Wisconsin High School Football Preseason AP Rankings
The 2012 Wisconsin high school football season kicks off just days from now and the AP preseason rankings were just released. The rankings are voted upon by sports writers from across the state and are arranged into three divisions based on enrollment size. First place votes are in parenthesis. With all the technical jargon out of the way, lets get on with the rankings.
LARGE DIVISION (enrollment 900+)
1. Waunakee (7)
2. Hartland Arrowhead (1)
3. Brookfield Central (1)
4. Sun Prairie
5. Verona Area
6. Sussex Hamilton
7. Marshfield
8. Kenosha Bradford
9. Franklin
10. Monona Grove
No surprise with the three-time defending Divsion 2 state champion Waunakee at the top. They are clearly the team to beat this year. I am surprised last year’s Divison 1 runner-up Wisconsin Rapids-Lincoln did not crack the top ten. Look for them to be contenders once again this year.
MEDIUM DIVISION (301-899)
1. West DePere (8)
2. Walworth Big Foot (1)
3. Waukesha Catholic Memorial
4. Kewaskum
5. Brown Deer
6. Plymouth
7. Wisconin Lutheran
8. Waupaca
9. Pewaukee
10. Cedar Grove
From top to bottom, no surprises here. Somerset, who lost a thriller in double overtime last year in the Division 4 championship game, will wind up in the top ten by the end of the season.
SMALL DIVISION (300 and lower)
1. Fond du Lac Springs (9)
2. Colby
3. Edgar
4. Eau Claire Regis
5. Potosi
6. Stratford
7. Blackhawk
8. Lancaster
9. Shiocton
10. Hurley
The small division is stacked. Any team ranked in the top ten can easily win a state championship this year. Lancaster will slowly creep up the ladder and Edgar and Stratford will be neck and neck all year and their collision in Week 5 could be a playoff preview.
Kickoff to the 2012 Wisconsin high school football season is right around the corner. It’s time for the boys of fall to strap on the helmet and pads and let their play on the field do the talking. It’s an exciting time to be a high school football fan in Wisconsin.
