.
The Match-Ups
#2 River Ridge (10-1) at #1 Cochrane-Fountain City (11-0)
This is an outstanding game for Level 3, featuring the top-ranked team, Cochrane-Fountain City, in the Bound Wisconsin Power Index along with the third-ranked team. Cochrane-Fountain City rolled in Level 1, but got all they could handle against Cadott last week before winning 21-18. Was it a potential warning sign about CFC’s chances, or just a speed bump on a deep run? If there are any issues, River Ridge has what it takes to send the Pirates packing, with senior quarterback Blake Reynolds guiding the offense.
My Pick: Cochrane-Fountain City
#3 Boyceville (9-2) at #1 Glenwood City (10-1)
This is a rematch of the first Dunn-St. Croix Conference game of the year, that Glenwood City won 7-0 in a low-scoring battle, despite being outgained. Boyceville has certainly looked good of late, with back-to-back shutouts. Glenwood City got a scare from fifth-seeded Melrose-Mindoro last week but pulled out an 18-15 win.
My Pick: Boyceville
#2 Iowa-Grant (9-2) at #1 Ithaca/Weston (10-0)
Iowa-Grant dropped a pair of games during the regular season, but the Panthers grabbed a share of the Six Rivers title. A high-flying offense led by quarterback Brock Hinderman has the Panthers making their deepest playoff run since 2012, and they’re coming off an highly impressive 38-0 running clock win over a very good Pepin/Alma team. Ithaca/Weston got past one Six Rivers team last week, Black Hawk/Warren, and welcome in another one this week as they try to keep their unbeaten season going.
My Pick: Iowa-Grant
Coleman dropped its two toughest games of the year against Bonduel and Amherst, but have cruised past the rest of the teams on the schedule. They have been able to score wins over Northwoods foes Manawa and Crivitz in the playoffs, but get a tough one against a Hilbert squad that hammered Lourdes Academy last week. The Wolves ran the ball effectively and really bottled up the Knights offense.
My Pick: Coleman
My Picks:
(6-2 last week; 21-3, 87.50% overall in Division 7)
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].
