MADISON — For the first time in program history, the Badger High School football team is playing for a WIAA state championship.
Badger faces Waunakee Friday at 1 p.m. in the Division 2 title game.
Radio broadcasts are on WLKG and MaxPreps.
The Badgers’ furthest advance in the playoffs prior to this season was to Level 4 in Division 1 in 2012 and 2016 and in Division 2 in 2015.
The Badgers earned their first trip to Camp Randall with a 28-6 victory over Sun Prairie East at Level 4.
They were the champions in the Southern Lakes Conference this year. Badger has outscored their opponents by a cumulative total of 476-129 for an average margin of victory of 26.7 points per game in 2023.
They face Waunakee, which advances to the title game for the 12th time and for the fourth time in the past six finals.
The Warriors have captured the State championship seven times, including three consecutive Division 2 championships from 2009-11 and two more titles in 2017 and 2021.
They also won Division 3 crowns in 1999 and 2002.
Three of their four runner-up finishes came in Division 2 in 2005, 2012 and 2019, and one came in Division 3 in 2001.
The Warriors return to the title game comes by virtue of their 24-14 victory over Kaukauna at Level 4.
THE CHAMPIONSHIPS: The 47th Annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Football State Championships will be held Thursday and Friday, Nov. 16-17, at Camp Randall Stadium on the campus of the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wis.
ADMISSION TICKETS: The WIAA uses GoFan Ticketing for all digital and cashless tickets. Admission for a single game is $11 plus online fees for adults and students. An all-day pass for Thursday is $30 plus online fees, and $25 for an all-day pass for Friday’s games. All tickets must be redeemed on a mobile device. To purchase tickets, visit the WIAA website at: https://www.wiaawi.org/Tickets#4269710-11-player-football. Children 2-years old or younger do not require a ticket.
CHAMPIONSHIPS SCHEDULE:
Thursday, Nov. 16
Div. 7 – Edgar (12-1) vs. Black Hawk/Warren, Ill. (12-1) – 10 a.m.
Div. 6 – Stratford (12-1) vs. Darlington (12-1) – 1 p.m.
Div. 5 – Wrightstown (11-2) vs. Aquinas (12-1) – 4 p.m.
Div. 4 – Luxemburg-Casco (12-1) vs. Lodi (13-0) – 7 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 17
Div. 3 – Rice Lake (12-1) vs. Grafton (11-2) – 10 a.m.
Div. 2 – Waunakee (13-0) vs. Badger (13-0) – 1 p.m.
Div. 1 – Marquette (11-2) vs. Franklin (13-0) – 4 p.m.
FINALS TO AIR ON WIAA STATE TELEVISION NETWORK: Watch the live broadcast of the WIAA State Football Championahips Thursday and Friday on the WIAA State Television Network of stations. Here is a listing of the network stations and the channel guide for the broadcasts:
Milwaukee
WCGV My24
Madison
WKOW 27.2
Spectrum Channel 190
TDS Channel 29
Mediacom Channel 106
The finals will also be streamed live on the WIAA State Television Network stations’ websites at no cost or registration on WKOW.com, WAOW.com, WXOW.com and WQOW.com. In addition, watch the championship finals live on the 27 News Now, News 9 WAOW, WXOW News 19 La Crosse and WQOW News apps.