Apparently, a 2-7 overall record and a 1-6 mark in conference play is good enough to qualify for the WIAA state football playoffs.
That’s the case with Wittenberg-Birnamwood, a team that wrapped up its regular season Oct. 16 with a 49-15 Central Wisconsin Conference-Large loss to Amherst.
The two teams will meet again in Level 1 of the 11-player playoffs, as the Chargers are a No. 8 seed in Division 5 and will return to Amherst at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 to face the top-seeded Falcons.
Meanwhile, Lena/St. Thomas Aquinas Academy and Suring are in the second round of the 8-player playoffs after winning their Level 1 games Oct. 17 over Flambeau and Elkhart Lake/Glenbeulah, respectively.
Amherst 49, Wittenberg-Birnamwood 15
Amherst built a 27-0 halftime lead and wrapped up an unbeaten regular season behind five touchdowns and 140 rushing yards from Ayden Nerdahl.
Amherst quarterback Tyler Loken completed five of seven passes – all to Cal Lusic – for 46 yards and a touchdown.
Both of Wittenberg-Birnamwood’s scores came in the second half on rushing touchdowns from Daniel Olivarez and Bo Davis.
Olivarez led the Chargers with 80 yards on six carries, and Phoenix Horachek completed a 37-yard pass to Davis.
Suring 46, Elkhart Lake/Glenbeulah 19
Suring opened the playoffs by hosting the Resorters.
The Eagles will also have a home game for Level 2, as they will host third-seeded Sevastopol, a 32-6 winner over Niagara, at 7 p.m. Oct. 23.
Lena/STAA 31, Flambeau 18
A long bus ride to Tony, a small community in Rusk County, wasn’t a problem for the fifth-seeded Titans, as they defeated the fourth-seeded Falcons.
Isaac Peterson ran for 128 yards and two touchdowns, while Lucas Farley completed five of nine passes for 105 yards and a touchdown. Jake Farley caught four passes for 91 yards and a touchdown.
Next up for the Titans in Level 2 is top-seeded Valley Christian, which opened the postseason with a 48-8 win over NEW Lutheran/Providence Academy.
The Titans and Warriors will meet at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 at Valley Christian’s home field in Oshkosh.
Bonduel 42, Southern Door 7
The Bears wrapped up an undefeated regular season and the Packerland Conference championship with a win over the Eagles on Southern Door’s home field.
If the Eagles would have won, the Bears would have shared the championship with Kewaunee.
Bonduel is a No. 1 seed in Division 6 and will host No. 8 Lancaster at 7 p.m. Oct. 23 in the first round of the playoffs.
Peshtigo 14, Oconto Falls 13
Not only did the Panthers drop their regular-season finale to the Bulldogs in Peshtigo, the loss also kept them out of the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
Oconto Falls finished 4-5 overall and 3-4 in its first season in the Packerland Conference and needed a win to make the playoffs.
Peshtigo finished 5-4 overall and 5-2 in conference play and already had a playoff spot locked up.
Seymour 30, Shawano 28
Shawano took a 22-21 lead early in the third quarter on Elijah Senft’s second touchdown and had a 28-27 lead later in the game following Senft’s third trip to the end zone.
However, the Hawks came up short on their 2-point conversion try and Seymour was able to get in field goal range for Kessler Jansen, who kicked the game-winning field goal with 2 1/2 seconds remaining in the game.
Shawano finished the season with a 2-7 record, while Seymour finished 5-4 and qualified for the playoffs.
Newman Catholic 18, Marion/Tigerton 14
The Thundercatz wrapped up the season Oct. 15 with a loss to the Cardinals in an extra game matchup of 8-player teams in Wausau.
Maxwell Wilkening led Marion/Tigerton with 81 receiving yards and 58 rushing yards. Quarterback Landon Drews had a touchdown pass to Wilkening and added a rushing touchdown.
Marion/Tigerton finished the game with 141 yards on the ground and 106 through the air.
Oct. 23 schedule (all games start at 7 p.m.): WIAA Level 1 11-player playoffs: Division 2: No. 6 Ashwaubenon at No. 3 Pulaski; Division 5: No. 8 Wittenberg-Birnamwood at No. 1 Amherst; Division 6: No. 8 Lancaster at No. 1 Bonduel. WIAA Level 2 8-player playoffs: No. 3 Sevastopol at No. 2 Suring; No. 5 Lena/STAA vs. No. 1 Valley Christian at Oshkosh.
