My 2014 best matchups week-by-week for the WIAA High School Football season:
The WIAA Football State Championships this year are held at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin on November 20-21.
Week 1: Platteville at Darlington (August 22) - The D4 runner-ups from last year visit the D6 runner-ups from last year: Platteville lost to Winneconne 28-14, while Darlington fell to Shiocton 35-0.
Week 2: Seymour at Menasha (August 29) - Menasha reached Level 4 a season ago and will most likely receive its biggest test in its new conference from a hungry Seymour team, led by offensive lineman and Wisconsin recruit Jon Dietzen.
Week 3: Pittsville at Edgar (September 5) - Pittsville advanced to Level 4 in a bit of a surprise year last season, while Edgar is trying to recapture its dominance in D6 from its former years.
Week 4: Menomonie at Hudson (September 12) - The two heavyweights from the Big Rivers Conference clash in a game that could once again decide the conference champion. The Raiders have beaten Menomonie six years in a row.
Week 5: Mukwonago at Arrowhead (September 19) - Two D1 powerhouses collide at the home of the two-time defending state champions. The Indians were a win away from playing the Warhawks in the championship game last season.
Week 6: Cedarburg at Homestead (September 26) - These teams are the cream of the crop in the North Shore Conference. Both teams lost to Kimberly in the playoffs last season as the Cedarburg Bulldogs fell to the Papermakers in Level 2, while the Homestead Highlanders dropped a 37-7 decision to Kimberly in Level 3. Homestead went on the road and won a 35-31 thriller over the Bulldogs last season.
Week 7: Ashwaubenon at Bay Port (October 3) - This game will most likely decide the FRCC champion. Ashwaubenon is led by senior QB James Morgan, a Bowling Green recruit, while Bay Port is led by senior QB Alec Ingold, a Northern Illinois recruit.
Week 8: Brookfield Central at Sussex Hamilton (October 10) - New coach Jed Kennedy leads the Lancers into a Greater Metro showdown with the host Chargers, who beat Central twice last year: once on the road in the regular season, and once at home in Level 1 of the playoffs.
Week 9: Roncalli at Kewaunee (October 17) - Both powerhouses of the Olympian-Packerland Conference advanced to Level 4 in their respective divisions last season. (Roncalli in D4, Kewaunee in D5). This could be the most entertaining conference game this season. Both were undefeated heading into their Week 9 matchup last season, as Roncalli shut out the Storm at home 35-0.
