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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
8-Player (Coming soon...)

Edgar claimed the Division 7 state title last year, dominating Black Hawk/Warren (IL) in a 36-6 victory. It is the eighth state championship for the Wildcats, all under head coach Jerry Sinz, who has now won titles in five different decades: 1970's, 1990's, 2000's, 2010's, and 2020's. It was a measure of revenge for Edgar, who lost to Black Hawk in the 2018 Division 7 title game and to Black Hawk/Warren (IL) co-op in the 2019 Division 7 championship contest. The Wildcats opened the year with a tough 8-6 loss to Ellsworth, but rebounded with 13 straight wins to close the year, including nine consecutive shutouts at one point. The drumbeat will continue for Edgar in 2024, who remain a favorite despite just four starters back on offense and five on defense. Head coach Jerry Sinz likes the options he'll have at the skill positions, despite the loss of All-State running back Karter Butt. "We'll have good team speed and good size in the line," said Sinz. "We've played 26 games the past two seasons, so there's lots of playoff experience." Edgar makes the move from its longtime home in the Marawood Conference to join the CWC-Small this season.

Black Hawk/Warren (IL) went 8-1 in the regular season, the only loss coming against Potosi/Cassville. The Warriors got revenge in the postseason, downing P/C 36-0 in Level 3. Black Hawk/Warren advanced to the Division 7 title game, but came up short against Edgar. "We have high expectations again this season," said head coach Desmond Breadon. "Our players are hungry to improve on last season and have approached the off-season with a chip on their shoulder." Those players include eight returning starters on offense and eight on defense. Among them are top offensive skill players like quarterback Eli Schliem, running back Owen Seffrood, and tight end Bryce VanRaalte. There's also a nice mix of returning starters on the offensive line. Many of those players are two-way starters, and there's a strong group of sophomores and freshmen that could be in the mix as well.

Potosi/Cassville defeated rival Black Hawk/Warren during the regular season, though they did lose a crossover game against Darlington. In the playoffs, Potosi/Cassville and Black Hawk/Warren faced off again, but this time BH/W got the upperhand in a 36-0 Level 3 running clock game. Head coach Mark Siegert brings back a big group of 15 seniors who he says are very driven to make this a special season. "With 50 players on our roster, our depth should be a plus, especially at the D7 level," said Siegert. "We have kids who are very invested in our strength and conditioning program and have worked hard to hopefully take this to the next level." The team welcomes back six starters on offense and six on defense, including two-way standout Isaiah Groom up front.

Iola-Scandinavia won the CWC-Small title last year, with the only two losses coming in crossovers against teams from the Marawood. They'd travel on the road in Level 1 of the playoffs, falling to Cambria-Friesland. It was a very young team that the T-Birds put on the field, and they'll have some extremely dynamic young athletes once again. Jensen Rice was a First Team All-Conference quarterback as just a sophomore last season, when he ran for 959 yards and threw for 700. He won the D3 100-meters this spring. Korz Loken earned First Team All-Conference recognition as a tight end as just a freshman, and is already attracting loads of scholarship interest. Second-leading rusher and All-Name Team nominee Kyrylo Kopytsia also returns for veteran head coach Scott Erickson.

Boyceville produced one of the best seasons in school history in 2023, going unbeaten during the regular season, including an outright Dunn-St. Croix title. The team advanced to Level 3 for just the third time, falling to eventual D7 champ Edgar. "We lost a senior class that changed the way people looked at Boyceville football," said head coach Michael Roemhild. "They leave after posting a 34-8 record of four years of varsity football. We graduate eight starters from offense and seven starters from defense, as well as some special teams players." Despite this, there are some really nice pieces coming back and coming up for the Bulldogs. Carson Romehild returns after earning DSC Offensive Player of the Year honors. Fellow junior Zach Hellendrung was a Second Team all-league choice on offense and the league's Defensive Player of the Year. "We have guys that were competing for spots last year and are ready to fill in where we need them this year," added Coach Romehild. "The team will have good size and speed, great knowledge of our system, with confidence from last year."

River Ridge went 7-4 last season against a very difficult schedule, as they couldn't quite overcome Black Hawk/Warren and Potosi/Cassville in the Six Rivers. It's setting up to be another dogfight in the league, with those three teams all returning considerable portions of their roster, plus the addition of four new teams. "We only lose four seniors, so we have a lot of starters back at a lot of different positions," said head coach Wade Winkers. "Replacing important seniors is a year in and year out task. We have a lot of the pieces to be successful but need to stay healthy and play smart football all season." Among the eight returning starters on the offensive side of the ball are quarterback Brandon Davis, running back Andrew Nies, and receiver Carter Copsey.

Cashton had an outstanding season going in 2023, winning 11 consecutive games to start the year, including a Scenic Bluffs championship. Along the way, they wrestled a 14-10 win from Bangor, but the roles were reversed in the Level 3 playoffs when Cashton fell 17-12. A talented senior group that saw loads of success the last few years moves on, but the program strength should continue. "We have solid numbers in the program, which allows for development of our players," said head coach Jered Hemmersbach. "We have a lot of kids that have been waiting for their opportunity. Good leadership from our incoming senior class with solid backing of our junior class." Four starters return on both sides of the ball.

Randolph went 9-3 last year, dropping an opening non-conference game to Berlin, a 62-36 decision to Johnson Creek that meant a runner-up finish in the Trailways Conference, and 20-0 defeat at the hands of Reedsville in the Level 3 playoffs. "We have a good nucleus of returning players who should be able to jump right in and contribute right away," said head coach Tom Chase. The Rockets bring back six starters on offense, including First Team All-Conference back Ben Paul. There are four starters returning on the defensive side of the ball, as the team plays many players both ways.

Bangor lost just one game during the regular season, a 14-10 setback against Cashton in September. The Cardinals got their revenge in November, beating Cashton 17-12 in Level 3. Bangor would fall to eventual D7 champion Edgar the following week in the state semi-finals. "We will be replacing just about every starter on offense and the entire offensive line," said head coach Todd Grant. "We do have four defensive starters returning. The defense should be a strength for us, especially early in the season." 

Cambria-Friesland had its struggles in 2023, going 4-3 in conference play, though the Hilltoppers did rally to score a postseason victory over Iola-Scandinavia before going out to Reedsville in Level 2. Longtime head coach Jim Bylsma retired in the off-season, with Jamie Link taking over. He'll inherit an experienced bunch that returns eight starters on both sides of the ball. "We are also expecting to add a number of new upperclass players who previously did not play," said Link. "Still, due to our overall school size, we will be thin at a number of positions." Carter Drews is a two-way standout who rushed for more than 1100 yards last season, while Brayden Busse is the reigning Trailways Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Lourdes Academy finished third in the crowded Trailways Conference race, but it was good enough to get the Knights into the playoffs. There, they took down Ozaukee before losing to Randolph for the second time in three weeks. "We return four starting offensive linemen, four-year starting quarterback Wade Lindahl, and a good batch of underclassmen to provide depth," said head coach Kevin Wopat. Lindahl is already a three-time First Team All-Conference quarterback who has thrown for 6,015 yards and 68 touchdowns in his career. He's one of seven returning starters on the offensive side of the ball, as the Knights bring back six defensive starters.

Pepin/Alma had one of the most dominating regular seasons in the state, going unbeaten with all but one game (46-28 win over Elmwood/Plum City to open the year) ending in a running clock. The playoffs proved to be a different story, as the Eagles faced a very good Bangor team in Level 2, losing 28-13. "We lost an excellent senior class that led our team to back-to-back conference titles and a 21-2 record for the last two years," said veteran coach Mike Olson, who is closing in on 200 career wins, now just 22 away. "We lose our entire backfield and all but one lineman." There's a nice junior group coming up that features 17 players to bolster the other returning seniors. Still, just two starters are back on offense and only three on defense.

Spring Valley just couldn't find a way to beat Boyceville last year, losing to the Bulldogs in the regular season finale with a share of the Dunn-St. Croix title on the line, then going down again to Boyceville in Level 2 of the playoffs. "We have some really talented players returning but also many big question marks to figure out," said head coach Ryan Kapping. "We have some strong skill players and a couple very experienced linemen, but we have some areas that will need to be filled by newcomers and the work that they put in will decide how those spots get filled. I expect us to be a team that focuses on running the ball first and foremost and plays really sound defense." After being involved running and catching the ball the last couple years, Cade Stasiek will make the move to quarterback this season. Stasiek is also a standout on the defensive side of the ball, where he's joined by Caleb Bartko, Trevor Forster, and Connor Erickson as the top four tacklers from last year's squad. The Cardinals return five starters on offense this year along with five on defense.

Johnson Creek finished 9-2 under Tim Wagner, who captured his 200th career victory last year. The Bluejays won the Trailways Conference title, but would fall in a Level 2 playoff game against Black Hawk/Warren. It was a storng senior group that led the way for The Creek, including Offensive Player of the Year Dylan Bredlow and fellow 1500-yard rusher Silas Hartz. The Bluejays do return the Defensive Player of the Year from last season, defensive back Tanner Herman. It figures to be a battle in a very solid Trailways this year, but Johnson Creek should be right in the middle of things.

Cochrane-Fountain City was part of a three-way tie for second in the Dairyland Conference last season, and the Pirates were able to go on the road in Level 1 of the playoffs to score their first postseason victory since 2012, taking down New Lisbon 14-8. They'd go out to Cashton the following week, but it was a nice step forward for the squad. "The defense should lead the way with a lot of experience returning," said head coach Jesse Cyrus. "Our defense took huge strides last year, but that side of the ball should be our strength all year. The offense will have to fill some very important positions, but our entire starting offensive line will return so that will help the inexperienced players who are stepping into new positions." Reed Schmidtknecht, Grayden Barum, Tye Popp, and Aiden Lisowski are among the skill players who have experience coming back.

Blair-Taylor
Clear Lake
Crivitz
Eleva-Strum
Elmwood/Plum City
Glenwood City
Hillsboro
Ithaca
Loyal
Melrose-Mindoro
New Lisbon
Royall
Royall
Wauzeka/Seneca
Webster

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.