Appleton-area high school football semifinal playoff matchups, what the coaches say and predictions
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Little Chute and Winneconne played each other in the first game of the high school football season and are hoping to play in the final game of the season as well.
Standing in the way of making that happen are a couple of traditional Division 4 powerhouses.
The Mustangs will play Columbus and Winneconne will play Baldwin-Woodville on Nov. 14 in the WIAA state semifinals, with the winners advancing to the state finals at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison.
Winneconne and Little Chute, the only two teams remaining in the playoffs from the Post-Crescent coverage area, opened the season Aug. 22 with the Wolves beating the Mustangs 14-6 in Little Chute.
Here’s a look at this week’s semifinal matchups, with comments from the coaches and our predicted winners. All games are 7 p.m.
Last week’s prediction record: 2-1.
Season prediction record: 43-17.
Little Chute (11-1) vs. Columbus (11-1) at Kewaskum
The teams: Little Chute is looking to advance to the state finals for the second time in program history. The Mustangs played Somerset in the Division 4 title game in 2014, losing 28-16. The Mustangs extended their winning streak to 11 games with a 23-12 victory over Racine St. Catherine’s in last week’s quarterfinal game in Racine. Little Chute ran for 290 yards, led by Reece Joten with 103 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries. Jaden Hermsen added 88 yards and a touchdown on nine carries. Kaden Hoffman led the defense with eight tackles and Joten had seven tackles. Columbus is seeking its fifth trip to the state championship game. The Cardinals won Division 4 state titles in 1990 over Mondovi, 1996 over Stanley-Boyd and 2022 over Waukesha Catholic Memorial and were the D4 runner-up in 1995 after losing to Stanley-Boyd. Columbus, whose only loss was to La Crosse Aquinas (34-13) in Week 2, ran its winning streak to 10 games with a 38-19 victory over Mosinee in the quarterfinals. Peyton Powers ran for 120 yards and two touchdowns on six carries, including a 62-yard run. He also threw for 139 yards and a touchdown. Owen Cowell added 118 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries.
Little Chute coach Mark Krommenacker: “The way our defense played Friday in the second half to shut them out and seal the game was a perfect definition of something coach (Trevor) Van Straten has been talking about since June — relentless pursuit. We take pride in being a physical team and it was put on full display with all the white jerseys around the ball throughout the game. Our offensive line moved the line of scrimmage, gaining 290 yards rushing against nine very good athletes in the box. We’ve got another huge challenge this week against a very good defensive line, including a Division I recruit. The recipe is simple. Pursuit, stay focused, be physical, run the ball and keep it away from them. But it won’t be easy because Columbus is one of the best teams in the state. Effort is a choice. I’m confident our guys will leave it all out there and we can walk away proud. There should be a lot of belief around here because the players and coaches have put in the work. The score will take care of itself.”
Prediction: Little Chute 22, Columbus 20.
Winneconne (12-0) vs. Baldwin-Woodville (12-0) at Marshfield
The teams: This game is a rematch of last year’s Division 4 semifinals, when Baldwin-Woodville defeated Winneconne 40-16 in Medford. Winneconne is looking to earn its second trip to the state finals. The Wolves won the D4 state championship in 2013 with a 28-14 victory over Platteville. Winneconne advanced to the semifinals with a 31-15 victory over Freedom. Brody Schaffer passed for 131 yards and two touchdowns. Bryce Jones ran for 95 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries, while Schaffer added 87 yards on 13 rushes. Koltyn Kachur led the defense with 11 tackles and had one of four interceptions for the Wolves. Baldwin-Woodville is seeking its sixth trip to the state finals. The Blackhawks won Division 4 titles in 1987 over Beloit Turner and 1992 over Mayville, and had D4 runner-up finishes in 1994 after losing to Mayville and last season after losing to Racine St. Catherine’s. Baldwin-Woodville was also runner-up in Division 3 in 1981, losing to Two Rivers. The Blackhawks advanced to the semifinals with a 27-20 victory over La Crosse Aquinas. They ran for 205 yards and three touchdowns in the win, led by Dane Veenendall with 145 yards and two TDs on 22 carries.
Baldwin-Woodville coach Dan Keefer: “Obviously one of the keys to the game is limiting Brody Schaffer. He appears to have improved throwing the ball, and he is a great runner. Another key will be taking care of the football and winning the turnover battle. We have a seasoned team that has been there before and we are excited for this opportunity.”
Prediction: Winneconne 28, Baldwin-Woodville 26.
WIAA high school football state semifinals for Friday, Nov. 14
Division 1
Bay Port (10-2) vs. Muskego (11-1) at Oshkosh
Waunakee (12-0) vs. Arrowhead (11-1) at Madison Memorial
Division 2
Notre Dame (12-0) vs. River Falls (11-1) at D.C. Everest
West De Pere (12-0) vs. Homestead (12-0) at Neenah
Division 3
Reedsburg (9-3) vs. Whitefish Bay (6-6) at Madison La Follette
Catholic Memorial (11-1) vs. Grafton (12-0) at Oconomowoc
Division 4
Little Chute (11-1) vs. Columbus (11-1) at Kewaskum
Winneconne (12-0) vs. Baldwin-Woodville (12-0) at Marshfield
Division 5
Stratford (10-2) vs. Northwestern (12-0) at Chippewa Falls
Mayville (12-0) vs. Lake Country Lutheran (11-1) at Slinger
Division 6
Edgar (12-0) vs. Mondovi (11-1) at Stanley-Boyd
Manitowoc Lutheran (12-0) vs. Darlington (12-0) at Waukesha West
Division 7
Kenosha St. Joseph Catholic (12-0) vs. Potosi/Cassville (11-1) at Stoughton
Lourdes Academy (12-0) vs. Cochrane-Fountain City (12-0) at Wisconsin Rapids
WIAA high school football 8-player championship game
McDonell Central Catholic (11-1) vs. Gilman (12-0) at Wisconsin Rapids, Nov. 15, 1 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: High school football semifinal playoff matchups, predictions, schedule
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