Several area teams punched playoff tickets in Week 6, and another big wave of teams can lock in postseason games with wins this week. All three of the Big 8 leaders, Madison Memorial, Sun Prairie, and Janesville Craig, are officially in, while Badger Conference leaders Waunakee, Monona Grove, and Watertown are now clinched along with McFarland and Edgerton in the Rock Valley and Johnson Creek in the Trailways.
Each week leading up to the games in the final half of the regular season in high school football, we'll take a look at area teams that can clinch a playoff spot, become playoff-eligible, or risk elimination from the postseason field.
In the past two years, teams with 4-5 and 3-4 conference records have made the playoff field; therefore, we won't consider a team eliminated unless they can no longer get to those marks in the Big 8, Badger, and Rock Valley conferences. With 224 playoff spots and around 395 teams competing for those spots, it's expected several teams that finish with records under .500 will again make the postseason.
The division listed with a team is based on the projections at WisSports.net for divisional placement. The final determination of football divisions is made when the full postseason field is announced after Week 9.
Area Teams Clinched: Madison Memorial (5-1), Big 8/D1; Sun Prairie (5-1), Big 8/D1; Janesville Craig (5-1), Big 8/D1; Waunakee (6-0, 4-0), Badger North/D2; Monona Grove (6-0, 4-0), Badger South/D2; Watertown (5-1, 4-0), Badger South/D2; McFarland (6-0), Rock Valley/D3; East Troy (5-1), Rock Valley/D3; Edgerton (5-1), Rock Valley/D4; Fennimore (6-0, 4-0), Southwestern/D6; Pecatonica/Argyle (5-1, 4-1), Six Rivers/D6; Johnson Creek (6-0, 4-0) Trailways-Small/D7; Black Hawk (5-0, 4-0), Six Rivers/D7; Potosi/Cassville (4-2, 4-2), Six Rivers/D7.
Area Teams Eligible: Horicon/Hustisford (5-1, 3-0), Trailways-Large/D4; Markesan (4-2, 3-1), Trailways-Large/D6; Mineral Point (5-1, 3-0), SWAL/D6; Cuba City (3-3, 3-1), SWAL/D6; Wauzeka-Steuben/Seneca (6-0, 3-0), Ridge & Valley/D6; Ithaca (4-2, 3-0), Ridge & Valley/D7.
Big 8
*Five wins clinches a playoff spot... four wins is usually enough to get in
Clinched: Madison Memorial (5-1), D1; Sun Prairie (5-1), D1; Janesville Craig (5-1), D1.
Can Clinch: Verona (4-2) can clinch with a win over Madison La Follette (3-3)... Middleton (4-2) can clinch with a win over Janesville Craig (5-1).
Eliminated: Janesville Parker (0-6).
Risk of Elimination: Beloit Memorial (1-5) will be eliminated with a loss to Madison Memorial (5-1)... Madison East (1-5) will be eliminated with a loss to Sun Prairie (5-1)... Madison West (2-4) can no longer clinch a playoff spot with a loss to Janesville Parker (0-6).
"Four Wins Gets You In": Verona (4-2) and Middleton (4-2) are likely into the postseason. Madison La Follette (3-3) can get to four wins and a likely playoff berth with a win over Verona (4-2).
Badger North
*Four wins clinches a playoff spot... three wins is right about the cut line for the postseason
Clinched: Waunakee (6-0, 4-0), D2.
Can Clinch: DeForest (4-2, 3-1) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Beaver Dam (2-4, 1-3)... Mount Horeb/Barneveld (5-1, 3-1) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Portage (0-6, 0-4).
Eliminated: None.
Risk of Elimination: Portage (0-6, 0-4) is eliminated with a loss to Mount Horeb/Barneveld (5-1, 3-1). Beaver Dam (2-4, 1-3) can no longer clinch a playoff spot with a loss to DeForest (4-2, 3-1). Sauk Prairie (1-5, 1-3) can no longer clinch a playoff spot with a loss to Baraboo (2-4, 2-2). A 3-4 team would possibly be on the bubble to make the playoffs.
"Three Wins Gets You In": DeForest (4-2, 3-1) and Mount Horeb/Barneveld (5-1, 3-1) have secured three conference wins, which is where the cut line was last year for playoff consideration. Reedsburg (4-2, 2-2) can get its third win by beating Waunakee (6-0, 4-0). Baraboo (2-4, 2-2) can get its third win by defeating Sauk Prairie (1-5, 1-3).
Badger South
*Four wins clinches a playoff spot... three wins is right about the cut line for the postseason
Clinched: Monona Grove (6-0, 4-0), D2; Watertown (5-1, 4-0), D2.
Can Clinch: Stoughton (5-1, 3-1) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Watertown (5-1, 4-0)... Oregon (4-2, 3-1) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Edgewood (2-4, 1-3).
Eliminated: None.
Risk of Elimination: The losing team between Fort Atkinson (0-6, 0-4) and Monroe (0-6, 0-4) will be eliminated from playoff contention. Milton (2-4, 1-3) can no longer clinch a playoff spot with a loss to Monona Grove (6-0, 4-0). Edgewood (2-4, 1-3) can no longer clinch a playoff spot with a loss to Oregon (4-2, 3-1). A 3-4 team would possibly be on the bubble to make the playoffs.
"Three Wins Gets You In": Stoughton (5-1, 3-1) and Oregon (4-2, 3-1) have secured three conference wins, which is where the cut line was last year for playoff consideration.
Rock Valley
*Five wins clinches a playoff spot... four wins is usually enough to get in
Clinched: McFarland (6-0), D3; East Troy (5-1), D3; Edgerton (5-1), D4.
Can Clinch: The winning team between Beloit Turner (4-2) and Jefferson (4-2) will clinch a playoff spot.
Eliminated: Evansville/Albany (0-6).
Risk of Elimination: Whitewater (1-5) will be eliminated with a loss to Brodhead/Juda (2-4), who would no longer be able to clinch a playoff spot with a loss to Whitewater... Clinton (1-5) will be eliminated with a loss to McFarland (6-0)... Big Foot (2-4) can no longer clinch a playoff spot with a loss to Evansville/Albany (0-6).
"Four Wins Gets You In": Beloit Turner (4-2) and Jefferson (4-2) are both likely into the postseason regardless of the outcome of Friday's head-to-head match-up.
Capitol North
*Three wins clinches a playoff spot
Clinched: None.
Can Clinch: The winning team between Lake Mills (5-1, 2-0) and Lakeside Lutheran (5-1, 2-0) will clinch a playoff spot... Lodi (6-0, 2-0) clinches a playoff spot with a win over Columbus.
Eliminated: None.
Risk of Elimination: The losing team between Poynette (4-2, 0-2) and Luther Prep (3-3, 0-2) is eliminated from playoff contention with a loss... Columbus (1-5, 0-2) is eliminated with a loss to Lodi (6-0, 2-0).
Capitol South
*Two wins for playoff eligibility, three wins to clinch a playoff spot
Clinched: None.
Can Clinch: None.
Eligible: None.
Can Become Eligible: The winning team between Cambridge (6-0, 1-0) and Belleville (5-1, 1-1) will become playoff-eligible... Marshall (2-4, 1-0) can become playoff-eligible with a win over Waterloo (0-6, 0-2).
Eliminated: None.
Risk of Elimination: Waterloo (0-6, 0-2) is eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to Marshall (2-4, 1-0)... Belleville (5-1, 1-1) can no longer clinch a playoff spot with a loss to Cambridge (6-0, 1-0).
Other Area Teams
Trailways-Large: Markesan (4-2, 3-1) and Horicon/Hustisford (5-1, 3-0) are playoff-eligible. Horicon/Hustisford (5-1, 3-0) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Parkview (0-4, 0-3). Markesan (4-2, 3-1) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Palmyra-Eagle (5-1, 2-1), who can in turn become playoff-eligible with a victory. Pardeeville (4-2, 2-1) can become playoff-eligible with a win over Dodgeland (3-3, 1-2).
Trailways-Small: Johnson Creek (6-0, 4-0) has clinched a playoff spot. The winning team between Lourdes (5-1, 3-1) and Cambria-Friesland (3-3, 3-1) clinches a playoff spot. Fall River (5-1, 3-1) clinches a playoff spot with a win over Deerfield (1-5, 1-3).
SWAL: Fennimore (6-0, 4-0) has clinched a playoff spot. Mineral Point (5-1, 3-0) and Cuba City (3-3, 3-1) are playoff-eligible. The winning team between Mineral Point (5-1, 3-0) and Cuba City (3-3, 3-1) will clinch a playoff spot.
Southwestern: Prairie du Chien (5-1, 2-0) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Platteville (5-1, 1-1).
South Central: Mauston (5-1, 2-0) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Westfield (0-6, 0-3).
Six Rivers: Black Hawk (5-0, 4-0), Pecatonica/Argyle (5-1, 4-1), and Potosi/Cassville (4-2, 4-2) have all clinched playoff spots.
Ridge & Valley: Wauzeka-Steuben/Seneca (6-0, 3-0) and Ithaca (4-2, 3-0) are playoff-eligible. Wauzeka-Steuben/Seneca (6-0, 3-0) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Kickapoo/La Farge (0-5, 0-3). Ithaca (4-2, 3-0) can clinch a playoff spot with a win over Riverdale (3-2, 2-2), who can in turn become playoff-eligible with a win. De Soto (4-2, 2-1) can become playoff-eligible with a win over North Crawford (2-4, 1-2).
Great 8: Wisconsin Heights is not eligible for the postseason (enrollment size). Oakfield is 5-1, which puts them in a three-way tie with Sevastopol and Gibraltar for two playoff spots with three weeks to play. Florence and Newman Catholic are undefeated, holding the top two spots in the 8-Player East standings. Four teams make the postseason from each division, and the criteria is winning percentage to get in for the top four spots.