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: The Midwest Classic-Midwest is made up of teams from the former Midwest Classic-Large, with the exception of Kingdom Prep Lutheran, who moves to the Midwest Classic-Classic. Racine Lutheran was the dominant team in the Midwest Classic-Large last year, going unbeaten in league play. Milwaukee Academy of Science, Pius XI Catholic, and Saint Francis also made the postseason out of the Midwest Classic-Large a year ago.
Note: The Midwest Classic-Midwest is a five-team league that will play two crossover games against the Midwest Classic-Classic Division.
2025 Midwest Classic-Large Season Information:
2026 PREVIEW:
Predicted Order of Finish:
1) Racine Lutheran
2) Saint Francis
3) Pius XI Catholic
4) Milwaukee Academy of Science
5) Cudahy
Players to Watch:
Bryce Austin, WR/DB, Racine Lutheran: Austin is a dynamic athlete who only played in four games last season because of injury but still made First Team All-Conference recognition on both offense and defense. He’s our top-ranked wide receiver in the Class of 2027, and holds multiple D1 offers.
Josiah Evans, RB, Saint Francis: Evans led the Midwest Classic-Large in rushing a year ago, earning First Team All-Conference recognition.
Cohen Kraus, QB/DB, Racine Lutheran: Kraus was the rare athlete to earn both Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year accolades in their league as a two-way standout. He’s already the school’s all-time leading passer, throwing for 1,775 yards and 18 touchdowns last year with 11 more scores on the ground. He also led the team with 85 tackles.
Maddox Matson, TE/LB, Racine Lutheran: Matson was First Team All-Conference on both offense and defense last season. He caught 22 passes for 327 yards and four touchdowns on offense.
Aero Smith, QB, Saint Francis: Smith was an Honorable Mention All-Conference pick for the Mariners last year, accounting for more than 800 yards of offense.
2026 Team Previews
1) Racine Lutheran finished 7-4 on the field last year, with all of the defeats coming against solid competition. RaLu will be one of the more experienced teams in the division, with nine starters back on offense and eight on defense. “This is the first year in the last three that we will have more than two seniors, with eight,” said head coach Jeff Kraus. There is talent coming back all over the field, including the school’s all-time leading passer Cohen Kraus, who was the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year in the Midwest Classic-Large a year ago. Bryce Austin is a dynamic offensive weapon at receiver and doubles as an all-league defensive back.
2) Saint Francis qualified for the playoffs for a fourth consecutive season, though a 47-0 loss to Racine St. Catherine’s in Level 1 sent the Mariners home early. They’d finish with a 4-6 overall record. “Morale is high for our program as 42 students are expected to return this fall, with 27 of them having played at the varsity level in 2025,” said veteran head coach Jeff Wallack. “Experience, then, should be a relative strength.” The Mariners welcome back ten starters on both sides of the ball, including a couple talented skill players on offense. Josiah Evans was the top rusher in the Midwest Classic-Large last season with 655 yards, going for nine touchdowns on the ground as a First Team All-Conference selection as just a sophomore. Aero Smith returns at quarterback after accounting for more than 800 yards of offense.
3) Pius XI Catholic was able to qualify for the postseason in 2025 thanks to a 5-4 regular season record. The stay in the playoffs was short, however, with a 36-0 loss to Martin Luther in Level 1. It does mark back-to-back playoff appearances, however, as the Popes had gone ten years without a trip prior to that. In a five-team league, anything can happen, with razor-thin margins, and there are some pieces to build on, including leading receiver Zachariah Cox and second-leading rusher Holden Benishek.
4) Milwaukee Academy of Science made it four straight playoff appearances, though there would be just three wins on the field in 2025. A blowout loss to Racine Lutheran in Level 1 meant a 3-5 record on the field for the Novas. They graduate talented linemen Xavier Skinner and Walter Jennings III, but have some nice players returning up front, including Anthony Bentley, Jr. and Jonas Jones. Fredie Wright, Jabbar Hister, and B.J. Epps, Jr. are all experienced playmakers on offense.
5) Cudahy struggled a bit early, but was playing much better later in the season. Head coach Quincy LaGrant will try to continue the momentum, though it will be a young group on both sides of the ball. There are four returning starters on offense and three on defense, with 12 letterwinners back. C.J. Sabourin is one of the top players for the Packers, and will make the switch from offensive line to tight end. Jonathan Pettke also returns after leading the team in passing and finishing second in rushing.
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].
