High School Football Recap: Week 7
By Jimmie Kaska
Game Audio: Cambridge 25, Belleville 19
By Jimmie Kaska
Game Audio: Sun Prairie 37, Madison West 7
By Jimmie Kaska
The Road To Madison
Each week, we will take a look at the area games and check out the playoff scenarios at play for each team. Projected divisions are based on the cutoff lines from last year based on enrollment.
Projected playoff teams are based largely based on current record and quality of opponents faced.
Current area teams (Big 8, Badger North/South, Capitol North/South, Rock Valley) teams that have clinched a playoff spot and their projected divisions:
Sun Prairie (1), Madison West (1), Middleton (1), Verona (1), Waunakee (2), Stoughton (2), Monona Grove (2), Deforest (2), Mount Horeb/Barneveld (3), Jefferson (3), Lodi (4), Turner (4), Clinton (5), Belleville* (6), Cambridge* (6).
*Playoff-Eligible
Moving Up (Teams that haven't already clinched): Monroe (Bubble Team), Evansville/Albany (Projected Playoffs)
Moving Down: Janesville Parker (Eliminated), Madison Memorial (In The Hunt), Reedsburg (Eliminated), Milton (Eliminated), Fort Atkinson (Eliminated), Poynette (Eliminated), Brodhead/Juda (In The Hunt), Big Foot (In The Hunt)
Big 8: 5 wins needed to clinch
*4-5 record sometimes is enough for a playoff spot if not enough .500 teams qualify for the playoffs
Clinched: Sun Prairie (7-0), D1; Middleton (6-1), D1; Madison West (5-2), D1; Verona (5-2), D1
Eliminated: Madison East (0-7); Janesville Parker (1-6)*; Beloit Memorial (2-5)*; Madison Memorial (2-5)*
Clinched With a Win: Janesville Craig (4-3)
Eliminated With a Loss: Madison La Follette (3-4)*
Clinching Scenarios: Janesville Craig needs to take down Madison West to return to the playoffs after a brief layoff from the postseason. Expect a physical, grind-it-out ground assault from both in a very important game in the middle of the Big 8 standings.
Elimination Scenarios: Beloit Memorial needs to upset Middleton to keep their slim playoff hopes going. Madison Memorial has its fifth loss, but will get Janesville Parker ahead of their clash with Beloit Memorial in Week 9.
Projected Playoff Teams: Sun Prairie, Middleton, Madison West, Verona, (plus 0-2 more from below)
Bubble Playoff Teams: Madison La Follette, Janesville Craig
Still in the Hunt: Madison Memorial, Beloit Memorial
Badger North: 4 wins needed to clinch
Clinched: Waunakee (7-0, 5-0), D2; Mount Horeb/Barneveld (6-1, 4-1); DeForest (5-2, 4-1)
Eliminated: Baraboo (0-7, 0-5), Reedsburg (1-6, 1-4), Sauk Prairie (2-5, 1-4)
Clinched With a Win: ; Beaver Dam (3-4, 3-2)
Eliminated With a Loss: Portage (2-5, 2-3)
Clinching Scenarios: Beaver Dam will need to take down Sauk Prairie on Friday to get a playoff spot. If they lose, Waunakee awaits in Week 9, not an ideal scenario in which to clinch and get in.
Elimination Scenarios: Portage has to head to Reedsburg this week before finishing up the season against DeForest. They have to sweep those teams in order to get in to the playoffs.
Projected Playoff Teams: Waunakee, Mount Horeb/Barneveld, DeForest, Beaver Dam (plus 0-1 more from below)
Bubble Playoff Teams: Portage
Still in the Hunt: None
Badger South: 4 wins needed to clinch
Clinched: Monona Grove (7-0, 5-0), D2; Stoughton (7-0, 5-0), D2
Eliminated: Edgewood (0-7, 0-5), Fort Atkinson (2-4, 1-3), Milton (3-3, 1-3)
Clinched With a Win: Watertown (4-3, 3-2), Oregon (4-3, 3-2)
Eliminated With a Loss: Monroe (3-4, 2-3)
Clinching Scenarios: The winning team between Oregon and Watertown this week will clinch a playoff spot. Both teams are on the road in Week 9.
Elimination Scenarios: Monroe needs to avoid going down against winless Edgewood. The Cheesemakers have to play host to Oregon in what could be a play-in game for the playoffs next week.
Projected Playoff Teams: Monona Grove, Stoughton, Oregon-Watertown winner (and 1-2 more from below)
Bubble Playoff Teams: Oregon-Watertown loser, Monroe
Still in the Hunt: Milton, Fort Atkinson or Monroe (losing team this week eliminated),
Capitol North: 3 wins needed to clinch
Clinched: Lodi (6-0, 2-0), D4
Eliminated: Poynette (2-4, 0-2)
Clinched With a Win: Luther Prep (5-2, 2-1), Lake Mills (6-1, 2-1)
Eliminated With a Loss: Lakeside Lutheran (4-3, 1-2), Columbus (2-5, 1-2)
Clinching Scenarios: Luther Prep will need to upset Lodi, while Lake Mills will have to handle Poynette, in order for those teams to clinch a playoff spot this week.
Elimination Scenarios: The losing team between Lakeside Lutheran and Columbus is eliminated from playoff contention.
Projected Playoff Teams: Lodi, Lake Mills (and 0-1 more from below)
Bubble Playoff Teams: Lakeside Lutheran, Luther Prep
Still in the Hunt: Columbus
Capitol South: 2 wins needed for playoff eligibility, 3 wins needed to clinch
Clinched: None
Eligible: Belleville (5-2, 2-1), D6; Cambridge (5-2, 2-0), D6
Eliminated: None
Clinched With a Win: Belleville (5-2, 2-1), Cambridge (5-2, 2-0)
Eligible With a Win: New Glarus/Monticello (4-3, 1-1)
Eliminated With a Loss: Waterloo (3-4, 1-2), Marshall (2-5, 0-2)
Clinching Scenarios: Cambridge will need to defeat Marshall to clinch a return to the postseason. Belleville is non-conference this week, but they will have a clinching opportunity in Week 9 against Marshall.
Eligible Scenarios: New Glarus/Monticello will need a win against Waterloo to become playoff-eligible, or try for it next week against Cambridge.
Elimination Scenarios: Waterloo is eliminated with a loss to New Glarus/Monticello. Marshall will miss the postsason if they lose to Cambridge.
Projected Playoff Teams: Belleville, Cambridge
Bubble Playoff Teams: New Glarus/Monticello, Marshall
Still in the Hunt: Waterloo
Rock Valley: 5 wins needed to clinch
*4-5 record sometimes is enough for a playoff spot if not enough .500 or above teams qualify for the playoffs
Clinched: Clinton (6-0), D5; Turner (5-2), D4; Jefferson (6-1), D3
Eliminated: Whitewater (1-6), Edgerton (2-5)*, Brodhead/Juda (2-5)*, Big Foot (2-5)*, McFarland (2-5)*
Clinched With a Win: East Troy (4-3), Evansville/Albany (4-3)
Eliminated With a Loss: None
Clinching Scenarios: If Evansville/Albany can get by nearby Brodhead/Juda, and East Troy can deal Turner a third straight loss, those winning teams will clinch a playoff berth.
Elimination Scenarios: All four of the 2-5 teams have a shred of playoff hopes, but a loss by any will eliminate them from the playoffs.
Projected Playoff Teams: Clinton, Jefferson, Turner, East Troy, Evansville/Albany
Bubble Playoff Teams: None
Still in the Hunt: McFarland, Edgerton, Brodhead/Juda, Big Foot
8-Player Football
Teams are drawn from a pool of "North" and "South" schools for the Jamboree (in its final year). Only two area teams can qualify for the Jamboree due to enrollment size: Oakfield and Abundant Life/St. Ambrose, both of whom are expected to be selected for the Jamboree (for the South). Wisconsin Heights has too large of an enrollment for Jamboree participation, but will be eligible for participation in the 8-player football playoffs next year.
What about other southern Wisconsin schools?