The third round of the Wisconsin high school football playoffs was anything but dull, as 60 teams battled it out in the quarterfinal round on Friday night. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the action on the gridiron kept fans on the edge of their seats across the Badger State.
In the marquee Division 1 matchup, the Muskego Warriors continued their impressive postseason run with a decisive 21-7 victory over the Neenah Rockets. Muskego’s stifling defense shut down Neenah’s high-powered offense, while the Warriors’ ground game wore down their opponents. “Our guys came ready to play tonight,” said Muskego head coach Ken Krause. “We knew we had to limit Neenah’s big plays, and I’m proud of how our defense stepped up.”
Elsewhere in Division 1, the Bay Port Pirates held off a late surge from the Marquette Hilltoppers, winning 35-21. The Pirates built a comfortable lead but had to fend off a Marquette comeback attempt in the second half. “We knew Marquette would keep fighting, and they gave us everything we could handle,” said Bay Port coach Gary Westerman. “But our guys kept their composure and made the plays we needed to advance.”
The D.C. Everest Evergreens successfully advanced to the semifinals by defeating the Waunakee Warriors 31-21 in a thrilling back-and-forth match. “We engaged in a fierce battle from the beginning to the end,” expressed Everest coach Greg Ryan. “Waunakee is such a well-coached team, and our guys had to earn every yard and every stop.”
Mukwonago’s Indians rounded out the Division 1 semifinalists, taking down the Arrowhead Warhawks 17-6 in a defensive slugfest. “Both teams played great defense tonight,” said Mukwonago coach Clay Iverson. “It came down to a few plays, and we were able to capitalize when it mattered most.”
Equally thrilling were the Division 2 quarterfinal matchups. The Rice Lake Warriors outlasted the New Richmond Tigers 28-6, while the West De Pere Phantoms held off a late rally from the Kaukauna Ghosts to win 20-14. The Badger Badgers cruised past the Milton Wildcats 42-22, and the Slinger Owls edged the Homestead Highlanders 17-14 in a close contest.
In Division 3, the La Crosse Logan Rangers outlasted the Medford Raiders 51-48 in a high-scoring affair. The Notre Dame Tritons cruised past the Grafton Black Hawks 28-6, while the Catholic Memorial Crusaders edged the Mount Horeb Vikings 17-14. The Wisconsin Lutheran Warriors also advanced, taking down the New Berlin West Vikings 21-14.
The completion of the quarterfinal round sets the stage for an exciting slate of semifinal matches next week. The next chapter of this thrilling high school football postseason will have fans across Wisconsin glued to their screens.