FRCC Teams to begin WIAA Tournament Play Friday

Thursday, October 24 2024

The much anticipated WIAA football play-off series gets underway on Friday, October 25. 224 teams grouped into seven divisions by enrollment have qualified for the tournament. Teams with a .500 or better record automatically qualify for the tournament and if there are more spots that need to be filled, the WIAA employs a tiebreaker formula to fill the remainder of the field. Teams are then seeded electronically into four, eight-team groupings in their respective divisions.

The FRCC North and South Divisions, which consists of 16 total teams, was able to qualify 9 teams for this year’s tournament. In the North Division, West De Pere, Bay Port, De Pere, Pulaski and Ashwaubenon qualified for the tournament. Ashwaubenon did not have a winning record in conference play, but was able to make the field as an extra qualifier. FRCC South Division teams to make the play-off field include Notre Dame Academy, Menasha, Oshkosh North and Sheboygan North. Oshkosh North makes the field as a 1st year member of the FRCC South.

South Division Champion Notre Dame Academy fell one game short of playing in the D3 Championship game in 2023, losing to eventual State Champion Rice Lake 30-15 in the semi-final game. Rice Lake defeated Grafton who is the #1 seed in Notre Dame’s 8-team bracket in this year’s field. Notre Dame Academy received the #2 seed. Rice Lake will not defend their D3 title as they have moved up to D2.

North Division Champion West De Pere is looking to get back to the championship game in 2024 after finishing as the runner-up in 2022. If the Phantoms can hold serve in the 1st round hosting FRCC South member Oshkosh North, they will become road warriors in the next two rounds if the seeds hold up. A similar path that they also had to overcome in 2022 to reach the Championship game. West De Pere could potentially match-up with Kaukauna in the 3rd round which would be the third year in a row that the Ghosts and Phantoms meet in the play-offs with each team claiming a victory.

In D1, Bay Port earned a #2 seed and that could eventually lead to a 3rd round rematch with #1 seed Marquette and defending D1 State Champion who defeated the Pirates 42-12 in last year’s 2nd round play-off match-up.

Notes:

Bay Port has the most consecutive play-off appearances with 23 dating back to 2001 (not including the Covid year). West De Pere is next with 21, Menasha has 15 and Notre Dame Academy cracked double digits this year by making its 10th consecutive play-off field.
Oshkosh North has qualified for the play-offs for the first time since 2016.
Sheboygan North qualified for the football play-offs for only the 7th time, but for the 3rd year in a row.
Notre Dame Academy has the only State Championship as a member of the FRCC winning the D3 title in 2015. Notre Dame Academy (2016 – D3), Bay Port (2019 – D1) and West De Pere (2022 – D2) all have runner-up finishes.
West De Pere last won a Conference Championship as a member of the Bay Conference. The Phantoms FRCC North title this year is their 1st title as a member of the FRCC. West De Pere will become a full member of the FRCC starting in 2025/26.
This is the 2nd consecutive year that Ashwaubenon has made the field as an extra qualifier.

Links

WIAA Football Play-off Page

FRCC Standings and Results Page

FRCC North All-Conference Teams

FRCC South All-Conference Teams

FRCC Football History Page

First Round Match-ups

Friday, October 25 2024 7:00pm game times

Division 1