Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

The first football practices of the year are less than a month away, but it's never too early to start thinking about the new season.

Over the next several weeks, WisSports.net will be producing Preseason Football Team Rankings, featuring a Top 15 for each division as well as Others to Watch.

Our preseason football coverage is brought to you by GoRout. GoRout Digital Play Sending helps teams of all levels get the most out of their practice time. By getting rid of huddles and paper scout cards, teams are maximizing both the quality and quantity of scout team reps. To make sure your players are seeing the development they need to be their best on gameday, visit www.gorout.com/quote and get started today.

While things will certainly change prior to the start of the year (players lost to injury, grades, transfers plus players gained via transfer, returning from injury, players improving, etc.), this list will provide a general guide as we look to the 2024 campaign and of course facilitate discussion. Please note, divisions are based on last year's cutlines; divisional placement for some teams may change for the 2024 playoffs; official enrollments for the 2024 season are not available yet from the WIAA and will also impact eventual divisional placement. 

Previous WSN Preseason Football Rankings
Division 1
Division 2
Division 3
Division 4
Division 5
Division 6
Division 7 (Coming soon...)
8-Player (Coming soon...)

Mondovi toppled goliath Regis last year, but a loss to Neillsville/Granton resulted in a shared Cloverbelt title. The Buffaloes scored a postseason victory over Bonduel but fell to D6 champ Stratford in Level 2. Things are wide open in Division 6 this year, with two-time champ Stratford and last year's runner-up Darlington both moving up to Division 5 due to the WIAA Tournament Performance Factor points. Mondovi will get all it can handle in it's own conference, which includes high-level teams Regis and Stanley-Boyd. "Team strengths will be defense and the run game on offense," said head coach Craig Loscheider. "We'll have eight starters back on defense. The whole offensive line returns. We'll have good depth across the board. The main weakness will be experience at offensive skill positions. We'll have a new quarterback, running back, and tight end, and those players produced almost all of our yards and points in 2023." 

Regis was shocked by Prescott in an opening 26-0 defeat, but got things together enough to tie for the Cloverbelt Conference title. The Ramblers beat Elmwood/Plum City in the first playoff game but would fall to eventual D7 champion Edgar in Level 2. Speaking of Division 7, the Ramblers are bumping up from the smallest 11-play division this season due to Tournament Performance Points, and return to D6, where they participated for many years. They do so with a lot of holes to fill. "We are as depleted as we've ever been," said head coach Bryant Brenner. "We will try to improve as the year goes on. We will be very young and inexperienced. We will have to work very hard to compete each week." Regis returns starting quarterback Owen Weisenberger, plus outstanding athlete Evrett Tait, who should see more time on both sides of the ball now. Brenner lists 30 returning letterwinners this season, with four starters back on offense with fewer on defense. The program depth will certainly be challenged this season.

Cedar Grove-Belgium finished second in the Big East Conference, but two games behind league-leading Reedsville. The Rockets did win a playoff game for an eighth consecutive season, going out in Level 2. There are some nice pieces coming back for Cedar Grove-Belgium. The list includes leading rusher Billy Navis and top receiver Nolan Aponte, as well as quarterback Carter Schmitz, who split time at the position as a sophomore last season. 

Lancaster finished 10-2 and second in the SWC last year, but things were almost even better for the Flying Arrows. The lone conference loss was a 47-46 thriller against Platteville, and the team exited the playoffs in Level 3 in a 28-22 nail-biter to Darlington. "We will have experience back on offense at key positions and our overall team speed will be something we lean on," said fourth-year coach Jordon Rolland, a 2009 Lancaster graduate. "However, we lost a lot of leadership and filling that will be a challenge. We will also be tested physically; our team size will be comparable to our conference but our participation in the weight room has been lower than previous years." Hopefully things picked up over the summer, because 22 returning letterwinners, including seven starters on offense and six on defense, would have the Arrows in a position to push Platteville and Prairie du Chien for the top spot in the SWC. Nolan Wolf returns at quarterback, with Semaj Venson, Quinton Ploessl, and Taylor Williams some solid skill players as well.

Grantsburg really put things together last season, advancing to the state semi-finals for the fourth time in school history. Unfortunately, like the three previous trips, the Pirates couldn't quite get over the hump for a trip to Madison, falling to eventual Division 6 state champion Stratford. Still, a 12-1 record and Lakeland Conference championship was an outstanding season for Grantsburg, who should be the favorite in an adjusted Lakeland league this season. "We're returning four starters from our offensive line to go along with our starting quarterback," said head coach Adam Hale. "We'll need to figure out some positions defensively, though." There are six starters back on both sides of the ball among the 16 returning letterwinners. Brock Matheny leads the offense after passing for more than 1500 yards a year ago. Norm Jensen and Zach Carlson are a couple standouts up front.

Auburndale had trouble getting games at times last year, as three opponents canceled on them at different points, though they were able to find replacement games for each one. The Eagles finished second to Edgar in the final year of the Marawood Conference, then went out to former Marawood foe Stratford in the playoffs. The team makes the move to the CWC-Small this season, which figures to be one of the better small school leagues in the state. "We have good experience returning on both sides of the ball," said head coach Jay Anderson. "We'll have a good balance of skill positions and linemen returning on offense. On defense we have a lot of experience returning, but positions are up in the air. There should be a lot of competition." There are a total of 27 juniors and seniors for 2024, a lot for a D6 program. 

Kenosha St. Joseph was one of the favorites in Division 6 last year after going unbeaten in the regular season, posting some ridiculous scorelines during the course of the conference schedule. The last of significant challenges during the year may have hurt come playoff time, as the Lancers dropped a home game to Lancaster in Level 2. "We lose some of the most decorated student-athletes in the history of St. Joseph, especially at quarterback and running back, and in our defensive secondary," said head coach Matt Rizzo. While six, First Team All-Conference performers graduate, the team does return five First Teamers, most of whom play both ways for the Lancers. There remain significant holes to fill at quarterback with the graduation of Eric Kenesie, and at running back with the graduation of All-State back Jayden Gordon. Junior Zach Rizzo should take over at the quarterback spot, while there are a few options to step into bigger roles at the other skill positions. Up front, Alex Vasquez and Brian Ortega are standouts. Dominic Santarelli, also an elite baseball player, is a very versatile two-way player for the Lancers, who return 21 letterwinners, including four starters on offense and five on defense.

Reedsville posted one of the best seasons in school history, winning 12 consecutive games to open the season, capturing the Big East Conference title. The run would come to an end in the Division 7 state semi-finals, as the Panthers fell to Black Hawk/Warren 36-7. Couple with a D7 state title in 2021, the team hit the threshold for elevation by Tournament Performance Factor points, and is bumped to D6 this year. Third-year coach Samuel Shafer brings back five starters on both sides of the ball. While two-way standout Cam Dvorachek is among those who has graduated, Shafer can turn to Parker Maney at quarterback. He ran for more than 2000 yards last year with 28 touchdowns, adding 822 yards and seven passing scores in the team's Pro Wing offense.

Cambridge finished 5-5 overall last year, exiting in Level 1 of the playoffs against Lancaster, but the Blue Jays were very close to being even better. Four of the five losses were decided by one score, with an average margin of defeat of just less than seven points. In the second year of new offense and defense under head coach Rob Nelles, there's a hope that those close losses can turn into wins this season. "We return 13 seniors with plenty of varsity time, most of the skill players are back, and all of our linebackers return," said Nelles. "We are however small on the offensive line and will need to replace two of them from last year." A total of eight seniors return on offense, including league Player of the Year Matthew Buckman at quarterback. Drew Holzhueter and Keifer Parish were both First Team All-Conference selections as receivers a year ago and return as well. The defense brings back seven starters, with Holzhueter the top returning tackler.

Bonduel opened the 2023 campaign 1-4 against a challenging schedule, but the Bears rebounded to win four straight to close the season and make the playoffs. Making the lengthy trip to Mondovi, they put up a good fight before falling 33-29 in Level 1. The team was a step behind top dogs Kewaunee and Southern Door last year, but that gap may close a bit this season as the Bears welcome back 30 letterwinners, including seven starters on offense and seven on defense. The list includes talented junior Ryan Westrich, who has gained considerable recruiting attention as a defensive lineman and tight end. "We're returning a lot of talented playmakers but the offensive line is a big question mark right now," said head coach James Westrich.

Kewaunee rattled off 12 consecutive victories, most in dominating fashion, but in a state semi-final, saw a 28-20 halftime lead fall by the wayside in a hard-fought 34-28 loss to Darlington. It was a tough way to end for a really strong senior group that carried most of the load for the Storm. Among the players the team will have to replace include All-State running back Owen Carlson, two-way Packerland Conference Lineman of the Year Braxton Riha, and quarterback Thomas Stangel. There is another standout lineman waiting in the wings in junior Mitchell Boeder, who has already received a good amount of recruiting attention.

Ladysmith finished a distant second behind league-leader Grantsburg a year ago, dropping a 43-16 decision to the Pirates to close out the regular season. The Lumberjacks did score a postseason victory over Unity before another defeat against Grantsburg in Level 2. There's a sense that the team could push Grantsburg (and others in a revamped Lakeland) this season behind the return of 18 starters off last year's group. Head coach Kirk Yudes likes the varsity experience of this year's squad, but has some concerns about the experience and depth up front on both sides of the ball. Quarterback Tim Meltz put up big numbers a year ago, passing for 25 touchdowns, and one of his favorite targets, Braeden Little, is also returning this year.

Racine Lutheran was second in the Midwest Classic last year behind Kenosha St. Joseph and exited in Level 1 of the playoffs to finish 7-3. It was a pretty young squad that relied heavily on underclassmen, that could be in line for a big-time jump this season. There is a change at the top, however, as longtime head coach Scott Smith has stepped down, replaced by Jeff Kraus. Speaking of Kraus, it is Cohen Kraus that returns at quarterback after starting there as a freshman last year. Bryce Austin and Eli Gasau were his top two targets last season and are also back. The team does have some work to do up front, needing to replace a pair of First Team All-Conference offensive linemen. If they can get that figured out, the team could very easily vault up significantly in the rankings.

Cameron had an interesting 2023 season, losing a non-converence game to a solid Boyceville squad before rebounding nicely to open Heart O'North conference play, including an impressive 32-14 win over league heavyweight Northwestern. However, the following week they'd fall to Saint Croix Falls, but pick themselves up to finish out a co-conference championship regular season. The Comets won a pair of postseason games before getting blown out by Grantsburg 61-20 in Level 3. Speaking of Grantsburg, Cameron will compete with the Pirates this year after moving to the Lakeland Conference, which will present some new opportunities. The top half of the league will be very competitive, but with experience in the slightly larger HON, Cameron should be well prepared. The team does have to replace last year's HON co-Offensive Player of the Year Tyson Lucas and Defensive Player of the Year Damien Bell, but do return leading rusher Cole Peterson.

Coleman posted another solid campaign in 2023, finishing tied for second in the Northwoods Conference before winning a playoff game for a fifth consecutive season, though they'd exit in Level 2. The Cougars should compete for the top of the Northwoods Conference again, though there are some challenges in the new season. "We aren't anywhere as deep as the past few years," said veteran head coach Jeff Bronson. "We have smaller numbers per class once you get past the senior group and overall depth is a concern." The team returns just eight letterwinners from a year ago, but six starters on offense and five on defense. Micah Kuchta returns at the quarterback spot, though he runs it more than he throws it in the team's Wing-T offense, going for 26 touchdowns on the ground a year ago. Kolton Peters saw valuable time last year and is back, along with Cole Berth.

Abbotsford
Belleville
Brillion
Cadott
Crandon
Cuba City
Cumberland
Howards Grove
Luther
Marathon
Marshall
Mineral Point
Oconto
Pardeeville
Unity
Waterloo
Weyauwega-Fremont

Travis Wilson serves as the WisSports.net General Manager, Football Editor, and contributing writer for other parts of the site. Wilson was selected as part of the Sports 40 Under 40 list by Coach & AD Magazine and the National High School Athletic Coaches Association for 2019. The Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) named Travis the 2015 recipient of the Dave McClain Distinguished Service Award. He currently serves on the WFCA Executive Board and is a member of the Executive Board of the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. A graduate of Richland Center High School and Mount Mercy College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Travis was a three-sport athlete in high school (football, baseball, basketball), inducted to the Richland Center High School Hall of Fame in 2023, and currently resides in Reedsburg. You can follow him on Twitter at @travisWSN.

For the latest and most up to date football news and recruiting information, follow Travis on Twitter @travisWSN. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Travis at travis(at)wissports.net.