Journal Sentinel first round football playoff staff predictions
Journal Sentinel prep sports reporter Zac Bellman reveals staff predictions for the area’s top first round WIAA football playoff games.
The 2025 WIAA high school football playoffs begin Friday, Oct. 24, and the Milwaukee area is loaded with state title contenders across almost every division.
The Journal Sentinel will provided live updates throughout the night from the Division 1 game between Kenosha Bradford and Racine Case.
We’ll keep an eye on four other games: Marquette at Sussex Hamilton and Oconomowoc at Mukwonago in Division 1, and Wauwatosa East at Milwaukee King and West Bend West at Slinger in Division 2.
You can also track our live scoreboard with action from around Wisconsin.
Here’s where you can follow along for all of the latest updates:
Division 1
- Oconomowoc (5-4) at Mukwonago (6-3)
- Wausau West (5-4) at Arrowhead (8-1)
- D.C. Everest (6-3) at Brookfield East (7-2)
- Marquette (4-5) at Sussex Hamilton (7-2)
- Madison West (5-4) at Muskego (8-1)
- Kenosha Bradford (7-2) at Racine Case (7-2)
- Milwaukee Hamilton/Audubon (4-4) at Middleton (8-1)
- Oak Creek (5-4) at Badger (9-0)
- Milwaukee Riverside (3-6) at Franklin (9-0)
- Verona (6-3) at Milwaukee Pulaski (6-3)
- Milwaukee Bradley/Arts (3-6) at Milwaukee Reagan (8-1)
Division 2
- Greenfield (5-4) at Notre Dame (9-0)
- West Bend West (7-2) at Slinger (7-2)
- Wauwatosa East (5-4) at Milwaukee King (6-3)
- Hartford Union (4-5) at West De Pere (9-0)
- Waukesha West (4-5) at Union Grove (8-1)
- Nicolet (4-5) at Holmen (8-1)
- Menomonee Falls (3-6) at Homestead (9-0)
- Milwaukee Bay View (6-3) at Elkhorn (7-2)
- Wauwatosa West (4-5) at Germantown (6-3)
- Brookfield Central (3-6) at Monona Grove (8-1)
Division 3
- Medford (3-6) at Grafton (9-0)
- Jefferson (5-4) at Catholic Memorial (8-1)
- Wisconsin Lutheran (6-3) at La Crosse Logan (6-3)
- Burlington (5-4) at New Berlin Eisenhower (5-4)
- Pewaukee (4-5) at Sauk Prairie (7-2)
- Whitefish Bay (3-6) at New Berlin West (7-2)
- Port Washington (6-3) at Milwaukee Washington/Fuller (6-3)
- Pius XI Catholic (5-4) at Martin Luther (6-3)
- McFarland (4-5) at Whitnall (8-1)
Division 4
- Milwaukee North/Lifelong Learning (3-4) at Winneconne (9-0)
- Brown Deer (2-7) at Columbus (8-1)
- Saint Francis (4-5) at Racine St. Catherine’s (8-1)
Division 5
- Kiel (3-6) at Lake Country Lutheran (8-1)
- Wittenberg-Birnamwood (4-5) at Brookfield Academy (7-2)
- Milwaukee Academy of Science (4-5) at Racine Lutheran (8-1)
In a Division 1 playoff matchup, Sussex Hamilton took a 24-10 lead into halftime against Marquette in Sussex.
Slinger leads West Bend West, 28-14, early in the fourth quarter in the Division 2 playoff game at Slinger. Slinger led, 14-7, at halftime.
Pewaukee led host Sauk Prairie, 24-3, early in the fourth quarter in the Division 3 playoff game.
The WIAA high school football playoffs begin this week as 224 teams across seven divisions begin their quest for a state title. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporters Zac Bellman and Michael Whitlow made their predictions for each division, highlighting their final four teams, potential sleepers and who they think will raise championship gold at Camp Randall Stadium on Nov. 20-21.
In last year’s predictions, Zac correctly predicted four of the 14 title-game participants, including three eventual state champions. Michael had three title-game participants correct, with one perfect prediction of Stratford over Wrightstown in Division 5.
Here are their predictions for 2025 for all seven divisions
Five Milwaukee-area high school football games to watch in the first round of the 2025 WIAA playoffs
WIAA high school state football tournament predictions for all seven divisions
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Vote for Journal Sentinel Piggly Wiggly high school athlete of the week for Oct. 13-18
WIAA announces high school football playoff brackets for all seven divisions
Don’t miss your favorite team this season, sign up to watch Wisconsin high school sports on the NFHS Network. The subscription isn’t just for football, sign up now and you get all the sports the NFHS covers in the winter and spring seasons as well, including basketball, soccer, baseball, and softball to name a few. Go through our NFHS Network link to sign up today.
USA TODAY Network-Wisconsin readers can get a 25% discount on a yearly NFHS pass in 2025. Use promo code USATODAY25 when you sign up.
