(WIAA) – The 48th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Football State Championships will be held Thursday and Friday, Nov. 20-21, at Camp Randall Stadium on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis.
CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Nov. 20
Div. 7 – Cochrane-Fountain City (13-0) vs. Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic (13-0) – 10 a.m.
Div. 6 – Darlington (13-0) vs. Edgar (13-0) – 1 p.m.
Div. 5 – Mayville (13-0) vs. Northwestern (13-0) – 4 p.m.
Div. 4 – Little Chute (12-1) vs. Winneconne (13-0) – 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 21
Div. 3 – Grafton (13-0) vs. Reedsburg (10-3) – 10 a.m.
Div. 2 – Notre Dame (13-0) vs. West De Pere (13-0) – 1 p.m.
Div. 1 – Arrowhead (12-1) vs. Bay Port (11-2) – 4 p.m.
DIVISION 1 NOTES: Last year’s champion Bay Port advances to the final in pursuit of its second consecutive championship. This marks the third time the Pirates will participate in the title game. They finished runner-up in their first experience in 2019. This fall, they finished second in the North Division of the Fox River Classic Conference standings behind Division 2 finalist West De Pere. Their road to the title game culminated with a highly entertaining 38-35 win over Muskego in the State semifinal held at Titan Stadium in Oshkosh. The Pirates averaged 42.5 points per game during the playoffs while yielding an average of 15.5 points. Arrowhead returns to the championship game for the first time in a decade. The Warhawks will be participating in the program’s 14th title game. Their previous experiences resulted in six State titles, including 1993, 1994, 1996, 2007, 2012 and 2013. Their runner-up finishes came in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2008, 2014 and 2015. The Warhawks finished second in the Classic Eight Conference behind Muskego, the team Bay Port defeated in the State semifinal. They defeated Waunakee 19-17 in the semifinal held at Madison Memorial to advance to the championship game. In their four playoff games, the Warhawks have averaged 35 points a game and surrendered 20.5 points per game.
DIVISION 2 NOTES: Notre Dame, the 2025 champion in Division 3, moves up a division to make its sixth appearance in the State final. In addition to the title won last season, the Tritons were crowned champions in Division 3 in 2003 and 2015. They finished runner-up in 2000 and 2016. The Tritons are the champions in the South Division of the Fox River Classic Conference this season and have advanced to the final by cruising past River Falls 42-6 in the State semifinal played at D.C. Everest. They are averaging a whopping 50.8 points per game in the playoffs. Prior to joining the WIAA, the Tritons played in four Division 1 title games of the now defunct WISAA organization. They won a title in 1992 and finished runner-up in 1995, 1997 and 1998. West De Pere is back in the title game for the sixth time as well and for the first time since 2022. The Phantoms made three straight appearances from 2009-11, which resulted in Division 3 championships in 2010 and 2011, and a runner-up finish in 2009. Other runner-up finishes came in Division 3 in 2018 and in Division 2 in 2022. They earned their return to Camp Randall with a thrilling 35-34 victory over Homestead in the semifinal played at Neenah. The Phantoms are the champions in the North Division of the Fox River Classic Conference this year. Their high-octane offense has averaged more than 47 points a game in the post-season while giving up just under 24 points per game.
DIVISION 3 NOTES: Grafton has advanced to the championship game for the second time in the past three seasons and is making its fifth experience overall in the State final. Four of the Black Hawks’ previous appearances came during an eight-year span from 1977-84. They won back-to-back Division 2 championships in 1981 and 1982 and finished runner-up in Division 2 in 1977 and 1984, and then again in Division 3 in 2023. This season, the Black Hawks were champions in the Woodland Conference. They edged last season’s runner-up Catholic Memorial 34-31 in overtime in their semifinal match-up at Oconomowoc to earn a berth in the title game. The Black Hawks averaged 42.5 points a game during their playoff run while yielding 13 points per contest. Reedsburg returns to the championship game for the third time and for the first time since the second of back-to-back Division 3 appearances in 2008 and 2009. Those experiences resulted in a runner-up finish in 2008 and a championship in 2009. This season, the Beavers finished in a two-way tie for fourth place in the Mississippi Valley Conference. They advanced to the final following a 43-20 triumph over Whitefish Bay in the semifinal played at Madison La Follette. The Beavers are averaging 37.5 points a game in the post-season. The defense has surrendered 17.5 points per game in the four playoff games.
DIVISION 4 NOTES: The game will feature a rematch of a game in Week 1 of the regular season, which was won by Winneconne, 14-6. The Wolves will make their second appearance in the State finals. They won the championship in its first experience in 2013. The Wolves rolled past Baldwin-Woodville 28-8 in their State semifinal match-up at Marshfield to clinch their return to Madison. They are the 2025 champions in the Bay Conference. Winneconne has held playoff opponents to an average of 7.25 points a game in its run to the title game, while the offense is putting up 39.5 per game. Little Chute, like its opponent this week, will be making its second appearance in the title game. The Mustangs ended their 2014 season as the State runner-up in Division 4. Their return to Camp Randall comes virtue of a 35-25 win over Columbus in their semifinal matchup played at Kewaskum. The Mustangs are the champions in the North Eastern Conference this fall. They are averaging 36.8 points a game through their four playoff games, and the defense is giving up 14.8 points in the postseason.
DIVISION 5 NOTES: Mayville is making its seventh finals appearance and its first since 2022. The Cardinals’ lone title came in Division 4 in 1994. They advanced to the title game and finished runner-up in Division 4 in 1991, 1992 and 2006, and then again in Division 5 in 2021 and 2022. The Cardinals were the champions of Wisconsin Flyway Conference this fall. They defeated Lake Country Lutheran 27-15 in their State semifinal game played at Slinger to earn their return to Camp Randall. Mayville is averaging 30.5 points per game this postseason while yielding 14.3 points a game. Their last three games have been decided by 12 points or less. Northwestern will experience the State finals for the first time in 32 years and for the third time overall. The Tigers won their one State championship in the Division 3 bracket back in 1988. The second time they advanced to the title game, they finished runner-up in Division 4. This fall, they captured the crown in the Heart O’ North Conference. The Tigers downed perennial power Stratford in the semifinals, 22-13, to punch their ticket to Camp Randall. That nine-point differential is the closest game the Tigers have had all year. They are averaging a robust 45 points a game during the playoffs.
DIVISION 6 NOTES: Edgar, the Division 7 champion the past two seasons, moves up a division to play for another State title. The Wildcats have now advanced to the title game for the 16th time, which leads all member schools. They have won nine championships. In addition to the Division 7 crowns won in 2023 and 2024, they earned another in 2016. The Wildcats were the Division 6 champions in 2009 and 2010; the Division 5 champs in 1992, 1999 and 2001; and they possess the 1979 Division 4 gold trophy. In addition, the Wildcats have runner-up finishes in 1991, 1998, 2000, 2008, 2018 and 2019. They were the champions in the Marawood Central Wisconsin Conference this fall. The Wildcats beat Mondovi 21-14 in their semifinal played at Stanley-Boyd for the chance to earn their 10th title. Their defense has allowed a total of 28 points in the four playoff games this year while the offense has averaged 23 points per game in the postseason. The Wildcats have shutout eight opponents this season. Darlington also has a rich football history, advancing to the championship game for the 14th time and for the second time in the past three seasons. The Redbirds have won four State championships, earning Division 5 titles in 1987, 1990, 1991 and 1995. In addition, they have placed runner-up eight times, once in Division 4 (1997), three times in Division 5 (1993, 1994, 1996) and five times in Division 6 (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2023). The Redbirds’ return to the State final comes by virtue of a convincing 37-3 win over Manitowoc Lutheran in the semifinals. They are the champions of the Southwest Wisconsin Activities League this season. Averaging 44 points per game in the four playoff games, the Redbirds have won their four playoff games by an average of 30.5 points.
DIVISION 7 NOTES: Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic returns to the final for the second time in program history with the only other appearance coming in 2001, when the Lancers finished runner-up in Division 5. Prior to joining the WIAA, they made one appearance as a member of WISAA, winning the Class A championship in 1994. This season, the Lancers are the champions in the Small Division of the Midwest Classic Conference. Their return to Madison after a 24-year hiatus is the result of a 28-0 blanking of last year’s State runner-up Potosi/Cassville in the semifinal played at Stoughton. The stellar Lancers’ defense has recorded two shutouts in their playoff run and has only allowed a total of 15 points in their four postseason games. Cochrane-Fountain City advances to the championship game for the first time in the program’s history. The Pirates began celebrating their first trip to the final after a field goal in double overtime resulted in a 17-14 triumph over Lourdes Academy in the semifinal played at Wisconsin Rapids Lincoln. They were the champions of the Dairyland Conference this fall. The Pirates are outscoring playoff opponents by an average score of 32.0 to 8.8. In addition, the defense has shutout eight opponents this season.
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