Players on the West Salem High School football team took their No. 6 seed for the WIAA Division 4 playoffs personally.
The Panthers won 8 of 10 games, and a second-place finish wasn’t going to help them in the new playoff matrix that emphasized wins over opponents with a lot of wins.
West Salem’s seven regular-season wins came against teams with a combined record of 18-45, and just one of those teams — Arcadia — qualified for the playoffs.
Anyone who saw the Panthers play knew they’d be a tough postseason elimination, but the system forced them into a tough situation immediately with a road trip to third-seeded Berlin.
“Our guys were mad that we were a 6 seed, and it kind of put a chip on our shoulder,” West Salem coach Ryan Olson said. “We get the new format works and understand that.
“But we know we’re better than a 6 seed.”
The Panthers proved that beyond a shadow of a doubt by blasting a Berlin team that entered the game averaging more than 47 points a game by a 48-20 score. The Indians (8-2) hung in early, but a 21-point second quarter and stellar defense after a scheme change early gave West Salem (8-2) a first-round win for the fifth straight year.
The Panthers flexed their muscles on both sides of the ball and wiped out their opponent despite starting with a very difficult one.
“If you get that 1 or 2 (seed), it’s a bit easier of a game, and you get to play at home,” Olson said. “We had to be ready right away and had to play well right away.
“The nice thing is we got tested and have the experience of a tough (playoff) game already.”
West Salem’s reward is another trip to the other side of the state on Friday. After traveling 250 miles round-trip to play the Indians, the Panthers travel 330 miles round-trip to play second-seeded Little Chute (9-1) for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
The Mustangs will have an understanding of the talent West Salem brings to town in the effort to qualify for another game.
They will know about senior defensive lineman Landon Michlig and senior linebacker Bennett Fennigkoh, who combined for seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage last week.
They will know the dangers presented by junior quarterback Drew McConkey, junior running back Lucas Fry, sophomore running back Kaden Langrehr and junior wide receiver Jameson Skifton because they all played well in a 410-yard offensive attack against a Berlin team coached by former Wisconsin Badger — Joe Stellmacher — and on an eight-game win streak.
But Little Chute also knew a lot about Ripon running back Eric Cumber, who rushed for nearly 2,600 yards during the regular season and held him to 52.
The Panthers will have to find a way to have successful bursts in the run game with Fry, Langrehr and McConkey and relay on McConkey to make the passing game effective against a team that allows less then 10 points per game.
“They run a really good system,” Olson said. “They fly around, are extremely fast and have a big, physical defensive line. It’s a very good football team on the defensive side.”
