FIRST AND SHORT

First impressions of the football postseason brackets

JR Radcliffe
jr.radcliffe@jrn.com

The brackets are out for the WIAA postseason. Here are some initial impressions:

Could Level 3 at Oconomowoc happen again? The Arrowhead-Oconomowoc classic last year was one of the highlights of the Division 1 postseason, and it could happen again in the same venue and same third weekend of the playoffs -- but this time, it's going to take some upsets.

Cooney is the No. 4 seed despite one loss, and it will have to negotiate powerful Big Eight schools Middleton and Sun Prairie to get there. Waukesha County teams are 9-3 against the Big Eight since 2010, so Milwaukee has typically had the upper hand in these contests, but that obviously can't be easily applied to what's happening in this specific season.

Arrowhead, which reached the playoffs with a 5-4 overall record, has the No. 6 seed and must stage two upsets against Verona and Badger to get that far. It's certainly not out of the realm of possibility, but it's no picnic.

Franklin could be the surprise. Last year, Franklin was equipped to win a state title, and only a fluky final play against Arrowhead in Level 4 kept the Sabers from state. Ironically, this year's team has perhaps just as good a chance to get there, even with a completely refashioned roster. The Sabers could see Oak Creek in a rivalry rematch in Level 2, but they look very much like the best team in its bracket (though No. 2 seed Marquette is also plenty formidable). There isn't a clear cut favorite from that side of the D1 bracket to get to Madison, but the Sabers have as good a chance as anyone. If Badger or a Madison school rises to the occasion, we likely won't see a Division 1 school from the Milwaukee area in the state-title game for the first time since 1984.

Could Milwaukee get shut out of D2 too? Waunakee and Menasha are the top two teams in the state in Division 2 and sit at opposite sides of the bracket, so they could match up in Madison. Those programs would leave many Milwaukee-area teams in their wake if they get there. Brookfield Central actually has a higher seed than Mensasha in their pool of eight but could easily meet in Level 3, and Central took a head-scratching loss to Menomonee Falls to close the year. Central would also need to navigate Menomonie, a team that lost in Week 1 in a shootout to Greendale but hasn't lost since. Homestead, quite honestly, has a perceptively easy path to Level 4, and it's a guarantee at least one Milwaukee-area team will make that stage of the postseason from that bracket. But can Homestead get past Waunaukee (or perhaps darkhorse Waukesha West?) once it gets there? Homestead has beaten both of those programs in state-title games in recent years.

Pewaukee got an interesting draw. Winning the Woodland West may have paid dividends for Pewaukee, as it means the Pirates are heading west, and powerhouse Catholic Memorial is the No. 1 seed close to home in a different pool of eight. I don't know if it means an easier path necessarily, but it's at least a different one. Memorial should be the odds-on favorite to get to Madison from that half of the bracket regardless. Greendale is a No. 6 seed and remains an intriguing Division 3 squad after dropping down into that division.

Division 6 is brutal. There is no other way to put it -- you would rather be in Division 5 than Division 6. Lake Country Lutheran, at 9-0 this season and with a quality nonconference win over Racine St. Catherine's (winner of the Metro Classic), is the No. 4 seed behind powerhouse St. Mary's Springs, Ozaukee and Iola-Scandanavia. The Lightning still get to host in the first round, but they also could see Springs in the second round. That's brutal.

University School gets to host. An intriguing first-round battle comes in Division 4 where No. 3 University School hosts No. 6 Martin Luther. It's a rare chance for USM to host a playoff game, and it comes against a team with an unusual resume.

LCL, which beat USM pretty easily in the regular season, surely wishes it was D4. In D5, it would probably be seeded ahead of that No. 3 St. Catherine's team that it defeated.