Senior quarterback Lincoln Cullen and the second-ranked Amherst High School football team received the No. 1 seed in their eight-team group for the WIAA Division 5 Playoffs. (John Kemmeter photo)

Portage County Gazette

By John Kemmeter

Matchups for the WIAA Football Playoffs were released Saturday, Oct. 19.

Division 5 second-ranked Amherst (8-0) received the No. 1 seed in its eight-team playoff group, Division 7 sixth-ranked Almond-Bancroft (9-0) was given the No. 2 seed in its playoff group, and Rosholt (4-5) is a No. 8 seed in its Division 7 group.

Amherst will be at home Friday, Oct. 25, to play eighth-seeded Peshtigo (5-4) at 7 p.m. in the WIAA Division 5 Level 1 Playoffs.

The other matchups in the Falcons’ eight-team Group B are seventh-seeded Omro (3-6) at 10th-ranked and second-seeded Kewaunee (8-1), sixth-seeded Wittenberg-Birnamwood (6-3) at ninth-ranked and third-seeded Chilton (7-2), and fifth-seeded Laconia (5-4) at fourth-seeded New Holstein (6-3).

The winner of Group B will play in the State Semifinals against the winner of Division 5 Group A, where Division 5 top-ranked Stratford (9-0) received the No. 2 seed, as Division 4 third-ranked Northwestern (9-0) was given the No. 1 seed for the group.

The other No. 1 seeds in Division 5 are Division 4 eighth-ranked Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau (8-1) in Group C and fourth-ranked Lake Country Lutheran (8-1) in Group D, as Lake Country Lutheran received the No. 1 seed over Division 4 third-ranked and reigning Division 4 State Champion Racine St. Catherine’s (8-1).

The lone Conference Champion and undefeated team in Division 7 Group B, Almond-Bancroft (9-0) was given the No. 2 seed in its group and will host seventh-seeded Athens (5-4) at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25.

Third-ranked and reigning Division 7 State Runner-up Edgar (8-1) received the No. 1 seed in Group B and will host eighth-seeded Greenwood (6-3), while sixth-seeded Pittsville (5-3) will play at 10th-ranked and third-seeded Gilman (7-2), and fifth-seeded Loyal (5-4) will play at ninth-ranked and fourth-seeded Hurley (7-2).

The winner of Group B will play in the State Semifinals against the winner of Group A, where second-ranked Bangor (9-0) is the top seed.

Rosholt received the No. 8 seed in Division 7 Group D, and for the second year in a row, will travel to play at fourth-ranked and top-seeded Hilbert (9-0) in the first round of the WIAA Division 7 Playoffs at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25.

Other Group D matchups include seventh-seeded Hillsboro (5-4) at fifth-ranked and second-seeded Oshkosh Lourdes (9-0), sixth-seeded Reedsville (5-4) at third-seeded Brookwood (7-2), and fifth-seeded Burlington Catholic Central (5-4) at fourth-seed Randolph (7-2).

The winner of Group D will advance to the State Semifinals to play the winner of Group C, where top-ranked and defending State Champion Black Hawk/Warren (Ill.) (9-0) received the No. 1 seed.