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Football playoff capsules

By Freeman Staff

October 31, 2008

CATHOLIC MEMORIAL vs. WISCONSIN LUTHERAN

WHAT: WIAA Division 3 second-round game

WHEN: 3 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Wisconsin Lutheran College

RECORDS: Catholic Memorial 9-1 overall; Wisconsin Lutheran 10-0 overall.

FIRST ROUND: Memorial beat New Berlin Eisenhower 17-7; Wisconsin Lutheran beat St. Francis 56-7.

AT STAKE: The winner moves into the quarterfinals against the winner of the Pewaukee-Greendale game.

LAST MEETING: Memorial beat Wisconsin Lutheran 24-14 in the opening round of the 2001 playoffs en route to a second-place finish.

NOTABLE: This is Division 3's most brutal bracket - St. Francis had the worst record at 6-3. The other three brackets had at least two teams with 5-4 records or worse and two of them had three such teams. The Crusaders have the unenviable task of taking on the defending state champion, No. 1-seeded Vikings, who also won state championships in 2005 and 2004 and were state runners-up in 2003. ... The game could be one of the best of the season. ... Whichever team can get out of the bracket could be helped down the line after the No. 1 seed on its side of the bracket, McFarland, was upset as was No. 2-seeded Evansville. The best remaining team in the top half of the bracket is Reedsburg at 7-3. The worst remaining team in Memorial's bracket is 9-1.

DON'T BE SURPRISED IF THE FINAL SCORE IS: Catholic Memorial 28, Wisconsin Lutheran 27.


PEWAUKEE vs. GREENDALE

WHAT: WIAA Division 3 second-round game

WHEN: 7 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Greendale

RECORDS: Pewaukee 10-0 overall; Greendale 9-1 overall.

FIRST ROUND: Pewaukee beat Whitefish Bay 28-6; Greendale beat Union Grove 42-24.

LAST MEETING: Pewaukee lost to Greendale 34-0 in the final regular-season game in 2006.

AT STAKE: The winner moves into the quarterfinals against the winner of the Catholic Memorial-Wisconsin Lutheran game.

NOTABLE: Pewaukee claimed the Woodland Conference title with the first perfect record in the school's history but did not have to meet Greendale, which tied for second in the league. ... Pewaukee beat New Berlin Eisenhower 24-21 on a last-second field goal and Eisenhower beat Greendale 26-21 after the Panthers lost starting quarterback, Chris Ridgway, in the opening quarter. Ridgway is back and completed 16 of 26 passes for 349 yards and three touchdowns in Greendale's first-round victory.

DON'T BE SURPRISED IF THE FINAL SCORE IS: Pewaukee 21, Greendale 20.


ARROWHEAD vs. OSHKOSH WEST

WHAT: WIAA Division 1 second-round game

WHEN: 4 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Titan Stadium in Oshkosh

RECORDS: Arrowhead 10-0 overall; Oshkosh West 7-3 overall.

FIRST ROUND: Arrowhead beat Manitowoc Lincoln 49-19; Oshkosh West beat Madison West 44-14.

LAST MEETING: first meeting

AT STAKE: The winner moves into the quarterfinals against the winner of the Kettle Moraine-Hartford game.

NOTABLE: Arrowhead has lost a second-round playoff game just twice - in 1989 and 1998 - in the school's history. ... The defending state champion's winning streak is at 24 games, and the closest any team has come to the Warhawks was Marquette in a state quarterfinal game last season - a 44-41 double-overtime victory. ... Division 1 already has lost one No. 1 seed - previously unbeaten Chippewa Falls, but the Cardinals are in the opposite bracket.

DON'T BE SURPRISED IF THE FINAL SCORE IS: Arrowhead 35, Oshkosh West 7.


KETTLE MORAINE vs. HARTFORD

WHAT: WIAA Division 1 second-round game

WHEN: 4 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Kettle Moraine

RECORDS: Kettle Moraine 6-4 overall; Hartford 9-1 overall.

FIRST ROUND: Kettle Moraine upset No. 3-seeded Sun Prairie 35-21; Hartford beat Waukesha West 17-7.

LAST MEETING: first meeting

AT STAKE: The winner moves into the quarterfinals against the winner of the Arrowhead-Oshkosh West game.

NOTABLE: Kettle Moraine had lost five straight first-round playoff games and had not advanced to the second round since 1993. The only time the Lasers have advanced past the second round was in their 1988 state-championship season. ... The teams have had two common opponents - Waukesha West and Oconomowoc. The Lasers lost to West 37-8 and beat Oconomowoc 46-28. No. 2-seeded Hartford beat West 17-7 and beat the Coons 31-6.

DON'T BE SURPRISED IF THE FINAL SCORE IS: Hartford 35, Kettle Moraine 21.


BROOKFIELD CENTRAL vs. HAMILTON

WHAT: WIAA Division 2 second-round game

WHEN: 1 p.m. Saturday

WHERE: Hamilton

RECORDS: Brookfield Central 9-1 overall; Hamilton 7-3 overall.

FIRST ROUND: Brookfield Central beat Milwaukee Custer 57-0; Hamilton upset No. 3-seeded DeForest 23-13.

LAST MEETING: Central beat the Chargers 31-6 in their Greater Metro Conference season opener this year.

AT STAKE: The winner moves into the quarterfinals against the winner of the Waunakee-Cedarburg game.

NOTABLE: The 57 points scored by Central against Custer was the third-highest point total in any of the 112 first-round games. ... The Lancers have a four-game winning streak since their only loss, a 10-6 decision against Marquette, and have outscored opponents 191-34 in those four games. ... Hamilton has a five-game winning streak in which it has outscored the five opponents 204-75.

DON'T BE SURPRISED IF THE FINAL SCORE IS: Brookfield Central 28, Hamilton 14.