Big Eight
Sun Prairie 31, Verona 9: The Cardinals passed perhaps their biggest remaining test en route to at least a share of a conference title, something they can claim outright by beating La Follette next Friday. For Verona, this season has had a few setbacks, but there's still time to right the ship in time for the playoffs. First up is a big date with Janesville Craig, who is seeking a playoff spot in the season finale next week.
Madison West 26, Janesville Craig 19: The Regents pull out a win over a likely playoff team on the road this week, and now West will return to Monterey Stadium next Friday to take on Parker and push for a 7-2 record--and a home playoff game, perhaps.
Middleton 21, Beloit Memorial 7: I've been writing all year that the Purple Knights are no pushover, and Middleton gritted out a win to give themselves a seventh win. Middleton has likely locked up a home playoff game. For Beloit Memorial, they will have a chance to play spoiler next Friday when they take on Madison Memorial.
Madison Memorial 17, Janesville Parker 12: The season has not gone as planned for either squad, but for Madison Memorial, they will now have a shot at a playoff spot if they can take down Beloit Memorial next week. That seemed like a strange thought as recently as Week 4, when they were 0-3.
Madison La Follette 28, Madison East 13: The Purgulders had a lead in the Lussier Cup, but the Lancers were able to win it in the second half and put themselves likely into the playoffs with a fourth win. La Follette will need to shock the state again as it did in Level 1 of last year's playoffs, by beating Sun Prairie, to clinch a playoff spot.
🏆*Sun Prairie 8-0
*Middleton 7-1
*Madison West 6-2
*Verona 5-3
Madison La Follette 4-4
Janesville Craig 4-4
Madison Memorial 3-5
#Beloit Memorial 2-6
#Janesville Parker 1-7
#Madison East 0-8
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
#Eliminated From Playoff Contention
Week 9:
Madison La Follette (4-4) at Sun Prairie (8-0): La Follette will need to crash homecoming against the Big 8's clear top team in order to clinch a playoff spot, although they're probably in already. Sun Prairie can clinch an outright conference championship with a win.
Janesville Craig (4-4) at Verona (5-3): While Craig is likely in with a fourth win under their belts, they could clinch by winning on the road in Verona. For the Wildcats, they're already likely facing a road playoff game to start in a couple of weeks, but a fourth loss would probably match them up against the likes of Sun Prairie or Middleton--two teams that handled Verona this season.
Beloit Memorial (2-6) at Madison Memorial (3-5): Beloit Memorial wasn't able to upset Middleton, but they can dash the Spartans' playoff dreams by getting their third win of the season, something they have done once this century. For Madison Memorial, once a playoff longshot, they'll have to take care of the pesky Purple Knights, who are finally showing an upwards trend after going over three years without winning a conference game.
Madison West (6-2) at Janesville Parker (1-7): Madison West could get a seventh win and push for a home playoff game, while Parker could upset a team headed for the playoffs and get some momentum going into the offseason.
Middleton (7-1) at Madison East (0-8): Middleton getting an eighth win will be important in getting a #2 or #3 seed in the playoffs, meaning they'd avoid Sun Prairie until a Level 3 contest potentially. For East, after coming up a little short against La Follette last week, they'll need to pull a big upset to get a victory to take with them into the offseason.
Level 1:
Sun Prairie (D1), Middleton (D1), Madison West (D1), Verona (D1), *Madison La Follette (D1), *Janesville Craig (D1), *Madison Memorial (D1)
*Has not clinched
Badger North
Mount Horeb/Barneveld 35, DeForest 28: The Vikings scored in the final minute to earn a big victory and likely wrap up at least a top-two seed provided they can win over Sauk Prairie the final week of the season. For DeForest, their three losses have come to playoff teams in D2 and D3, and only one that wasn't much of a contest (and none are against Waunakee so far), so they are playing for a possible home game next week.
Reedsburg 3, Portage 0 (Overtime): Reedsburg has struggled this season, but got a big win to put them on the very edge of playoff consideration. Portage has lost four in a row.
Waunakee 62, Baraboo 0: Waunakee earns at least a share of the Badger North.
Beaver Dam 38, Sauk Prairie 6: Beaver Dam is back to the playoffs for the first time in over half a decade, and while they get Waunakee to finish the season, their first year in the Badger North is a success. Sauk Prairie is now out of playoff consideration.
🏆*Waunakee 6-0 (8-0)
*Mount Horeb/Barneveld 5-1 (7-1)
*DeForest 4-2 (5-3)
*Beaver Dam 4-2 (4-4)
#Reedsburg 2-4 (2-6)
#Portage 2-4 (2-6)
#Sauk Prairie 1-5 (2-6)
#Baraboo 0-6 (0-8)
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
#Eliminated (NOTE: A team finishing 3-4 has a very slim chance of making the playoffs)
Week 9
Beaver Dam (4-4, 4-2) at Waunakee (8-0, 6-0): While the upset would be amazing, Beaver Dam has clinched its playoff spot, so there's not as much pressure on this game. Waunakee can wrap up the conference title with a win. There's a chance these teams could meet in Level 1 again.
Mount Horeb/Barneveld (7-1, 5-1) at Sauk Prairie (2-6, 1-5): Mount Horeb/Barneveld is playing for a top playoff seed in the D3 field. After winning a classic against DeForest, they'll look to continue the five-game winning streak they're on by downing the Eagles.
Portage (2-6, 2-4) at DeForest (5-3, 4-2): Portage has dropped four in a row, and at one point what was a promising season with playoff aspirations has turned into must-win in the final game in order to hold even a tiny amount of those hopes. DeForest will want to avoid a costly loss here, as it could throw them into a 1-8 game in Level 1 against a conference champion... such as Waunakee, which is what happened last year.
Reedsburg (2-6, 2-4) at Baraboo (0-8, 0-6): Reedsburg has a tiny chance of a playoff spot with a win over Baraboo to close out the regular season.
Level 1
Waunakee (D2), Mount Horeb/Barneveld (D3), DeForest (D2), Beaver Dam (D2)
Badger South
Monona Grove 63, Stoughton 35: Whew. We did this game as you can see at the top of the article. Massive individual performances here. Monona Grove got program win #400, its 26th conference championship (and eighth in the last nine years), and likely put itself in the catbirdseat for a #1 seed depending on which division they end up in. Stoughton's big season is certainly not a waste despite the loss--it was revealing to see how well they planned and hung with the Silver Eagles. A big holding penalty wiped out a score to make it one possession in the third quarter, for example. The Vikings will do some damage come playoff time.
Oregon 35, Watertown 7: A few miles over on 138, the Panthers wrapped up a playoff spot with a win over the Goslings. Watertown had control of their playoff title destiny just two weeks ago, and now will take on already-co-champ Monona Grove to finish the regular season.
Monroe 21, Edgewood 9: The Cheesemakers will have to beat Oregon to get in to the playoffs next week, since 3-4 is appearing unlikely to cut it. Edgewood will try to beat Milton to get its first win of the season.
Fort Atkinson 30, Milton 23: It was a back-and-forth game, but Fort Atkinson gets to cling to their slim playoff hopes for one more week. They'll have to take down Stoughton to get there.
🏆*Monona Grove 6-0 (8-0)
*Stoughton 5-1 (7-1)
*Oregon 4-2 (5-3)
Watertown 3-3 (4-4)
Monroe 3-3 (4-4)
#Fort Atkinson 2-4 (3-5)
#Milton 1-5 (3-5)
#Edgewood 0-6 (0-8)
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
#Eliminated (NOTE: A team finishing 3-4 has a very slim chance of making the playoffs)
Week 9
Watertown (4-4, 3-3) at Monona Grove (8-0, 6-0): Watertown needs to upset Monona Grove in order to clinch a playoff spot. The Silver Eagles need a win to win the conference outright. Watertown has been generous in spotting opponents points, but the Silver Eagles won't need the charity after rolling up 63 on possibly the best defense in the conference last week. In the preseason, this one looked like a shootout, and it still may be that with two of the state's very best quarterbacks slinging it out, but Watertown will need to pull a huge upset in order to secure a playoff spot. For Monona Grove, being an undefeated conference champion should be good ammo for a #1 seed in either a top-heavy D2 field as one of the smallest schools or the deeper D3 field as one of the largest schools.
Oregon (5-3, 4-2) at Monroe (4-4, 3-3): Oregon is playing for seeding now in the D2 field, while Monroe is simply trying to get back into the playoffs after going undefeated in the regular season a year ago. This should be a very interesting game to follow. The Badger South has two teams right on the bubble that need to win and get in over tough opponents, so plenty of eyes will be on the Badger South this week.
Stoughton (7-1, 5-1) at Fort Atkinson (3-5, 2-4): Fort Atkinson's slim playoff chances ride with pulling an upset on the Vikings, who battled tremendously in a loss to Monona Grove. Stoughton, meanwhile, is directly on the D2/D3 cut line, so having eight wins in their back pocket will be a good argument to get a first-round home game in either division.
Milton (3-5, 1-5) at Edgewood (0-8, 0-6): This one is for the seniors. Milton has dropped five in a row, while Edgewood is still looking for their first win. One streak ends Friday night.
Level 1
Monona Grove (D2/D3), Stoughton (D2/D3), Oregon (D2). Watertown (D2) and Monroe (D3) have to win to clinch a spot.
Capitol North
Lodi 27, Luther Prep 0: Lodi claims a share of the conference title against a very good Phoenix team. Luther Prep has a big showdown next week with Lakeside Lutheran: a true play-in game.
Lakeside Lutheran 59, Columbus 7: Lakeside Lutheran makes it official that last year's Capitol North champion will miss the playoffs, and also sets up a win-or-go-home Week 9 game with Luther Prep.
Lake Mills 48, Poynette 6: Lake Mills grabs a playoff spot and has one more hurdle to clear in order to secure a #2 or #3 seed behind Lodi in the D4 playoff field.
🏆*Lodi 4-0 (8-0)
*Lake Mills 3-1 (7-1)
Luther Prep 2-2 (5-3)
Lakeside Lutheran 2-2 (5-3)
#Columbus 1-3 (2-6)
#Poynette 0-4 (2-6)
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
#Eliminated
Week 9
Luther Prep (5-3, 2-2) at Lakeside Lutheran (5-3, 2-2): One of the state's few true play-in games to the playoffs, the winning team is on to Level 1 while the losing team watches the playoffs from home. The argument for Luther Prep: Their three losses have come to really good teams. Lakeside Lutheran, however, has played a similarly brutal schedule--and they get the home field advantage.
Lake Mills (7-1, 3-1) at Columbus (2-6, 1-3): Lake Mills could wrap up a seeding placement that keeps them on the other side of Lodi in the playoffs until Level 3, in what should be one of the state's most interesting D4 quadrants with teams from southwestern Wisconsin.
Poynette (2-6, 0-4) at Lodi (8-0, 4-0): Barring a massive upset, Lodi can clinch an outright conference championship with a win.
Level 1
Lodi (D4), Lake Mills (D4), Lakeside Lutheran (D4) -or- Luther Prep (D4)
Capitol South
-Not counting crossovers, the Capitol South is 13-5 in non-conference games this season
Cambridge 34, Marshall 19: The Blue Jays clinch a share of the conference title, and will go for an outright win of the conference with a big Week 9 contest against the defending champs. Marshall, however, will miss the playoffs for the first time in quite a few seasons, and regroup ahead of next year.
New Glarus/Monticello 37, Waterloo 9: The Glarner Knights become playoff-eligible with the win, while Waterloo will miss the playoffs and finish the season against St. Francis, a high-D4 team that has put up some impressive scores.
(Non-Conference) Cuba City 40, Belleville 0: The SWAL leaders easily dispatched the Wildcats, which should bode well for Cuba City's seeding hopes despite two losses. Belleville, meanwhile, needs a win in Week 9 to have a shot at a home game in D6.
🏆*Cambridge 3-0 (6-2)
^Belleville 2-1 (5-3)
^New Glarus/Monticello 2-1 (5-3)
#Waterloo 1-3 (3-5)
#Marshall 0-3 (2-6)
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched Playoff Spot
^Playoff eligible
#Eliminated
Week 9
Cambridge (6-2, 3-0) at New Glarus/Monticello (5-3, 2-1): This game is for a conference championship: If the Glarner Knights win, it will force a co-champion scenario (and possibly a tri-champ scenario if Belleville wins). It also affects all playoff seeding for those involved. For Cambridge, this is a chance at an outright conference title.
Marshall (2-6, 0-3) at Belleville (5-3, 2-1): Belleville is looking to deal some payback to the team that kept them out of the postseason last year, while also clinching a playoff spot (although they're already in with a .500 record). Marshall will have a chance to play spoiler against the larger Wildcats, but their playoff hopes are dashed.
Waterloo (3-5, 1-3) at St. Francis - Non-conference: Waterloo will conclude its season with a road date against a team two divisions (and nearly three divisions) larger, who also happens to have a knack for putting up points.
Level 1
Cambridge (D6), Belleville (D6), New Glarus/Monticello (D5)
Rock Valley
Clinton 63, Edgerton 20: Zach Krause ran for six touchdowns and just under 400 yards to help Clinton to a share of the conference title. Whew. Edgerton's playoff chances are gone now.
Jefferson 41, McFarland 28: One thing about the Spartans: They played most of the top teams in the conference very tough. Expect to see McFarland take the leap in the next year or two. Jefferson makes a stronger case for a high D3 seed in what will be a very deep playoff division, especially if the likes of Stoughton or even Monona Grove get pushed down.
Turner 32, East Troy 14: It wasn't that long ago that East Troy was undefeated, rolling up state-leading rushing totals, and battling for a Rock Valley championship. Now, they've lost four in a row, but they will get a non-playoff team in Week 9. For Turner, it's a needed win. They'll need all the wins they can get to earn a favorable place among teams in the D4 field, which is balanced as usual.
Evansville/Albany 35, Brodhead/Juda 7: The streak is over: After 25 straight years of being in the postseason, Brodhead/Juda will be out of the running for this year's field. Evansville/Albany punches their ticket, however, and lock in as the fourth team in the conference to get in.
Big Foot 44, Whitewater 27: The Chiefs set up a huge Week 9 with Evansville/Albany, who just clinched their playoff spot this week. Big Foot needs a fourth win to get in the running, but they have a tall task in front of them.
🏆*Clinton 8-0
*Jefferson 7-1
*Turner 6-2
*Evansville/Albany 5-3
East Troy 4-4
Big Foot 3-5
#Brodhead/Juda 2-6
#McFarland 2-6
#Edgerton 2-6
#Whitewater 1-7
🏆Conference Championship
*Clinched playoff berth
#Eliminated
Week 9
Evansville/Albany (5-3) at Big Foot (3-5): Evansville/Albany is in to the D3 playoffs as a road team, so they can't really do much to improve their seeding in what will be a very deep field. Big Foot, however, needs a win to get in (a 4-5 team is very likely to advance). A big game in Walworth on Friday.
McFarland (2-6) at Turner (6-2): D4 will be balanced, but in the area, Lodi and Lake Mills await as soon as Level 1 for Turner. Every win is key. McFarland has had three tough losses this year, but the Spartans haven't quit.
East Troy (4-4) at Brodhead/Juda (2-6): East Troy is likely into the playoffs already, but can claim that spot by ending a four-game losing streak against a team that will see its quarter-century-long playoff streak end.
Whitewater (1-7) at Clinton (8-0): Clinton can clinch an outright Rock Valley championship with a win.
Edgerton (2-6) at Jefferson (7-1): Jefferson is angling for a home playoff game in what will be a very deep D3 playoff field. Last year, a Rock Valley team went 8-1 and ended up a #5 seed.
Statewide
Football Friday Night recaps the biggest games in the state: