Two teams remain, one each from the Fond du Lac and Oshkosh area, in the WIAA high school football playoffs. Here is a preview of this Friday's Level 4 (state semifinal) matchups:
Last week, the No. 6-ranked Wolves (12-0, 7-0 Bay) advanced with a 20-10 home victory over No. 2-seed Mayville (10-2, 6-1 Flyway).
Next up, Winneconne will seek its first state championship appearance since 2013 when they travel to Medford for a semifinal matchup against the No. 7-ranked Blackhawks (11-1, 7-0 Middle Border), who defeated top-seeded Freedom (11-1, 7-0 North Eastern), 48-35, in Level 3.
Baldwin-Woodville averages 45.8 points per game and is led both offensively and defensively by senior running back/linebacker Taden Holldorf, who ran for 1,905 yards and scored 26 touchdowns, this season, while also collecting a team-high 76 tackles. Senior dual-threat quarterback Gavin Sell has thrown for 1,154 yards with 15 touchdowns, along with 1,423 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns on the ground. Sell is also second on the team in tackles with 70. The Blackhawks are led in receiving by senior Graiden Moniken (371 yards, five TDs) and junior Brody Everts (295 yards, six TDs).
Winneconne has averaged 35.2 points per game led by junior dual-threat quarterback Brody Schaffer, who has 1,542 passing yards with 15 touchdowns to go along with 1,633 rushing yards on 163 attempts (10 ypa) and 31 touchdowns. Junior running back Bryce Jones compliments Schaffer in the backfield with 673 rushing yards and seven touchdowns, and his top two receivers are Jack (568 yards, five TDs) and Ryan (398 yards, eight TDs) Quigley.
Defensively, Trey Zemke (69), Oliver McAloon (68), and Hudson Samolinski (67) are 1-2-3 in tackles for the Wolves with Schaffer patrolling the secondary, leading the team in interceptions (four).
Prediction: Winneconne 35, Baldwin-Woodville 28
The No. 7-ranked Lions (10-2, 6-1 Flyway) advanced from Level 3 with a 24-7 road win over top-seeded Cedar Grove-Belgium (8-4, 6-0 Big East).
Lomira will now travel to Oconomowoc to take on the Wildcats (6-6, 3-3 SWAL) in the school's first-ever state semifinal game.
After starting the season 0-5, Belleville has won six of their last seven games.
Belleville averages 20.8 points per game and is led on offense by senior quarterback Brennan Keyes with 1,138 passing yards and eight touchdowns, as well as 566 rushing yards with nine touchdowns. Senior running back Logan Derke leads the Wildcats in rushing with 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns in addition to 257 receiving yards and three scores. Top receivers for Belleville are junior Cooper Nemec (371 yards, three TDs) and senior Sam Arndt (280 yards, three TDs). Derke also leads the team with 103 tackles, followed by Keyes (100), and senior Ryker Swenson (94, including 7.5 sacks).
The Lions average 35.4 points per game and are led by senior running back Taylor Schaumberg, who has run for 1,709 yards with 25 touchdowns. Senior quarterback Jackson Goebel has passed for 951 yards with eight touchdowns while rushing for an additional 682 yards and 10 touchdowns. Goebel's favorite targets are seniors Caden Yanke (22 receptions, 419 yards, three TDs) and Sam Schraufnagel (16 receptions, 208 yards, two TDs).
Junior Kolton Wagoner leads Lomira in tackles with 95, followed by senior Nate Steinman with 78, who has a team-high four interceptions - two of which he collected in last week's victory.
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