Greater Milwaukee area high school football teams were among big movers in the WIAA playoff matrix rankings ahead of Week 8 of the regular season.
Under the new playoff matrix implemented by the WIAA Board of Control in February, four conference wins is no longer the threshold for postseason qualification. Wins both inside and outside a team’s conference count toward a scoring system that weighs them based on division level of the opponent defeated, as well as that defeated opponent’s strength of defeated programs. Those two factors form a two-tier playoff qualifying score that is then put against the rest of the teams in that division to determine playoff seeding. The top four scores in each division receive a No. 1 seed, with No. 2 through No. 8 seeds being awarded by a combination of playoff qualifying score and travel time factors.
Here is where Milwaukee area teams stand heading into the second-to-last week of the regular season.
Arrowhead leads Division 1 after quality win over Mukwonago
Late-season victories over winning programs figure to have an even greater impact than ever under the new playoff matrix, and a good example of that came from Arrowhead’s 26-23 overtime win over Mukwonago in Week 7. Arrowhead vaulted from fifth to first in D1 with the win in this week’s qualifying report, as its playoff qualifying score now sits at 33.276. Last week’s leaders from Franklin fell to second despite the Sabers improving to 7-0 with a win over 1-6 Kenosha Tremper in Week 7. Tremper’s lack of victories and Week 7 losses by Franklin’s already defeated opponents like Brookfield Central, Racine Park and Oak Creek hurt the Sabers’ Tier 2 score, dropping their score to 32.939. Sussex Hamilton (31.622) remains a No. 1 seed after Week 7 as it holds the third-best score in D1. Muskego (30.816) was a one-seed entering last week, but fell just below Neenah (31.214) to fifth. Milwaukee Reagan (25.488) rounds out the top 10 in 10th after appearing 12th a week ago.
The middle tier of playoff seeds features half a dozen area teams, led by Mukwonago (22.082) in 12th and also including Brookfield East (20.571) in 13th, Milwaukee Pulaski (20.374) in 14th, Oconomowoc (19.296) in 17th, Kenosha Bradford (19.153) in 18th and Marquette (15.806) in 19th.
The bottom third of current playoff seeds include Racine Case (21st, 15.520), Milwaukee Bradley Tech (23rd, 13.848), Oak Creek (24th, 13.531), Milwaukee Riverside (25th, 13.377) and Milwaukee Hamilton (28th, 12.360).
The current last team in would be Green Bay Preble (10.367) in the 32nd and final qualifying spot in Division 1, with the closest local contenders being Kenosha Indian Trail (39th, 6.041) and Milwaukee Marshall Co-op (40th, 4.756).
Slinger drops despite victory in Division 2
Slinger (22.449) dropped just outside a likely No. 2 seed despite a victory over a winless West Bend East team that did not help its score. The Owls are sitting at the ninth-best score in Division 2, just ahead of a Homestead (22.112) team it will face this week in a game that will mean a great deal toward the winner’s playoff seeding. The current middle third of seeds includes West Bend West (14th, 16.898), Germantown (16th, 16.745), Milwaukee King (17th, 15.802), Milwaukee Bay View (19th, 13.238) and Wauwatosa East (20th, 12.704). East is narrowly ahead of crosstown rival Wauwatosa West (21st, 12.327) in a crunch of area teams over the latter third of current fringe playoff seeds. Six more appear from the 22nd to 32nd, led by Waukesha West (22nd, 11.980) and followed by Menomonee Falls (24th, 11.112), Greenfield (25th, 9.847), Brookfield Central (28th, 8.327), Nicolet (30th, 7.429) and Kettle Moraine (31st, 7.133).
Beaver Dam (7.000) holds the 32nd and final qualifying spot over a trio of area teams, including West Allis Hale (33rd, 6.286), Waukesha South (34th, 5.959) and Obama SCTE (35th, 5.917). Hale dropped out of the playoff field this past week, in part due to a 48-7 loss to Marquette.
Grafton, New Berlin West, Catholic Memorial retain top seeds in Division 3
There was no movement at the top of Division 3 this past week. Grafton (32.276), New Berlin West (26.929) and Catholic Memorial (24.378) still hold the top three qualifying scores in the division and would earn No. 1 seeds. Whitnall (19.842) was among the biggest risers after its 49-21 win over a 4-3 Greenfield team in Week 7. The Falcons went from 13th to seventh this week, putting them in contention for a No. 2 seed with a strong finish. Martin Luther (18.327) held at 10th, while the Pewaukee (12.806) team that trailed just behind last week now sits at 15th. Wisconsin Lutheran (11.939) jumped from 25th to 17th with a 34-20 win over Greendale last week, just ahead of Milwaukee Washington (18th, 11.721). Five more area teams appear in the bottom third of current seeds, as New Berlin Eisenhower (23rd, 10.102), Pius XI Catholic (24th, 8.224), Port Washington (28th, 7.184), Whitefish Bay (29th, 7.071) and Waukesha North (31st, 6.724) are all in for now.
McFarland (5.980) holds the final spot through Week 7, with Greendale (36th, 4.798) and Cudahy (37th, 4.538) needing a win and/or some help to get themselves back in the conversation.
Milwaukee North joins field in Division 4, while STM, USM currently first out
Racine St. Catherine’s is third in Division 4 with a score of 23.286 and is in position for a No. 1 seed. Three local teams are in the bottom third, including Saint Francis (26th, 8.959), Brown Deer (27th, 7.816) and a newcomer in Milwaukee North (28th, 7.257). The latter of the three jumped from 40th by qualifying score into the playoff field with a 22-18 win over Milwaukee South. The St. Thomas More Cavaliers had a tenuous hold on a playoff spot last week, but fell to being the first team out if the regular season ended in Week 7. St. Thomas More (5.908) sits in 33rd, a fraction of a point behind Wrightstown (5.939) for the final playoff position.
Lake Country Lutheran (17.663) held at sixth in the Division 5 rankings despite a 37-0 victory over Brown Deer last week. Brookfield Academy (20th, 10.071) dropped from 17th a week ago but could remain in the field barring a significant letdown. Milwaukee Academy of Science (7.653) was the first out last week, but a 32-21 win over Pius XI Catholic vaulted it to 27th. University School of Milwaukee (4.020), which held the 30th ranking entering Week 7, dropped to being the first out after a 41-13 loss to Racine St. Catherine’s.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Week 8 high school football playoff report in the Milwaukee area
