The WIAA released the qualifiers and pairings for the 2012 football playoffs Saturday, as 224 teams in seven divisions embark on their quest for a State championship.
This year’s field features 42 conference champions undefeated in league play, and it’s the first time programs with a sub-.500 record in conference play qualify for the playoffs.
Level 1 games are scheduled for Friday or Saturday, Oct.19-20, with Level 2 games slated for Oct. 26 or 27. Level 3 games will be played on Nov. 2 or 3, and Level 4 is scheduled for Nov. 9 or 10. The State Finals will be played at Camp Randall Stadium on Thursday and Friday, Nov. 15-16.
Stratford has won the most championships with seven. Edgar and Lancaster are next in line with six. D.C. Everest, Menomonie, Monroe, Osseo-Fairchild and Waunakee have each won five. Arrowhead, Ashwaubenon, Brillion and Darlington have won four.
Edgar has appeared in the most championship games with 10. Arrowhead is next on the list having appeared in nine title games. Darlington, Lancaster, Menomonie and Monroe have appeared in eight title tilts. Hilbert, Kenosha Tremper, Osseo-Fairchild, Stratford and Waunakee have appeared in seven.
State championships have been won by 112 different programs.
Stratford (2003-08) is the only program to win six straight championships. Lancaster (2000-02), Manitowoc (1984-86), Monroe (1990-92), Two Rivers (1980-82) and Waunakee (2009-11) are the only other schools to win three consecutive State championships.
De Soto and Milwaukee Bradley have qualified for the most number of playoffs with 28. Howards Grove and Stratford have qualified in 27, and Edgar and Menomonie have participated in the playoffs 26 times.
It’s the 36th year of the playoffs, which began in 1976 with four divisions and a total of 16 teams in 1976 and 1977. It was expanded to five divisions and a total of 20 teams for 1978 and 1979. Division 5 (smallest schools) was given eight playoff participants--making a total of 24--in 1980.
At the advent of the playoffs, divisions of competition were based on average enrollment of conferences. But effective with the 1984 season, competition was based on enrollment of participants--largest schools in Division 1, next largest in Division 2, etc.
Beginning in 1981, the playoff program was changed to six divisions with eight teams in each, a total of 48; so all conference champions could be incorporated into the system. That plan was expanded in 1987 to 96 teams with conference runners-up, as well as champions qualifying. In the first five years, participants were determined on a system, ranking schools on basis of fewest losses and other factors. In 1996, the field was expanded to 192 teams, including all teams with conference records above .500 and other schools chosen from those who were .500 in conference games. In 2002, a seventh division was added, expanding the playoff field to 224 teams.
Championship games were played at many sites through the first six years of the playoffs. But in 1982, all championship games were played at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison in a two-day event. That format remains in existence.
For more tournament information, access the football Tournament Information and State Results Archive pages of WIAA website.
LEVEL 1 GAMES
Friday, October 19 or Saturday, October 20
DIVISION 1
Group A
Game 1: Superior (#8) vs. Appleton North (#1) at D.C. Everest – Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game 2: Green Bay Preble (#5) at Stevens Point (Goerke Park) (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: D.C. Everest (#6) at Bay Port (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Eau Claire Memorial (#7) at Hudson (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group B
Game 1: Milwaukee Vincent/Destiny (#8) at Arrowhead (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Milwaukee King (#5) at Germantown (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Appleton East (#6) at Menomonee Falls (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Milwaukee Morse.Marshall/Juneau/Languages (#7) at Kimberly (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group C
Game 1: Madison Memorial (#8) at Sun Prairie (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Mukwonago (#5) at Madison West (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Middleton (#6) at Hamilton (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Oconomowoc (#7) at Verona Area (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group D
Game 1: Milwaukee Hamilton (#8) at Oak Creek (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Milwaukee Riverside University (#5) at Kenosha Bradford (Indian Trail Field) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Muskego (#6) at Badger (#3) – Saturday, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Racine Horlick (#7) at Franklin (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
DIVISION 2
Group A
Game 1: Tomah (#8) at Marshfield (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Wausau East (#5) at Holmen (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Merrill (#6) at La Crosse Central (UW-L) (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: La Crosse Logan (#7) at Menomonie (UW-Stout) (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group B
Game 1: Oshkosh North (#8) at Green Bay Southwest (#1) – Saturday, 6 p.m.
Game 2: Pulaski (#5) at De Pere (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Ashwaubenon (#6) at Cedarburg (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Hortonville (#7) at Homestead (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group C
Game 1: Wilmot Union (#8) at Waunakee (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: DeForest (#5) at Fort Atkinson (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Burlington (#6) at Watertown (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Waukesha West (#7) at Waterford (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group D
Game 1: Milwaukee Bradley Technical (#8) at Brookfield East (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Greendale (#5) at Wauwatosa West (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: South Milwaukee (#6) at Brookfield Central (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Messmer/Shorewood (#7) at Whitefish Bay (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
DIVISION 3
Group A
Game 1: Rhinelander (#8) at Waupaca (#1) – Friday, 7 p .m.
Game 2: West Salem (#5) at Rice Lake (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Osceola (#6) at Mosinee (#3) – Saturday, 4 p.m.
Game 4: Onalaska (#7) at Medford Area (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group B
Game 1: Antigo (#8) at West De Pere (#1) – Friday, 7 pm
Game 2: Menasha (#5) at Two Rivers (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Kewaskum (#6) at Seymour (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Marinette (#7) at Plymouth (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group C
Game 1: Wisconsin Dells (#8) at Monona Grove (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Reedsburg Area (#5) at Edgewood (Middleton) (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: McFarland (#6) at Evansville/Albany (#3) – TBD
Game 4: Monroe (#7) at Mount Horeb/Barneveld (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group D
Game 1: Whitnalll (#8) at Wisconsin Lutheran (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Jefferson (#5) at East Troy (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Brown Deer (#6) at Catholic Memorial (Carroll University (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: New Berlin West (#7) at Pewaukee (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
DIVISION 4
Group A
Game 1: Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (#8) at Somerset (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Northwestern (#5) at Bloomer (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Spooner (#6) at Barron (#3) – Saturday, 1 p.m.
Game 4: Saint Croix Central (#7) at Northland Pines (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group B
Game 1: Montello/Princeton/Green Lake (#8) at Black River Falls (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Lodi (#5) at Platteville (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: New Glarus/Monticello (#6) at Nekoosa (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Wautoma (#7) at River Valley (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group C
Game 1: Freedom (#8) at Chilton (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Winneconne (#5) at Marshall (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Sturgeon Bay (#6) at Wrightstown (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Omro (#7) at Little Chute (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group D
Game 1: St. John’s NW Military Academy (#8) at Big Foot (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Campbellsport (#5) at Brodhead/Juda (#4) – Saturday, 4 p.m.
Game 3: Edgerton (#6) at Roncalli (Municipal Field) (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Lake Mills (#7) at Lakeside Lutheran (#2) – Saturday, 1 p.m.
DIVISION 5
Group A
Game 1: Cameron (#1) at Unity (#8) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Colby (#5) at Stanley-Boyd (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Prescott (#6) at Cumberland (#3) – Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Grantsburg (#7) at Elk Mound (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m
Group B
Game 1: Niagara/Goodman/Pembine (#8) at Amherst (#1) – Saturday, 1 p.m.
Game 2: Crandon (#5) at Marathon (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Spencer/Columbus Catholic (#6) at Peshtigo (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Auburndale (#7) at Stratford (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group C
Game 1: Mondovi (#8) at Lancaster (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Pardeeville (#5) at Arcadia (#4) – Saturday, 3 p.m.
Game 3: Aquinas (#6) at Cuba City (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Westby (#7) at Durand (#2) - TBD
Group D
Game 1: Brookfield Academy (#8) at Brillion (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Kenosha St. Joseph (#5) at Cedar Grove-Belgium (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Martin Luther (#6) at Laconia (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Howards Grove (#7) at Racine St. Catherine’s (Horlick Field) (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
DIVISION 6
Group A
Game 1: Flambeau (#8) at Regis (Carson Park) (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Pittsville (#5) at Hurley (#4) – Saturday, 1 p.m.
Game 3: Melrose-Mindoro (#6) at Athens (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Boyceville (#7) at Whitehall (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group B
Game 1: Laona/Wabeno (#8) at Edgar (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Coleman (#5) at Crivitz (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Tigerton/Marion (#6) at Rosholt (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Pacelli (#7) at Wild Rose (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group C
Game 1: Darlington (#8) at Deerfield (#1) – Saturday, 3 p.m.
Game 2: Fennimore (#5) at Necedah (#4) – Saturday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Pecatonica/Argyle (#6) at Iowa-Grant (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Kickapoo/La Farge (#7) at Bangor (#2) – Saturday, 2 p.m.
Group D
Game 1: Algoma (#8) at Saint Mary’s Springs (Fond du Lac) (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Ozaukee (#5) at Manawa (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Lourdes Academy (#6) at Manitowoc Lutheran (Reedsville) (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Reedsville (#7) at Shiocton (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
DIVISION 7
Group A
Game 1: Independence/Gilmanton (#8) at Clayton (#1) – Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game 2: Turtle Lake (#5) at Glenwood City (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Elmwood/Plum City (#6) at Pepin/Alma (#3) – Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game 4: Clear Lake (#7) at Frederic (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group B
Game 1: Florence (#8) at Hilbert (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Greenwood/Granton (#5) at Loyal (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Gilman (#6) at Owen-Withee (#3) – Saturday, 1 p.m.
Game 4: Almond-Bancroft (#7) at Suring (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group C
Game 1: North Crawford (#8) at Potosi (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Ithaca (#5) at Highland (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: New Lisbon (#6) at Cochrane-Fountain City (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: DeSoto (#7) at Hillsboro (#2) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Group D
Game 1: Belmont (#8) at Randolph (#1) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 2: Catholic Central (#5) at Black Hawk (#4) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 3: Johnson Creek (#6) at Rio (Portage) (#3) – Friday, 7 p.m.
Game 4: Fall River (#7) at Lake Country Lutheran (Kettle Moraine) (#2) – Friday – 7 p.m.