PREVIEW OF THE WIAA STATE FOOTBALL FINALS

 PREVIEW OF THE WIAA STATE FOOTBALL FINALS

PREVIEW OF THE STATE FOOTBALL FINALS

The 46th Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Football State Championships will take place in Madison, Wisconsin, on Thursday, November 17, and Friday, November 18, at Camp Randall Stadium.

Scoreboard for the 2022 WIAA Football State Championships: Computer Predictions, Results

ALL DIGITAL AND CASHLESS TICKETS FOR ADMISSION: The WIAA employs GoFan Ticketing. Adults and students must pay an additional $11 in online fees for a single game of admission. For the games on Thursday, an all-day pass costs $30 plus internet fees, and for the matches on Friday, it costs $25. Each and every ticket must be used with a mobile device. Visit wiaawi.org/Tickets on the WIAA website to buy tickets. Children under the age of two are admitted free of charge.

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Schedule for the championships:

Nov. 17th, Thursday

Div. Shiocton (11-2) against. Regis (13-0) at 10 a.m.

Div. 6 - Stratford (10-2) vs. Mondovi (12-1) at 1 p.m.

Div. Mayville (13-0) against. Aquinas (12-1) at 4 p.m.

Div. 4 - Columbus (13-0) vs. Catholic Memorial (13-0) - 7 p.m.

Nov. 18, Friday

Div. 3 - West Salem (12-1) against. Monroe (13-0) at 10 a.m.

Div. 2 - West De Pere (12-1) vs. Kettle Moraine (10-3) at 1 p.m.

Div. 1 - Mukwonago (12-1) vs. Kimberly (12-1) at 4 p.m.

AIR: Bally Sports Wisconsin or Bally Sports Wisconsin Extra will broadcast live all seven divisional championship games. Bally Sports Wisconsin will broadcast the games for Divisions 2 through 7, and Bally Sports Wisconsin Extra will broadcast the Division 1 game live. Check the channel's local listings in your cable guide. The finals will also be broadcast live digitally on Bally Sports Wisconsin Plus with a membership to the service and via the Bally Sports app with registration and cable system verification. Visit ballysportsplus.com to sign up.

RECAP: Franklin defeated Sun Prairie 38-17 to win the Division 1 championship the previous season. In the Division 2 championship game, Waunakee defeated Homestead 33-21, while in the Division 3 championship game, Pewaukee defeated Rice Lake 15-6 to claim the championship trophy. Aquinas defeated Mayville 28-26 to win the Division 5 championship, while Catholic Memorial defeated Ellsworth 21-12 to win the Division 4 championship for the second time in a row. Colby defeated the Ledgers 22-7 to win the Division 6 final, preventing St. Mary's Springs from winning their fourth consecutive championship. Reedsville defeated Coleman 17-0 to win Division 7 with a perfect score.

The WIAA started supporting the playoff tournament series in 1976. CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS HISTORY: There were four divisions in the first two championships. The field was divided into five divisions in 1978. In 1981, the playoffs were once more enlarged to six divisions. The number of clubs eligible for the postseason was increased to 192 in 1996, considerably enlarging the playoff field. With 224 teams, the competition grew to its present seven-division structure in 2002. Since 1982, Camp Randall Stadium has been the site of every championship game. During the COVID pandemic in 2020, the finals were not held. The most titles have been won by St. Mary's Springs, nine in total. Next with seven are Edgar, Kimberly, Lancaster, Stratford, and Waunakee. Homestead and Arrowhead have both won six championships. D.C. All five winners are Everest, Menomonie, Monroe, and Osseo-Fairchild. With 13, Arrowhead, Edgar, and St. Mary's Springs have the most title game appearances among the membership. With 12, Darlington follows, followed by 11 each for Lancaster and Waunakee. Stratford and Kimberly have already participated in 10 title games.

NOTES FOR DIVISION 1: Kimberly is attempting to win its eighth State championship in its tenth appearance in the championship game. From 2013 to 2017, The Papermakers won five straight titles, the first of which was in Division 2 and the subsequent four in Division 1. From Level 3 of the 2012 postseason through the title game in 2018, they went seven years without losing a playoff game. Their other two titles came in Division 2, when they won back-to-back titles in 2007 and 2008. In Division 2 in 2009 and Division 1 in 2018, Kimberly placed second both times. This year, The Papermakers and Neenah shared first place in the Fox Valley Association. At Level 4, they easily defeated Bay Port 42-21 to progress to the title game. Mukwonago makes it to the championship game again again. The only other time the Indians played in the championship game was in 2004, when they defeated Marshfield 17-6 to capture the Division 1 title. They and Muskego shared the Classic Eight Conference championship this past fall. In the fourth round of the playoffs, the Indians defeated Hamilton 47-21 to advance to the title game. Through the first four rounds of the playoffs, they scored 43 points on average per game.

NOTES FOR DIVISION 2: Kettle Moraine makes its first appearance in the final game since its lone prior appearance in 1988, when it defeated New Berlin West 20-7 to claim the Division 2 championship. The Classic Eight Conference, which was won by Division 1 finalist Mukwonago and Muskego this season, had the Lasers tied for third place. This season, they defeated Mukwonago, and their three losses came to storied rivals Arrowhead, Fond du Lac, and Muskego. At Level 4, the Lasers defeated Brookfield Central 7-0 to progress to the championship game. In their first three games of the season, they gave up 84 points, but in the following ten games, they only gave up 68. Furthermore, over their last three postseason games, they have only let up a total of 13 points to their opponents. For the fifth time and for the first time since 2018, when West De Pere finished second in Division 3, West De Pere is back in the championship game. The three further Phantoms encounters happened in that order between 2009 and 2011. Following their run of appearances, they won back-to-back Division 3 championships in 2010–11 and placed second in 2009. At Level 4, they defeated Kaukauna by a score of 26-7, earning themselves a trip back to Camp Randall. They came in second place to Bay Port in the Fox River Classic Conference's North Division this season; Bay Port went all the way to Level 4 of the Division 1 playoffs. The Phantoms have averaged a 35.3-6.5 point victory over their four postseason opponents.

NOTES FOR DIVISION 3: Twenty-six years after its previous participation in 1996, Monroe is making its ninth appearance in the State championship game. During the years 1986 to 1996, The Cheesemakers were a titan. They made the championship game eight times during that time. In 1986, 1990, 1991, and 1992, The Cheesemakers won the Division 2 gold award. In 1994, they added a Division 3 championship. In 1987, 1995, and 1996, they finished as Division 2 runners-up three times. This season, Monroe won the Rock Valley Conference title. They easily defeated New Berlin West 48-6 in their Level 4 match to advance to the championship round. In nine games this season, the Cheesemakers have limited their opponents to one or less points, including seven shutouts. Through their first 13 games, they have outscored opponents 571-89. West Salem will compete in the State Finals for the fourth time. The previous three Panthers visits occurred over a six-season span from 2002 to 2007. In 2007, they won the Division 4 championship. In their past two finals appearances, in 2002 and 2005, they came in second place. This year's Coulee Conference champions are the Panthers. After losing to Onalaska in the season opener, they have won 12 straight games without allowing an opponent to score more than 14 points. With a 37-14 victory over the Hilltoppers at Level 4, they were able to exact some retaliation and qualify for the final game.

NOTES FOR DIVISION 4: Catholic Memorial, the two-time defending champion, is making its ninth appearance in the State final in an attempt to win the program's sixth title. After dropping down from Division 3, where they won State championships in 2012, 2016 and 2018, the Crusaders won the Division 4 title last season and in 2019. The Crusaders also finished second in Division 2 in 2001, Division 3 in 2010, and Division 4 in 2015. The Crusaders won WISAA championships in 1979, 1989, 1993, and 1996 prior to joining the WIAA. Additionally, they placed second six times. They won the Parkland Conference this year, taking first place. They beat Two Rivers at Level 4 20-14 to advance to the championship game. This season, the Crusaders are winning games by an average of 42 to 11 points. For the fourth time, Columbus makes it to the championship game. The Cardinals' three prior appearances took place in the early and middle of the 1990s. They were champions in Division 4 in 1990 and 1996. When they competed in 1995, they came in second place. This season, the Cardinals have won the Capitol Conference. They defeat Freedom 32-16 in their Level 4 matchup to get to the championship game. The Columbus hasn't really been tested throughout its first 13 games of the season, it's possible to say. The 16-point gap in the Level 4 game was the closest an opponent has come throughout the whole season. This season, they have won by an average of 39 points.

NOTES FOR DIVISION 5: The teams who competed in last year's final game will meet again in this year's championship game. Aquinas, the defending champion, will play in its third State Championship game in an effort to win a third State championship. The Blugolds also won the Division 5 championship in 2007 in addition to last year. The Blugolds, a former WISAA team, won Division 2 championships in 1993 and 1995. They came in second place in the Coulee Conference this year to West Salem, who has gone to the Division 3 championship game. The only Blugolds setback this year came in a 28-14 loss to the Panthers. They kept up their pursuit of back-to-back State titles by defeating Kewaunee at Level 4 by a score of 44-19. This season, Aquinas has scored 42 points on average per game, with five games scoring 50 or more. Mayville, who finished second last year, is making its sixth finals appearance. In 1994, the Cardinals won their lone championship in Division 4. They finished second in Division 4 in 1991, 1992, and 2006 in addition to 2021. This fall, Mayville won the Wisconsin Flyway Conference championship. In order to face Aquinas again, the Cardinals had to defeat Prairie du Chien 26-21 in their Level 4 game. They are scoring a respectable 43 points per game on average this season, and their playoff defence has produced two shutouts.

NOTES FOR DIVISION 6: Mondovi will compete in the championship game for the second time in school history and for the first time since the Buffaloes placed second in Division 4 in 1990. They came in second place in the Cloverbelt Conference this year, trailing Regis, which has earned a spot in the Division 7 championship game. The sole blemish on the Buffaloes' record this year is their 37-14 loss to Regis during the season. They defeated Darlington 14-7 in the Level 4 match to qualify for the championship game. Nine of Mondovi's 13 opponents this season were held to under 10 points by the defence. As the Tigers make their 10th appearance in the championship final and their first since 2019, Stratford is no stranger to the big game. They are the only team in State history to have won six straight championships, all in Division 6 between 2003 and 2008. In 1986, the Tigers also won the Division 5 championship, giving them a total of seven titles. In 2018 and 2019, they finished second in Division 5. Stratford and Wittenberg-Birnamwood shared the Large Division of the Central Wisconsin Conference championship this year. The Tigers advanced to the championship game and competed for their eighth State championship by defeating venerable power St. Mary's Springs 20-14 in the semifinal. The renowned Stratford defence, which has kept opponents under double digits in eight games throughout the regular season and playoffs, has given up an average of eight points per game this season.

NOTES FOR DIVISION 7: Regis makes its sixth appearance in the State championship game and its first since 2019. Since joining the WIAA in 2000, the Ramblers have taken home two State championships. In 2003, they won the Division 7 title, and in 2016, they were named the Division 6 champion. In 2002, Division 7 was where one of their four runners-up finishes occurred. 2009, 2012, and 2019 saw Division 6 for the other three. They won three Division 3 championships while a former WISAA member, in 1992, 1993, and 1999. They have topped the Cloverbelt Conference standings this year. Following a rout of Bangor in their Level 4 game, 43-7, the Ramblers move on to the championship game. The smallest margin of victory in their subsequent 12 victories this season, following a 13-6 victory in their season opener, came against Division 6 champion Mondovi. This season, they have outscored their opponents 44-10 on average per game, including a 51-13 average in the postseason. For the first time since 2013, when they won the Division 6 championship and the team's lone championship, Shiocton returns to the State final for the fourth time. In their previous two Division 6 final appearances, in 1983 and 2011, the Chiefs finished second. They finished third in the Central Wisconsin Conference's Large Division this year, trailing only co-champions Wittenberg-Birnamwood and Stratford, who this year have gone to the Division 6 final game. They defeated Cashton 21-19 in their Level 4 match to qualify for the championship game. The Chiefs have outscored their postseason opponents 116-33 on the way to the title game, and two of their four shutouts this season occurred in Levels 1 and 2 of the playoffs.

Eight-player recap: Last Saturday, Newman Catholic (12-0) thrashed Belmont (10-2) 54-0 to win the State 8-Player Football Tournament championship for the second time in a row. Newman Catholic led 47-0 at halftime thanks to the Fighting Cardinals' stellar defence and the Braves' costly errors early in the game. The running clock was used for the entire second half. Belmont only managed 13 total offensive yards during the contest and committed 5 turnovers. In total, the Fighting Cardinals gained 320 yards of offence during the contest, including 234 yards on the ground. They had a 14-2 edge in first downs and more than double Belmont's amount of possession time. Conner Krach and Thomas Bates both ran for more than 100 yards. Krach ran for 101 yards and three touchdowns, while Bates ran for 108 yards and two scores. Additionally, Krach completed 4-of-6 passes for 86 yards and two touchdowns. Bates hauled in three catches for 81 yards and two more scores. With nine tackles, including four behind the line of scrimmage, two recovered fumbles, and a pass deflection, Ed Gustafason led the Fighting Cardinals' defence.

Follow the State Football Finals on social media with the hashtag #wiaafb and the WIAA State Tournament Twitter account, @wiaawistate. Additionally, follow us at wiaawi on Instagram and like us on Facebook.

REQUIRE RESULTS?

About 15 minutes after the conclusion of each championship game, results and statistics will be made accessible on the WIAA website at wiaawi.org/Sports/Fall/Football/Tournament.

THE GAME BALL IS WILSON: Wilson is the game ball for the WIAA State Football Finals. The official ball at playoff Levels 3 and 4 is a Wilson football. Through 2023, the Wilson contract will be in effect.

Additional WIAA football championships merchandise is available online now through Sunday, Nov. 27 before midnight. Fans can commemorate their experience at the 2022 football championships at Camp Randall Stadium with exclusive souvenir merchandise for sale at Bucky's Locker Room located below Section Y and in the concourse behind Section D. Through a collaboration with Fox Cities Embroidery, you may find the link to the WIAA football championships online store on the homepage of the Football Tournament at wiaawi.org/Sports/Fall/Football/Tournament. Following the championship games, each team will also be able to purchase customised championship gear; links to the store will be posted on the Football Tournament webpage.

SOURCES :- https://www.onfocus.news/oowiaa-state-football-finals-preview/