Heart O'North 2026 Football Preview

Over the next several weeks, we’ll be previewing every conference in the state as part of our preseason preparations.

Check out all of our Football Conference Previews for every league in the state, here.

2025 Recap: Northwestern won the Heart O’North Conference title last year, edging out Saint Croix Falls, who they’d defeat again in the playoffs. Speaking of postseason, Northwestern made it all the way to Madison before falling in the Division 5 state title game. Barron and Ashland also made the playoffs.

2025 Season Information:
Standings
Stats
All-Conference

2026 PREVIEW:

Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Northwestern
2) Saint Croix Falls
3) Barron
4) Ashland
5) Hayward/Lac Courte Oreilles
6) Bloomer
7) Cumberland
8) Spooner

Players to Watch:

Kam Kroll, QB, Northwestern: Kroll was extremely efficient throwing the ball last year, completing 62% of his passes for 1,320 yards and 17 touchdowns, earning Second Team All-Conference recognition.

Troy McDonough, WR, Barron: McDonough had a big junior season, throwing for 1,837 yards and 18 touchdowns, completing 69.6% of his passes to earn First Team All-Conference recognition.

Micah Nwachukwu, RB, Saint Croix Falls: The team’s second-leading rusher last year, Nwachukwu rushed for 702 yards and eight touchdowns.

Drake Petersen, WR/DB, Saint Croix Falls: Peterson was one of the most productive receivers in the state last season, catching 53 passes for 951 yards and 10 touchdowns. He was First Team All-Conference on both sides of the ball.

Brett Sladky, QB, Saint Croix Falls: Sladky was a First Team All-Conference selection last year, completing 64% of his passes for 1,922 yards and 19 touchdowns.

Tysen Teal, RB/DB, Northwestern: Teal was one of the most versatile running backs in the state last year, rushing for 1,887 yards and 32 touchdowns, also catching 29 passes for 683 yards and five touchdowns. He was First Team All-Conference on both offense and defense.

2026 Team Previews

1) Northwestern had a number of close calls in getting back to Madison for the first time since 1993, and after knocking on that door frequently in the last 30-plus years, they finally got over the hump in 2025. Winning 13 straight games to open the year, they’d take down league rival Saint Croix Falls and juggernaut Stratford along the way, before dropping a tough one to Mayville in Division 5 state title game. The Tigers get elevated to D4 this season by the WIAA’s Tournament Performance Factor. “The strength of this team is their experience at the skill positions and the physical strength of their interior line,” said Jovin Kroll. While just three starters are back on offense this year, that includes some really talented skill guys. Tysen Teal is one of the most dynamic players in the state, rushing for more than 1800 yards and 32 touchdowns along with a team-high 683 receiving yards. Starting quarterback Kamden Kroll threw for 17 touchdowns last year, while Mason Chell was second on the team with 15 rushing touchdowns.

2) Saint Croix Falls and Northwestern went head-to-head for the Heart O’North once again, and this time it was Northwestern that came out on top, as the Saints finished second. Unfortunately for Saint Croix Falls, the playoffs brought a familiar face in the Tigers, who eliminated them 47-20 in Level 2. “We have a pretty strong group returning, but will definitely need some new guys to step up to fill in the cracks,” said second hear coach Dustin Vickerman. “The benefit is that we will have a strong senior class in regards to leadership and talent.” With quarterback Brett Sladky, who threw for 1,922 yards, and top receiver Drake Peterson returning, there’s a lot of firepower in the passing game. Eli Larson is a returning First Team All-Conference offensive lineman.

3) Barron qualified for the playoffs for a second straight year, an outstanding accomplishment for a program that had just one postseason appearance from 2004 to 2024. The Golden Bears were third in the Heart O’North, finishing 6-4 overall after a Level 1 playoff exit to league foe Saint Croix Falls. James Berg takes over for Nick Schroeder, looking to keep the momentum going. “The kids have been adaptable to change and having an open mind and a willingness to change,” Berg said. “The guys have worked hard in the weight room and creating a culture of relationships beyond football. New information has been easy to learn and the kids are responding with a positive attitude and ready to go.” It’s a pretty inexperienced group, with just three starters returning on offense and three on defense. The Golden Bears to return quarterback Troy McDonough, who threw for more than 1800 yards.

4) Ashland went 5-4 during the regular season to finish in fourth place in the Heart O’North with a 4-3 league record. The Oredockers would make the playoffs, but are still searching for their first playoff win since 1997. The team will be in the playoff hunt, though a bit below the top couple programs in the league. Xander Gibbon is a returning Second Team All-Conference choice at running back, while Jasper Erickson is one of the top offensive linemen in the league.

5) Hayward/Lac Courte Oreilles scored a couple wins in Heart O’North Conference play, but the Hurricanes finished just 2-7 overall. They threw it a bunch last year, and 1700-yard passer Keegan Walsh graduates along with too receivers Cade Schlapper and Preston Sullivan. Leading rusher Gabe Bisonette as well as receiver Caleb Springer are among the top returning skill guys.

6) Bloomer was off the pace in the Heart O’North, finishing 2-5 in league play and 2-5 overall. “We will need to find ball carriers, ball catchers, and defensive tacklers quickly if we're going to compete in the Heart O' North Conference,” said head coach Tyler Mickelson. There are four returning starting offensive linemen, but the leading rusher, receiver, and quarterback all graduated. All told, the Blackhawks welcome back four starters on offense and three on defense, with just eight returning letterwinners.

7) Cumberland scored one win last season, a 14-6 victory at Spooner in late September. The Beavers dropped three other games by 11 or fewer points. Richard Lauterbach replaces Jordan Potvin as head coach. “With many returning starters and continuity on the coaching staff, Cumberland's outlook should be that of growth and improvement,” Lauterbach said. “Our biggest strength this year will be senior leadership ,and our offensive and defensive lines. We have big, strong kids that have played together for years. We will look to impose our will on other teams offensively and bend but not break on the defensive side of the ball. Weakness going into the year would be in the skill positions, we will be giving reps to a lot of new faces and we will see if kids can take those jobs and touches and run with them.” The Beavers return seven starters on both offense and defense for 2-26, including two-way lineman standout Brody Gilbertson.

8) Spooner opened the season with an exciting 22-21 win over Elk Mound, but the only other win they’d get the rest of the way was a 19-14 decision over Bloomer late in the year. The Rails were competitive in quite a few games, however, with three conference losses decided by two touchdowns or less. Spooner will have to replace 1000-yard rusher Mason Sobralski, who also led the team in receiving.