Dennis Semrau covers prep sports for 100.5 ESPN Madison and ESPNWisconsin.com.
MADISON, Wisc. - Fall has officially arrived, and the march to the WIAA football playoffs includes several area teams with aspirations to secure berths in postseason play on Friday night.
Last week, Janesville Craig (5-1 overall, 5-1 league) and Sun Prairie (5-1, 5-1) locked up playoff berths, joining Madison Memorial (5-1, 5-1), which was the first Big Eight Conference team to qualify for the playoffs the previous week.
Middleton (4-2, 4-2) can secure its 23rd consecutive playoff berth with a victory over visiting Janesville Craig. Meanwhile, Verona (4-2, 4-2) travels to Madison La Follette (3-3) looking to lock up its fifth straight playoff appearance.
In Badger North Conference play, defending Division 2 state champion Waunakee (6-0 overall, 4-0 league) secured its 23rd straight playoff berth when it routed Sauk Prairie 51-0 last week.
DeForest (4-2, 3-1) travels to Beaver Dam (2-4, 1-3) looking to lock up its 17th straight playoff berth, while Mount Horeb/Barneveld (5-1, 3-1) needs a victory over visiting Portage (0-6, 0-4) to earn its 12th consecutive playoff appearance.
In the Badger South, Monona Grove (6-0, 4-0) and Watertown (5-1, 4-0) wrapped up playoff berths last week. Oregon (4-2, 3-1) needs a victory over host Madison Edgewood (2-4, 1-3) to return the Panthers to the playoffs, while Stoughton (5-1, 3-1) faces a tough test in visiting Watertown to secure the Vikings’ fifth playoff appearance and third in a row.
In the Rock Valley Conference, McFarland (6-0, 6-0), East Troy (5-1, 5-1) and Edgerton (5-1, 5-1) have locked up playoff berths.
PLAYOFF QUALIFIERS
Big Eight: Madison Memorial (6-0 overall/6-0 conference), Janesville Craig (5-1, 5-1), Sun Prairie (5-1, 5-1).
Badger North: Waunakee (6-0, 4-0).
Badger South: Monona Grove (6-0, 4-0), Watertown (5-1, 4-0).
Rock Valley: McFarland (6-0, 6-0), East Troy (5-1, 5-1), Edgerton (5-1, 5-1).
NEEDS ONE VICTORY
Big Eight: Middleton (4-2, 4-2), Verona (4-2, 4-2).
Badger North: DeForest (4-2, 3-1), Mount Horeb/Barneveld (5-1, 3-1).
Badger South: Oregon (4-2, 3-1), Stoughton (5-1, 3-1).
Capitol North: Lake Mills (5-1, 2-0); Lakeside Lutheran (5-1, 2-0); Lodi (6-0, 2-0).
Rock Valley: Beloit Turner (4-2, 4-2), Jefferson (4-2, 4-2).
PREP MANIA ‘GAME OF THE WEEK’
BIG EIGHT
JANESVILLE CRAIG (5-1, 5-1 Big Eight) at MIDDLETON (4-2), 4-2, 7 P.M.
Last week: Janesville Craig held host Madison East to 111 yards of total offense in cruising to a 34-6 victory over the Purgolders. … Middleton roared out to a 40-point halftime lead and held host Janesville Parker to 97 yards of total offense in rolling to a 46-0 victory.
Series: Middleton has won nine of its last 10 games against Janesville Craig and has a five-game winning streak in the series, including a 42-7 victory at home last season … The Cardinals have outscored the Cougars 201-20 spanning the last five seasons. … Craig’s last win in the series was a 20-13 decision at Monterey Stadium in 2012.
Janesville Craig is tied with Madison Memorial and Sun Prairie for the Big Eight lead. The Cougars are back on track with a two-game winning streak since losing to Sun Prairie 49-0 on Sept. 7. … Senior running back Tressin Kussmaul has run for 706 yards and nine touchdowns. … Senior linebacker Sam Smith (57 tackles) and senior lineman Keeanu Benton (43 tackles, 4 tackles for loss), a University of Wisconsin recruit, anchor the defense. The state’s top defensive line prospect, Benton is a WIAA Division 1 state runner-up heavyweight wrestler. … The ground-oriented Cougars are averaging 231.2 yards rushing per game with 16 TDs but have just one TD pass and are averaging 26.3 yards per game in the air. … Craig’s defense is holding opponents to 73.0 yards rushing and 121.5 yards passing per game.
Middleton has a two-game winning streak since losing 30-27 at home to Madison Memorial on a ‘Hail Mary’ TD pass as time expired on Sept. 7. … Cardinals’ junior running back Kallion Buckner has rushed for 740 yards (8.5 yard average) with 10 TDs. Senior quarterback Bryce Carey has passed for 496 yards and five TDs and run for 392 yards (9.8 per carry) and five scores. Middleton is averaging 37.8 points, 253.0 yards rushing and 82.7 yards passing per game. … Senior defensive back Devin Jackson (31 tackles) and junior defensive back Ben Litchfield (29 tackles) lead the Cardinals’ defense, which is allowing 10.5 points, 124.5 yards rushing and 90.8 yards passing per game. Senior defensive back Kevin Meicher returned a punt 65 yards for a touchdown against Parker. … Middleton has allowed 57 points combined in its two losses and just six total points in its four victories, posting three shutouts.
VERONA (4-2, 4-2 Big Eight) at MADISON LA FOLLETTE (3-3, 3-3) at, 7 P.M.
Last week: Verona handed Madison Memorial its first loss last week, holding the Spartans 21 points under their scoring average in a 28-10 victory. … Madison La Follette scored first but allowed 50 unanswered points, including 23 in the third quarter, in a 50-6 loss at Sun Prairie.
Verona rebounded from a 43-35 shootout loss at home against Sun Prairie on Sept. 21 with a total team effort on defense last week in holding Madison Memorial to 231 yards of total offense. … Junior quarterback Adam Bekx (1,029 yards, 5 TDs passing) has completed 62 percent of his passes and directs an offense that is averaging 30.8 points and 341.5 yards per game (170.0 rushing, 171.5 passing). Junior flanker/running back Haakon Anderson (581 yards, 10 TDs rushing and receiving), junior running back Keegan Lindell (393 yards, 4 TDs) and sophomore running back Jackson Acker (275, 4) are playmakers to watch. … Senior middle linebacker Dylan Bourne and junior defensive back Cale Rufenacht lead a defense that has allowed 300.2 yards (209.0 yards rushing) and 17.2 points per game.
Madison La Follette is wrapping up a difficult three-game stretch that included losses to Sun Prairie and Janesville Craig (17-10). The Lancers were without senior running back Kayvion James-Ragland (387 yards, 4 TDs) last week for undisclosed reasons. Junior Ben Probst (437 yards, 7 TDs passing) and senior Ray Broughton (202 yards, 2 TDs passing, 2 TDs rushing) have provided a one-two punch at quarterback. … Senior defensive back Jaden Nix is a playmaker on defense and has also caught a TD pass. … La Follette’s balanced offense is averaging 20.8 points, 111.5 yards rushing and 106.5 yards passing per game. … The Lancers are allowing 23.3 points, 175.8 yards rushing and 67.0 yards passing per game.
BADGER NORTH
REEDSBURG (4-2, 2-2 Badger North) at WAUNAKEE (6-0, 4-0), 7 P.M.
Last week: Reedsburg allowed 449 yards of total offense in losing a 57-32 shootout against visiting Mount Horeb/Barneveld. … Waunakee continued to roll, using a 30-point second quarter to rout host Sauk Prairie 51-0. The Warriors held the Eagles to 35 yards of total offense.
Reedsburg was riding a two-game winning streak and had allowed just seven points in that span before running into a potent Mount Horeb/Barneveld offense and an opportunistic Vikings’ defense that forced five Beavers’ fumbles. … Reedsburg hadn’t allowed a passing TD through five games but gave up three TD passes last week. The Beavers’ defense has allowed 255.7 yards per game but just 81.7 yards through the air. … RBs Derek Pawlak, Jason Walls and Casey Campbell have combined for 992 yards and 10 TDs rushing. Since returning to its traditional run-oriented flexbone scheme on offense, Reedsburg has run for 227 yards against Mount Horeb/Barneveld and 300 yards against Beaver Dam.
Waunakee’s special teams scored a quick nine points against Sauk Prairie when senior wide receiver/return specialist Sawyer Maly returned a free kick 60 yards for a score following a safety. … Waunakee, ranked second in The Associated Press Large Schools’ Division poll, has outscored its opponents 301-20 (50.2-3.3) this season and allowed just three touchdowns, all on the ground. The Warriors are averaging 288.5 yards on offense, including 180.5 passing, and allowing just 121.7 yards per game (67.0 passing, 54.7 rushing). … Waunakee senior quarterback Jarrett Wulf has completed 58 of 69 passes (84 percent) for 1.007 yards and 12 TDs. Junior running back Will Ross has run for a team-best 301 yards and eight TDs. Maly has caught 18 passes for 410 yards (22.8 yards average) and eight TDs. Senior defensive end Reed Ryan anchors the Warriors’ defense that has allowed just 328 yards rushing (2.1 average).
BADGER SOUTH
WATERTOWN (5-1, 4-0 Badger South) at STOUGHTON (5-1, 3-1), 7 P.M.
Last week: Watertown ran its winning streak to four games with a 26-13 victory over visiting Milton. … Stoughton had its five-game winning streak ended in a 35-10 loss at rival Oregon.
Watertown has surpassed its win total of a year ago when it went 4-6 overall, including 3-4 in its first season in the Badger South Conference, after previously competing in the now-defunct Wisconsin Little Ten. … The Goslings are averaging nearly 36 points per game and allowing 10 points per game during their winning streak. … Junior quarterback Ethan Pauly has made a successful debut in his first year as a varsity starter, passing for 1,198 yards and eight touchdowns and rushing for 351 yards and seven more scores. Senior running back Brian Katzenberger (430 yards, 5 TDs) and junior wide receiver Daniel Denault (349 yards, 1 TD) also power an offense that is averaging 28.3 points, 146.5 yards rushing and 2016.3 yards passing per game. … Defensively, junior linebacker Jacob Crogan (41 tackles, 8 tackles for loss) and senior linebacker Isaac Bohlman (37, 2) lead the way. Watertown is allowing 14.2 points and 275.2 yards (132.7 rushing and 142.5 passing) per game.
This is a must-win game for Stoughton if it wants to remain in the Badger South Conference title chase with a game at league co-leader Monona Grove on deck next week. … The Vikings are led on offense by junior quarterback Adam Hobson, who has passed for 794 yards and 10 TDs and rushed for 567 yards and four scores, senior running back Dwight Walker (539 yards, 3 TDs) and junior wide receiver Nathan Hutcherson (313 yards, 5 TDs). Stoughton is averaging 27.0 points and 366.0 yards per game (228.5 rushing, 137.5 passing). … The Vikings need one more victory to secure their fifth-ever playoff appearance and third consecutive playoff berth in school history. … Senior linebackers Drew Pasold (54 tackles, 6 tackles for loss) and Cade Spilde (44, 5) anchor a defense that has allowed 15.6 points and 216.8 yards per game (156.8 yards rushing, 60.0 yards passing).