Highlights from Mukwonago's 28-6 victory over unbeaten Oconomowoc to force a three-way atop the Classic 8 Conference standings with two weeks left.
Conference clashes with significant playoff and league title race ramifications were plentiful in Week 7 of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association high school football season Friday. Here are three takeaways:
16 more area programs join playoff field with fourth conference win
After 17 area teams joined the first wave of automatic playoff qualifiers with their fourth conference wins last week, 16 others joined that group with victories this week. Arrowhead (46-7 over Waukesha West), Brookfield Academy (54-7 over Living Word Lutheran), Burlington (27-0 over Beloit Memorial), Germantown (51-19 over West Allis Hale), Kenosha Christian Life (forfeit win over Catholic Central), Kenosha St. Joseph (forfeit victory over Dominican), Lake Country Lutheran (50-15 over Brown Deer), Martin Luther (40-6 over Shoreland Lutheran), Milwaukee Hamilton (42-0 over Milwaukee North), Mukwonago (28-6 over Oconomowoc), Racine Case (27-0 over Oak Creek), Racine Horlick (47-28 over Kenosha Indian Trail), Racine Lutheran (55-0 over Kingdom Prep Lutheran), Wauwatosa East (65-0 over West Allis Central), Wauwatosa West (28-14 over Waukesha North) and Wisconsin Lutheran (28-21 over Greendale) are in the playoffs.
Milwaukee Reagan entered a Saturday contest with Milwaukee King with three conference wins. Those also still on the bubble as of Saturday morning with three conference wins and needing one more over the last two weeks for automatic playoff qualification include Hartford, Kenosha Bradford, Milwaukee Bradley Tech, New Berlin West, Oak Creek, Shoreland Lutheran, Waterford, Westosha Central and Whitnall.
Others in "win out" mode with two weeks left, including some surprises
While many have locked in their playoff spot with two weeks to play, others find themselves playing catch-up with just two conference wins through five weeks of league play. Muskego and Kettle Moraine played for the Classic 8 title in Week 9 last year, but both find themselves at 2-3 in conference after Muskego beat the Lasers 49-7 on Thursday. Pewaukee joins them at 2-3 after picking up a 14-0 win over Menomonee Falls on Friday. Kettle Moraine Lutheran kept playoff hopes alive with a 42-7 win over Kewaskum to go to 2-3 in the East Central. Brookfield Central faces an uphill battle after a 52-7 loss to Marquette to fall to 2-3, but could salvage its playoff hopes with wins over Germantown and Menomonee Falls over the last two weeks. Watertown Luther Prep is hanging on as well in the Metro Classic after a 21-15 win over St. Thomas More.
Saint Francis (2-2) and Cudahy (2-2) were scheduled to play Saturday afternoon, with the winner moving within a game of the playoffs and the loser holding on to hope as well. Pius XI Catholic joins Saint Francis and Cudahy among two-win Midwest Classic Large teams, as it comes off a 58-0 loss to Milwaukee Academy of Science this week. Milwaukee Bay View kept itself on the brink with a 54-8 win over Milwaukee Madison on Thursday. Milwaukee Vincent, despite having to forfeit its opening two games of the conference schedule, could still qualify for the postseason with wins in its last two games against Milwaukee North and Bay View. Milwaukee Marshall also needs two more wins after falling to Milwaukee Riverside, 38-36, on Friday. Whitefish Bay bounced back from three straight North Shore losses with a 28-12 win over West Bend West on Friday to keep its postseason hopes alive. Waukesha North and New Berlin Eisenhower will play next week in a do-or-die game for both of their playoff lives out of the Parkland. Union Grove and Beloit Memorial have uphill battles in the Southern Lakes, each needing two wins with Burlington and Badger on deck, respectively, next week. Greenfield has seen its playoff hopes dwindle after three straight losses in Woodland Conference play, but wins over South Milwaukee and Wisconsin Lutheran over the final two weeks would salvage a postseason spot.
Racine Case picks up historic win over Oak Creek
Racine Case ended a 16-game losing streak to Oak Creek with a dominant 27-0 road win Friday, the Eagles' first over the Knights since 2006. Case quarterback Leo Chiappetta connected with Michael Farr for a 53-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Midway through the second quarter, Chiappetta found Farr again, this time for a 57-yard touchdown. The Knights lined up to punt on their ensuing drive when the rush from Ziarre Griffin off the punter's left side forced an Oak Creek upback into the path of the punt. The deflection sailed back toward Oak Creek's goal line, where Griffin recovered and walked in for a touchdown that made it 21-0. Case added what would be its final score of the game in the closing minute of the first half, as Chiappetta found Zachary DeBaker for an 18-yard strike. The Eagles' defense held the Knights to 41 total yards for the game, including minus-18 rushing yards.
The win for Case and a 47-28 win for Racine Horlick at Kenosha Indian Trail sets up a meeting of 4-1 Racine schools next week at Case. Both Case and Horlick sit a game behind Franklin for the Southeast Conference lead, with Horlick scheduled to host the Sabers in Week 9.