SWAL 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: Darlington dominated the SWAL in 2025, winning the league by two games. The Redbirds continued their run all the way to Madison, taking home a gold ball as Division 6 state champions. Belleville and Fennimore tied for second, with Mineral Point third.

Note: The SWAL is a seven-team league that will play one crossover against the SWC. Abundant Life leaves the SWAL officially for 8-player. Belleville moves from the SWAL to the Eastern Wisconsin. New Glarus joins the SWAL from the SWC.

2025 SWAL Season Information:
Standings
Stats
All-Conference

2025 SWC Season Information:
Standings
Stats
All-Conference

2026 PREVIEW:

Predicted Order of Finish:

1) Darlington
2) Fennimore
3) Cuba City
4) New Glarus
5) Mineral Point
6) Southwestern/East Dubuque
7) Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg

Players to Watch:

Liam Carey, QB, Mineral Point: Carey was a Second Team All-Conference pick at quarterback last season after throwing for more than 1600 yards.

Calum Crist, RB/LB, Darlington: Crist was First Team All-Conference on offense and defense last year, taking home Defensive Player of the Year honors in the SWAL as well as WFCA All-State recognition.

Kaden Drake, OL, Darlington: Drake is a scholarship-level offensive lineman who has received several Division 1 and 2 offers after a First Team All-Conference junior season.

Dante Glendenning, RB/LB, Darlington: Glendenning is yet another two-way playmaker for the Redbirds, finishing second in rushing with 977 yards and 19 touchdowns, while also catching 26 passes for 430 yards. He was First Team All-Conference on both sides of the ball.

Reece Kelley, RB, Fennimore: Kelley is one of the top running backs in southwest Wisconsin, going for more than 1300 yards on the ground last year as a First Team All-Conference selection.

Zeke Zuberbuhler, QB/DB, Darlington: Zuberbuhler is a dynamic athlete who is committed to Air Force. The SWAL Offensive Player of the Year, he threw for 1,376 yards and 19 touchdowns last year and rushed for 1,261 yards and 21 scores. He also scored touchdowns via interception return and kick returns.

2026 Team Previews

1) Darlington had many years of close calls, including seven runner-up finishes, and last season the team claimed its first state title since 1995. The Redbirds went undefeated during the regular season and dominated their way to the Division 6 crown, taking down Edgar 42-18. The team is elevated to Division 5 this season, where they are expected to remain a state championship contender, welcoming back 17 starters. “We bring back a ton of experience from an undefeated state championship team where we running clocked 11 of our 14 opponents,” said head coach Travis Winkers. The list of returning players is impressive. Senior Zeke Zuberbuhler is a returning Honorable Mention All-State pick and committed to Air Force, leading the team in passing and rushing a year ago. Dante Glendenning is another two-way standout, rushing for 977 yards last year, while Calum Crist was All-State on defense and also ran for 852 yards. Ryder Fitzsimons is another talented offensive weapon. Kaden Drake is a top-level lineman up front who is garnering scholarship interest as well. “Two years ago we got moved up and were bounced in Level 2,” Winkers added. “With the tougher competition we need to make sure our depth is better than it was last year.”

2) Fennimore went 6-3 during the regular season, falling to Mineral Point in Week 9. Just a week later in the first playoff game, they’d down the Pointers 50-7 before going out a second time against Darlington. With 16 seniors returning, many of whom are entering their third varsity season, there’s a belief the team could be ready for even bigger things in 2026. Head coach Tyrell Rosemeyer really likes the look of the offensive line, which he feels has the potential to be among the best in school history. Running behind that group will be 1300-yard rusher Reece Kelley. A total of seven starters are returning on offense, with six back on defense.

3) Cuba City had a very young team last year, and it led to some struggles, as the Cubans finished 3-6 overall and missed the playoffs. Veteran head coach Guy Kopp returns 18 letterwinners this season, including nine starters on both sides of the ball. “We are bigger and stronger than we were a year ago, and the commitment our players have shown in the weight room has been the best I have seen in a long time,” said Kopp. The entire offensive line is back, along with all of the specialists. Starting quarterback Hudson Kieler also returns.

4) New Glarus tied for the conference title in the SWC last year, going 8-1 during the regular season. The Glarner Knights made the deepest playoff run in school history, advancing to the sectional finals before going out to Lake Country Lutheran. It was a senior-heavy group that sees a lot of the top performers from a year ago gone, including quarterback Matt Roth, 1100-yard rusher Mile Johnson, top receiver Will Pinnow, plus four First Team All-Conference defenders. First Team All-Conference offensive lineman Will Glotfelty and second-leading receiver Tucker Sysko are among the top returning players as they make the switch to the SWAL this season.

5) Mineral Point had a rough start to the season, dropping four straight in the early going, but rebounded with four wins to close the year and qualified for the playoffs. After beating Fennimore 39-36 in the final regular season game, they’d lose to the Golden Eagles 50-7 in the first playoff game a week later. Chad Whitford replaces Justin Leonard as the team’s head coach, and has a good amount of experience coming back. That includes eight starters on offense and seven on defense, though there are concerns about the overall numbers in the program. Liam Carey returns at quarterback after throwing for 1,613 yards and 15 touchdowns last season.

6) Southwestern/East Dubuque closed the 2025 season with a narrow one-point wi over Benton/Scales Mount/Shullsburg, though it was one of just two on-field victories the multi-state co-op would get last year. Jason Foley replaces Josef Edler as the team’s head coach. They’ll welcome back two quarterbacks who saw time last year, Carsen Splinter and Boen Sherman, but must replaced top rusher and receiver Zander Tierney.

7) Benton/Scales Mound/Shullsburg won just one game on the field last year, a 21-7 decision over Cuba City that ended up keeping the Cubans out of the playoffs. The only other victory attributed to their record was a forfeit over Abundant Life. They have some strength up front with Maddox Hocking and Tyler Andrews returning. Connor Doyle is a skill standout coming back this season.