It’s been almost two years since Beau Ash’s 22-yard field goal lifted Waupaca to a 16-14 win over West De Pere in the WIAA football playoffs.
The Comets and Phantoms haven’t met since then, but will face each other in the first round of this year’s playoffs. West De Pere will host the Comets at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, in a Level 1 matchup. The Phantoms (8-1) received a No. 2 seed in their Division 3 bracket, while the Comets (5-4) are seeded seventh.
Waupaca is one of six area teams to qualify for the playoffs, along with Hortonville (Division 2); Amherst and Iola-Scandinavia (Division 5); and Wild Rose and Almond-Bancroft (Division 7).
All six teams will play Level 1 games at 7 p.m. Friday. Fourth-seeded Hortonville will host fifth-seeded Merrill, No. 1 seed Amherst will host No. 8 Niagara/Goodman/Pembine, No. 6 Iola-Scandinavia will head to No. 3 Kewaunee, No. 6 Wild Rose will travel to No. 3 Gillett and No. 2 Almond-Bancroft will host No. 7 Newman Catholic.
Teams from area conferences making the playoffs are Waupaca, Appleton Xavier, Freedom, Berlin and Little Chute (Eastern Valley); Amherst, Iola-Scandinavia, Shiocton and Bonduel (Central Wisconsin 8); Wild Rose, Almond-Bancroft and Rosholt (Central Wisconsin 10); Menasha, Seymour, West De Pere, Luxemburg-Casco and Denmark (Bay); and Hortonville, Neenah, Fond du Lac and Oshkosh North (Valley Football Association-South).
WIAA Football Playoffs Level 1
NOTE: All games at 7 p.m. Friday, Oct. 24, except where noted.
Division 1
Group A
Appleton East (No. 8) at Bay Port (No. 1)
Wausau West (No. 5) at Neenah (No. 4)
Eau Claire Memorial (No. 6) at Appleton North (No. 3)
Green Bay Preble (No. 7) at Hudson (No. 2)
Group B
Milwaukee Riverside (No. 8) at Arrowhead (No. 1)
Milwaukee King (No. 5) at Menomonee Falls
Hartford (No. 6) at Mukwonago (No. 3)
Manitowoc Lincoln (No. 7) at Muskego (No. 2)
Group C
Madison West (No. 8) at Kimberly (No. 1)
Verona (No. 5) at Madison La Follette (No. 4)
Janesville Craig (No. 6) at Fond du Lac (No. 3)
Sun Prairie (No. 7) at Middleton (No. 2)
Group D
Milwaukee Pulaski/Arts/Reagan (No. 8) at Marquette (No. 1)
Badger (No. 5) at Kenosha Indian Trail (No. 4)
Kenosha Bradford (No. 6) at Franklin (No. 3)
Milwaukee Hamilton (No. 7) at Oak Creek (No. 2)
Division 2
Group A
Menomonie (No. 8) at Menasha (No. 1)
Merrill (No. 5) at Hortonville (No. 4)
De Pere (No. 6) at Ashwaubenon (No. 3)
Holmen (No. 7) at Superior (No. 2), 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25
Group B
Milwaukee Madison (No. 8) at Homestead (No. 1)
Whitefish Bay (No. 5) at Oshkosh North (No. 4)
Brookfield East (No. 6) at Cedarburg (No. 3)
Brookfield Central (No. 7) at Germantown (No. 2)
Group C
Stoughton (No. 8) at DeForest (No. 1)
Oregon (No. 5) at Slinger (No. 4)
Watertown (No. 6) at Milton (No. 3)
Hamilton (No. 7) at Waunakee (No. 2)
Group D
Milwaukee Bradley (No. 8) at Greendale (No. 1)
Wilmot (No. 5) at Burlington (No. 4)
Waterford (No. 6) at South Milwaukee (No. 3)
Greenfield (No. 7) at Waukesha West (No. 2)
Division 3
Group A
Antigo (No. 8) at La Crosse Logan (No. 1)
West Salem (No. 5) at New Richmond (No. 4)
Osceola (No. 6) at Rice Lake (No. 3)
Onalaska (No. 7) at Mosinee (No. 2)
Group B
Berlin (No. 8) at Plymouth (No. 1)
Luxemburg-Casco (No. 5) at Green Bay Notre Dame (No. 4)
Seymour (No. 6) at Appleton Xavier (No. 3)
Waupaca (No. 7) at West De Pere (No. 2)
Group C
McFarland (No. 8) at Mount Horeb/Barneveld (No. 1)
Big Foot (No. 5) at Jefferson (No. 4)
Reedsburg (No. 6) at Elkhorn (No. 3)
Evansville/Albany (No. 7) at Monona Grove (No. 2)
Group D
St. Francis (No. 8) at Wisconsin Lutheran (No. 1)
Pewaukee (No. 5) at Brown Deer (No. 4)
Pius XI (No. 6) at Kewaskum (No. 3)
Two Rivers (No. 7) at Catholic Memorial (No. 2)
Division 4
Group A
Washburn/Bayfield/South Shore (No. 8) at Somerset (No. 1)
Northwestern (No. 5) at Ellsworth (No. 4)
Northland Pines (No. 6) at Black River Falls (No. 3)
Spooner (No. 7) at St. Croix Central (No. 2), 1 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25
Group B
Peshtigo (No. 8) at Wrightstown (No. 1)
Denmark (No. 5) at Roncalli (No. 4)
Valders (No. 6) at Southern Door (No. 3)
Kiel (No. 7) at Freedom (No. 2)
Group C
Game 1: Campbellsport (No. 8) at Wautoma (No. 1)
Spencer/Columbus Catholic (No. 5) at Columbus (No. 4)
Omro (No. 6) at Little Chute (No. 3)
Adams-Friendship (No. 7) at Bloomer (No. 2)
Group D
University School (No. 8) at Lodi (No. 1)
Platteville (No. 5) at Clinton (No. 4)
River Valley (No. 6) at Marshall (No. 3)
Kettle Moraine Lutheran (No. 7) at Brodhead/Juda (No. 2)
Division 5
Group A
Cameron (No. 8) at Stanley-Boyd (No. 1)
Chequamegon (No. 5) at Colfax (No. 4)
Grantsburg (No. 6) at Eau Claire Regis (3)
Unity (No. 7) at Chetek-Weyerhaeuser (No. 2)
Group B
Niagara/Goodman/Pembine (No. 8) at Amherst (No. 1)
Mishicot (No. 5) at Stratford (No. 4)
Iola-Scandinavia (No. 6) at Kewaunee (No. 3)
Colby (No. 7) at Bonduel (No. 2)
Group C
Pardeeville (No. 8) at Arcadia (No. 1)
Auburndale (No. 5) vs. Westby (No. 4) at Viroqua
Laconia (No. 6) at Poynette (No. 3)
Osseo-Fairchild (No. 7) at Lancaster (No. 2)
Group D
Howards Grove (No. 8) at Racine St. Catherine’s (No. 1)
Winnebago Lutheran (No. 5) at Brookfield Academy (No. 4)
Waterloo (No. 6) at Cedar Grove-Belgium (No. 3)
Shoreland Lutheran (No. 7) at Cambridge (No. 2)
Division 6
Group A
Greenwood/Granton (No. 8) at Athens (No. 1)
Marathon (No. 5) at Boyceville (No. 4)
Lake Holcombe/Cornell (No. 6) at Hurley (No. 3)
Elmwood/Plum City (No. 7) at Spring Valley (No. 2)
Group B
Manitowoc Lutheran (No. 8) vs. Fond du Lac St. Mary’s Springs (No. 1) at North Fond du Lac
Coleman (No. 5) vs. Algoma (No. 4) at Sturgeon Bay
Lourdes Academy (No. 6) at Ozaukee (No. 3)
Crivitz (No. 7) at Shiocton (No. 2)
Group C
Kickapoo/La Farge (No. 8) at Edgar (No. 1)
Necedah (No. 5) at Markesan (No. 4)
Melrose-Mindoro (No. 6) at Independence/Gilmanton (No. 3)
Cochrane-Fountain City (No. 7) at Rosholt (No. 2)
Group D
Racine Lutheran (No. 8) at Darlington (No. 1), 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 25
Deerfield (No. 5) vs. Mineral Point (No. 4) at Deerfield
Iowa-Grant (No. 6) at Cuba City (No. 3)
Pecatonica/Argyle (No. 7) vs. Lake Country Lutheran (No. 2) at Kettle Moraine
Division 7
Group A
McDonell Central (No. 8) at Frederic (No. 1)
Clear Lake (No. 5) at Abbotsford (No. 4)
Loyal (No. 6) at Eleva-Strum (No. 3)
Turtle Lake (No. 7) at Owen-Withee (No. 2)
Group B
Florence (No. 8) at Cambria-Friesland (No. 1)
Rio (No. 5) at Hilbert (No. 4)
Wild Rose (No. 6) at Gillett (No. 3)
Newman Catholic (No. 7) at Almond-Bancroft (No. 2)
Group C
De Soto (No. 8) at Bangor (No. 1)
New Lisbon (No. 5) at Cashton (No. 4)
North Crawford (No. 6) at Hillsboro (No. 3)
Weston (No. 7) at Pepin/Alma (No. 2)
Group D
Fall River (No. 8) at Ithaca (No. 1)
Belmont (No. 5) at Black Hawk (No. 4)
Shullsburg (No. 6) at Catholic Central (No. 3)
Williams Bay (No. 7) at Potosi (No. 2)