FIRST AND SHORT

Bracket chatter: Many regulars to participate in Level 3

JR Radcliffe
jr.radcliffe@jrn.com

The usual suspects are back in Level 3 of the area football playoffs, with only a handful of new faces across the board in the seven divisions around the state. Here's a look at the field still alive, and make note that no program is remotely more playoff-dominant than St. Mary's Springs, which defeated Lake Country Lutheran in Level 2 of the Division 6 playoffs.

Active streaks of Level 3 appearances (including 2016)

9 - St. Mary's Springs
6 - Amherst
5- Darlington, Freedom, Homestead, Kimberly, Pepin/Alma 
4 - Franklin, Marquette, Stanley-Boyd, Waukesha West 
3- Bangor, Cambria-Friesland, Edgar, Fond du Lac, St. Croix Central

Longest Level 3 droughts until 2016

1st Level 3 appearance - Kiel, Loyal, Ozaukee
1982 - Two Rivers*
1987 - Lake Mills*
1998 - River Valley
2000 - Monroe
2003 - Abbotsford, Gale-Ettrick-Trempeleau, Winnebago Lutheran
2009 - Pulaski, Shullsburg
2010 - Middleton, Stevens Point
2011 - Brookfield Central, Highland, Pewaukee
2012 - Durand, Hilbert/Stockbridge, Whitefish Bay

* pre-dates current system; teams won at least two playoff games

Level 3 streaks snapped

5 years - Mount Horeb/Barneveld^
4 years - Arrowhead^
3 years - Waunakee
2 years - Almond-Bancroft^, Arcadia, Cambridge^, Lodi, Marshall^, Reedsburg^, Spencer/Columbus, Spring Valley, Wrightstown

^ did not make Level 2 in 2016.