High school football: WIAA announces playoff brackets

The high school football regular season in Wisconsin is over, and it's on to the playoffs.

The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association announced the brackets today for all seven divisions, with 224 teams earning the chance to compete for a state championship.

The WIAA playoffs begin Oct. 25 with first-round matchups, as the road begins to state title games at Camp Randall in Madison on Nov. 21 and Nov. 22.

The Journal Sentinel will be updating this story throughout the morning with more information.

Click here for the brackets in 11-player and 8-player football.

Area teams: Section 2 - Marquette (8-1), Milwaukee Marshall Co-op (4-6), Milwaukee Rufus King (8-2), Milwaukee Reagan (8-2), Milwaukee Bradley Tech/Milwaukee Arts. Section 3 - Franklin (9-0), Oak Creek (6-3), Muskego (5-4), Milwaukee Hamilton/Audubon Tech (8-2). Section 4 - Kenosha Bradford (3-6), Sussex Hamilton (7-2), Arrowhead (7-2), Racine Case (8-1), Oconomowoc (8-1), Mukwonago (7-2).

No. 1 seeds: Waunakee, Marquette, Franklin, Verona.

Area first-round games: No. 1 Marquette vs. No. 8 Milwaukee Marshall Co-op, No. 5 Milwaukee Rufus King vs. No. 4 De Pere, No. 3 Milwaukee Reagan vs. No. 6 Sheboygan North, No. 7 Milwaukee Bradley Tech/Milwaukee Arts vs. No. 2 Bay Port, No. 1 Franklin vs. No. 8 Fond du Lac, No. 5 Oak Creek vs. No. 4 Muskego, No. 3 Neenah vs. No. 6 Milwaukee Hamilton/Audubon Tech, No. 1 Verona vs. No. 8 Kenosha Bradford, No. 5 Sussex Hamilton vs. No. 4 Arrowhead, No. 3 Racine Case vs. No. 6 Oconomowoc, No. 7 Janesville Craig vs. No. 2 Mukwonago.

Quick analysis: Despite sharing the Classic 8 Conference title with Arrowhead and Mukwonago, Oconomowoc got a lower seed than the other two in a curious choice. The seven Classic 8 teams played one crossover game each with the Greater Metro that did not count toward the Classic 8 title standings, but did count toward the WIAA's mandated seven conference games for playoff eligibility. Sussex Hamilton drew Waukesha West in its Classic 8 crossover game in Week 3, but lost a 21-14 Week 2 nonconference game against Oconomowoc that may shed more light on how they match up with the top end of the Classic 8.

Area teams: Section 3 - Badger (8-1), Union Grove (4-5), Burlington (6-3), Racine Horlick (6-3), Westosha Central (4-5), Elkhorn Area (4-5). Section 4 - Slinger (9-0), Brookfield Central (3-6), Wauwatosa West (5-4), Wauwatosa East (8-1), Homestead (7-2), Hartford Union (5-4), Germantown (7-2), Cedarburg (7-2).

No. 1 seeds: New Richmond, Kaukauna, Badger, Slinger.

Area first-round games: No. 1 Badger vs. No. 8 Union Grove, No. 5 Burlington vs. No. 4 Racine Horlick, No. 3 Milton vs. No. 6 Westosha Central, No. 7 Elkhorn Area vs. No. 2 Monroe, No. 1 Slinger vs. No. 8 Brookfield Central, No. 5 Wauwatosa West vs. No. 4 Wauwatosa East, No. 3 Homestead vs. No. 6 Hartford Union, No. 7 Germantown vs. No. 2 Cedarburg.

Quick analysis: A competitive conference affair from earlier this season is renewed in Level 1, as a 28-21 Wauwatosa West win over Wauwatosa East from Week 5 gets a rematch. Homestead looks to repeat the result of a 35-0 win over North Shore opponent Hartford Union from Week 6. Despite a competitive third-place finish in a top-heavy Greater Metro, Germantown falls to a No. 7 seed and will face a fellow third-place team from the North Shore in Cedarburg.

Area teams: Section 2 - Grafton (9-1), Milwaukee North/Lifelong Learning (5-3), Port Washington (7-2), Whitefish Bay (5-4), Pewaukee (4-5). Section 3 - Catholic Memorial (7-2), New Berlin Eisenhower (3-6), Whitnall (7-2), Waterford (5-4). Section 4 - New Berlin West (7-2), Pius XI Catholic (4-5), Greendale (5-4), Obama SCTE (7-1), Wisconsin Lutheran (7-2), Cudahy (5-4), Milwaukee Washington/Fuller Academy (6-4), Martin Luther (6-3).

No. 1 seeds: Medford, Grafton, Catholic Memorial, New Berlin West.

Area first-round games: No. 1 Grafton vs. No. 8 Milwaukee North/Lifelong Learning, No. 3 Port Washington vs. No. 6 Whitefish Bay, No. 7 Pewaukee vs. No. 2 Notre Dame, No. 1 Catholic Memorial vs. No. 8 New Berlin Eisenhower, No. 5 Whitnall vs. No. 4 Reedsburg, No. 3 Stoughton vs. No. 6 Waterford, No. 1 New Berlin West vs. No. 8 Pius XI Catholic, No. 5 Greendale vs. No. 4 Obama SCTE, No. 3 Wisconsin Lutheran vs. No. 6 Cudahy, No. 2 Martin Luther vs. No. 7 Milwaukee Washington/Fuller Academy.

Quick analysis: Division 3 ends up being the division with the most area top seeds, as Grafton seeks to return to the D3 title game. Catholic Memorial debuts in D3 with a top seed and a New Berlin West team that finished third behind CMH and D2 Wauwatosa East in the Parkland Conference also gets a No. 1. A couple other teams impacted by conference realignment prior to this season also managed to qualify with 3-4 conference records, including Pewaukee, Cudahy and Pius XI Catholic.

Area teams: Section 4 - Racine St. Catherine's (9-0), Shoreland Lutheran (3-5), Kettle Moraine Lutheran (5-4), Delavan-Darien (6-3), St. Francis (3-6).

No. 1 seeds: Freedom, Winneconne, Aquinas, Racine St. Catherine's.

Area first-round games: No. 1 Racine St. Catherine's vs. No. 8 Shoreland Lutheran, No. 4 Kettle Moraine Lutheran vs. No. 5 Delavan-Darien, No. 7 Saint Francis vs. No. 2 Lake Mills.

Quick analysis: RSC just completed a perfect run through the regular season with a 38-0 win at Shoreland Lutheran, which it will now host in a Level 1 rematch. KML squeaked into the playoffs with a 3-4 East Central Conference record, while Delavan-Darien finished second in the Rock Valley with a 5-2 record. Saint Francis also finished third with a 3-4 record in the Midwest Classic Large and draws the Capitol Conference's second-place finisher in Lake Mills

Area teams: Section 3 - Racine Lutheran (7-3), Milwaukee Academy of Science (9-1). Section 4 - Lake Country Lutheran (6-3), Watertown Luther Prep (5-4).

No. 1 seeds: Saint Croix Falls, Wrightstown, Prairie du Chien, Stratford.

Area first-round games: No. 4 Racine Lutheran vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Academy of Science, No. 3 Lake Country Lutheran vs. No. 6 Watertown Luther Prep.

Quick analysis: Midwest Classic Large foes MAS and Racine Lutheran run back a Week 5 meeting that went 56-19 to MAS. The loss for Racine Lutheran was its only defeat in conference play, which made the difference as MAS took the conference with a 7-0 record. LCL and WLP also met in Week 3 of the regular season, a 20-0 win for LCL to open Metro Classic play for both teams

Area teams: None.

No. 1 seeds: Regis, Coleman, Cambridge, Cedar Grove-Belgium.

Area teams: Section 4 - Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic (9-2), Kenosha Christian Life (5-5).

No. 1 seeds: Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic, Spring Valley, Edgar, Bangor.

Area first-round games: No. 1 Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic vs. No. 8 Kenosha Christian Life.

Quick analysis: KSJ and KCL just linked up in Week 8 on Oct. 11, a matchup that went 49-13 in favor of KSJ. Lancers quarterback Zach Rizzo threw for six touchdowns in the win, a player the Eagles will be looking to keep contained in the Level 1 playoff rematch.