Metro Classic 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: It was a shared Metro Classic Conference title in 2025, with Racine St. Catherine’s and Lake Country Lutheran each finishing 6-1 in league play. Lake Country Lutheran advanced to the state semi-finals in Division 5, while Racine St. Catherine’s went out in the Sectional Finals. Martin Luther went to a sectional final as well, while Shoreland Lutheran and Watertown Luther Prep also made the postseason.

Note: University School moves from the Metro Classic to the Midwest Classic-Large. Shorewood/Messmer/Dominican joins the Metro Classic from the Woodland, though they did not play varsity football last year.

2025 Season Information:
Standings
Stats
All-Conference

2026 PREVIEW:

Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Lake Country Lutheran
2) Racine St. Catherine’s
3) Martin Luther
4) Watertown Luther Prep
5) Shoreland Lutheran
6) Saint Thomas More
7) Brown Deer
8) Shorewood/Messmer/Dominican

Players to Watch:

Ethan Hans, WR, Lake Country Lutheran: Hans is the top returning receiver in the Metro Classic Conference, hauling in 51 passes for 606 yards and eight touchdowns last season.

Peyton Jacobsen, OL/DL, Shoreland Lutheran: Jacobsen earned First Team All-Conference recognition on both offense and defense last season.

Jonas Meyer, RB, Watertown Luther Prep: Meyer led the Phoenix with 788 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground, earning First Team All-Conference?

Levi Nottling, QB, Watertown Luther Prep: Nottling is back for his third year as the starting quarterback, coming off a junior campaign that saw him throw for 1,208 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Jayden Phillips, RB, Racine St. Catherine’s: Phillips was second on the team with 497 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, adding 214 yards and five touchdowns as a receiver.

Will Schneider, RB, Lake Country Lutheran: Schneider was a First Team All-Conference pick in the Metro Classic last season and will likely see his role increase even more in 2026.

2026 Team Previews

1) Lake Country Lutheran continued to be one of the best and most consistent programs in the state, finishing second in the Metro Classic Conference behind Racine St. Catherine’s and advancing to the state semifinals where they’d go out to Mayville. Veteran head coach Greg Brazgel, the only head coach the program has had, brings back 32 letterwinners in 2026, including eight starters on both sides of the ball. The receiving duo of Ethan Hans and Parker Baranyk will be among the best in the state. The team does need to replace standout quarterback Connor Lubbers, leading rusher Nathan Graf, and star defensive lineman Adam Anderson.

2) Racine St. Catherine’s put together another excellent season, winning a share of the Metro Classic Conference title. They’d take down a very good Lake Mills team in Level 2 before going out against Little Chute in the sectional final. Head coach Dan Miller loses a core group of athletes that were part of the 2024 state championship as well as a great amount of overall success the last few years. That includes dynamic D1 player Lamont Hamilton, multi-year starting quarterback Eddie Vinson plus defenders Andreyan Contreras and Mauricio Talamantez amongst others. As the team moves forward with a new group, it can turn to several backs with experience, including Jayden Phillips, Elijah Ballinger, and Jovanni Gonzalez.

3) Martin Luther finished third in the Metro Classic Conference last year, and in the Division 3 playoffs the team got a favorable draw that allowed them to win a couple games as a three-seed before going out in a sectional final. The Spartans should compete in the upper half of the Metro Classic again, but will turn over most of their offensive production. Gone are quarterback Jackson Boeshaar, leading rusher Jake McCullum-Mattox, and top receiver Jeremiah Valdez-Sholar. Big play receiver Jaylin Dudley is one of the top returning offensive weapons.

4) Watertown Luther Prep able to sneak into the playoffs last year and nearly pulled off a road upset, falling 28-21 to Brillion. “We have returning players on the offense and defense that will be effective leaders for us,” said head coach David Dodge. “They will have the ability to help bring the new starters up to varsity level speed and expectations.” There are seven starters back on both sides of the ball, including three-year starting quarterback Levi Nottling and leading rusher Jonas Meyer.

5) Shoreland Lutheran won four in a row early in the season, and the Pacers finished 5-4 overall, qualifying for the playoffs. They’d get shutout 40-0 by Evansville to open the postseason, however. “We are losing a lot of talent from last year's senior class, including quarterback Mason Sittig who was the heartbeat of the offense,” said new head coach Zach Brug, who replaces Jason Hagedorn. “However we do have many key contributors coming back. Peyton Jacobsen and Karl Wagner are both All-Conference offensive linemen that will be returning and will lead a unit that has high upside. Riley Jacobsen will be a key player for us in the offensive and defensive backfields, and is a player in our area who is flying under the radar because he missed most of last season due to injury.”

6) Saint Thomas More finished 3-6 overall last year, but it wasn’t quite enough to get the Cavaliers into the postseason. “We’re excited about our group this year,” said head coach Jimmy Litscher. “I have a great group of players who are going to play their heart out for their school. This group of guys gets better everyday and are a positive impact in our school community. I feel like we are doing things the right way and will try and translate that onto the field.” The team returns four starters on offense and four on defense this fall. Running back Kendall Toliber, who rushed for 991 yards and 10 touchdowns last year, did transfer to Wisconsin Lutheran.

7) Brown Deer beat Milwaukee Lutheran in Week 2, then to open the conference schedule, defeated league co-champ Racine St. Catherine’s 48-6 as the Angels were missing numerous players due to suspension. That was it for the win column, however, but largely due to the victory over St. Cat’s, the Falcons made the WIAA playoffs for the first time since Zach Baun was roaming the field in 2014. They’d get running clocked by Columbus, however. “Our strength this year will be our passing game, with quarterback and receivers that are returning starters on offense,” said head coach Julian Gladney. “Our main focus for improvement will be on our defense as we have a new defensive coordinator.” The Falcons return three starters on offense and four on defense this year.

8) Shorewood/Messmer/Dominican is a new tri-op, though none of the teams played last year. Shorewood/Messmer canceled its entire season and hasn’t played since September 21st, 2024. Dominican canceled its 2025 season as well, and hasn’t played since September 27th, 2024.