The energy at Camp Randall Stadium last November was honestly electric. If you weren't there, you missed a chaotic, heart-stopping finish to the season. The wisconsin high school football playoff bracket 2025 didn't just give us champions; it gave us a reminder that in high school sports, a single squib kick can change everything.
Arrowhead fans are still talking about that final minute against Bay Port. Seriously. With 46 seconds left, Bay Port took a late lead. It looked over. Then Ryan Heiman happened. He took a squib kick 76 yards to the house. Just like that, the Division 1 trophy headed back to Hartland. That’s the kind of season it was. From the first round in October to the snowy-ish sidelines in Madison, the 2025 postseason was basically a masterclass in "it ain't over till it's over."
Breaking Down the 2025 WIAA Brackets by Division
Every year, the WIAA seeds these teams and fans immediately start arguing. 2025 was no different. We saw some massive upsets in the early rounds, but by the time the state championships rolled around on November 20 and 21, the heavy hitters had mostly survived the gauntlet.
Division 1: The Warhawks' Dramatic Return
Arrowhead entered the tournament with a chip on their shoulder. They weren't the top-ranked team in the eyes of many—that honor went to Bay Port for most of the year. But the wisconsin high school football playoff bracket 2025 is designed to test depth. Arrowhead’s defense was the story all month. In the final, they were actually outgained 347 to 198 in total yardage. It didn't matter. They forced four turnovers. When you take the ball away that many times, you win games.
The final score of 18-15 doesn't even begin to describe the tension. Bay Port’s Matt Stevens was a dual-threat nightmare, but he couldn't overcome the mistakes. Arrowhead won their 7th state title because they played cleaner football when it counted.
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Division 2: West De Pere’s Air Attack
If you like old-school "three yards and a cloud of dust" football, the Division 2 final between West De Pere and Notre Dame Academy probably gave you whiplash. Patrick Greisen was dealin'. He threw for a D2 record 304 yards.
On the other side, Kingston Allen was a human wrecking ball for Notre Dame. He set a state record with 3,436 rushing yards on the season. Think about that number for a second. That's a lot of carries. In the title game alone, he ran the ball 43 times for 231 yards. But West De Pere’s 28-14 win proved that sometimes a vertical passing game is the ultimate equalizer.
Division 3: A Field Goal for the Ages
Grafton (14-0) completed the perfect season, but barely. They faced a Reedsburg team that shouldn't have been a 16-seed in anyone's mind. Will Mikonowicz for Reedsburg put up a D3 record 255 rushing yards. He was essentially their entire offense.
Grafton won 17-15 on a 35-yard field goal by Graysen Bollech with only six seconds left on the clock. It was their first title since the early 80s. The town probably hasn't stopped celebrating.
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Small School Powerhouses: Divisions 4 through 7
The Thursday games usually feel a bit more intimate, but the quality of play in the lower divisions of the wisconsin high school football playoff bracket 2025 was top-tier.
Winneconne pulled off a massive comeback in Division 4. They were down 14-7 early to Little Chute but clawed back to win 28-22. Brody Schaffer was the engine, doing work with his arm and his legs. He finished with over 120 yards rushing and two passing touchdowns.
In Division 5, Mayville stayed undefeated. They beat Northwestern 42-32 in a game that felt more like a track meet than a football game. Mayville’s ground game accounted for 321 yards. They just wore people out.
The Dominance of Darlington and St. Joseph
Darlington (Division 6) and Kenosha St. Joseph (Division 7) both finished 14-0. Darlington's 42-18 win over Edgar was particularly impressive because Edgar is a perennial powerhouse. Zeke Zuberbuhler was the star there, scoring three times on the ground and once through the air.
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St. Joseph handled Cochrane-Fountain City 35-19. They were efficient. 15-of-18 passing. You don't see that often in high school ball.
What Fans Got Wrong About the 2025 Seeds
People always complain about the regional groupings. Honestly, they have a point. Sometimes the two best teams in a division meet in Level 3 or the Sectional Finals instead of Madison.
Look at Division 1 Sectional 3. Muskego and Badger were both title-caliber teams, but only one could advance past the third round. Muskego took that one 20-13, only to fall later. If the bracket was purely 1-32 without geographic considerations, the final matchups might have looked different. But that's the "WIAA way"—it's about regional pride.
Surprising Statistics from the Postseason
- Total Undefeated Champions: Six out of the seven 11-player champions finished the season without a loss.
- D2 Passing Record: Patrick Greisen’s 304 yards in the final.
- Rushing Milestone: Kingston Allen’s 3,436 yards is a number we might not see beaten for a decade.
Actionable Takeaways for the Next Season
If you're a coach or a player looking at how the wisconsin high school football playoff bracket 2025 played out, there are a few things to keep in mind for your off-season prep.
- Ball Security is Everything: Bay Port lost the D1 title despite having more yardage because of turnovers.
- Special Teams Matter: A squib kick return won the biggest game of the year. Don't neglect the third phase of the game.
- Conditioning Wins in November: Teams like Mayville and Darlington won because they were stronger in the fourth quarter than their opponents.
Keep an eye on the returning juniors from teams like Winneconne and Arrowhead. The 2026 season will start before you know it, and the road back to Camp Randall starts in the weight room this winter. Check the WIAA website regularly for official conference realignment news, as that often shifts how the brackets are drawn up in the fall.